Ghost Story (Rugrats)
Encyclopedia
"Ghost Story" is the 103rd episode of the animated television series
Rugrats
. It originally aired on the television network
Nickelodeon
on March 27, 1999, during the series' sixth season. The babies have a sleepover with Angelica
and they tell a scary story featuring cameos
from the Aaahh!!! Real Monsters trio. This episode marks the first Nicktoon
crossover.
"Ghost Story" was written by Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey and directed by Jeff Scott. It became available for sale on the two-disc DVD
Rugrats: Holiday Celebration on August 31, 2004 as a bonus Halloween
episode, and is still available as of February 2011.
to tell the first story, but he tells a more cheerful than scary story and Angelica orders him to tell it right. In his story, Chuckie meets Phil and Lil
, who take him upstairs on a giant worm. There he is chased by a ghost
which turns into Tommy
. Angelica appears as a witch
and hides the key to the attic. While the babies are searching for the key, Chuckie opens a door and the Real Monsters
are sitting and staring at him on the television. Chuckie closes the door quickly, but Angelica orders the monsters to get the Rugrats. Tommy tells them there is chocolate pudding
downstairs. Ickis decides whether to eat the babies or the pudding by licking Chuckie, and states that the pudding would be the better choice. The monsters leave, angering Angelica, and the babies go upstairs and fall asleep in a nice bedroom with a nightlight. Angelica bursts into the bedroom and yells at them, but the babies continue sleeping. The monsterly trio walks up behind Angelica, scaring her instead of the babies. She runs from the room calling for her parents as the episode ends.
on March 27, 1999. It, like all other Rugrats episodes, received a parental guidance rating of TV-Y
. "Ghost Story" was paired with the episode "Chuckie's Complaint." Nickelodeon had a 10th anniversary special voting in which viewers could choose their favorite Rugrats
episode. "Ghost Story" was ranked 61st of all Rugrats episodes, but did not make it on the 10th anniversary DVD. This episode aired about one year after Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
ended on December 6, 1997. This episode has also been aired with other Rugrats reruns on Nicktoons Network.
"Ghost Story" was written by Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey and directed by Jeff Scott. The story for this episode was created by Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey along with James Peters. Like all other episodes recording sessions
for this episode took place in Hollywood, California. Each actor recorded their part individually, taking anywhere from fifteen minutes to four hours depending on the scene or role. Krumm's voice actor, David Eccles, is also the voice engineer
for the Rugrats
and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
episodes.
This episode marked the first crossover between Nicktoons
shows. The other monsters seen in this episode are also from Real Monsters, as shown by their two uvulas, a signature feature of the show's characters. The success of this episode inspired other Nicktoon
TV series
to have crossover episodes such as The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour series.
Cartoon series
A cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme...
Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
. It originally aired on the television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
on March 27, 1999, during the series' sixth season. The babies have a sleepover with Angelica
Angelica Pickles
Angelica Charlotte Pickles is a character voiced by Cheryl Chase in the Nickelodeon shows Rugrats and All Grown Up! and is among the series' original characters. She is a spoiled brat and the cousin of Tommy and Dil Pickles, serves as the main antagonist or the tritagonist of the series...
and they tell a scary story featuring cameos
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
from the Aaahh!!! Real Monsters trio. This episode marks the first Nicktoon
Nicktoons
Nicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
crossover.
"Ghost Story" was written by Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey and directed by Jeff Scott. It became available for sale on the two-disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
Rugrats: Holiday Celebration on August 31, 2004 as a bonus Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
episode, and is still available as of February 2011.
Plot summary
The Rugrats are having a sleepover in Angelica's room during a thunderstorm and begin to tell scary stories. Angelica calls on ChuckieChuckie Finster
Charles "Chuckie" Crandall Finster is a fictional character from the Nickelodeon animated television series' Rugrats and All Grown Up!. He is Tommy Pickles' best friend and tritagonist . The character is voiced by Christine Cavanaugh...
to tell the first story, but he tells a more cheerful than scary story and Angelica orders him to tell it right. In his story, Chuckie meets Phil and Lil
Phil and Lil DeVille
Phillip Richard Bill "Phil" and Lillian Marie Jill "Lil" DeVille, or simply Phil and Lil, are the twins from the Nickelodeon shows Rugrats and All Grown Up!, and are among the series' original characters....
, who take him upstairs on a giant worm. There he is chased by a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
which turns into Tommy
Tommy Pickles
Thomas Malcolm "Tommy" Pickles is the main protagonist of the Nickelodeon animated television series' Rugrats and its spin-off All Grown Up!. He is clad in only a T-shirt and a diaper and is bald with big, blank eyes. He translates everything adult into baby gibberish...
. Angelica appears as a witch
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
and hides the key to the attic. While the babies are searching for the key, Chuckie opens a door and the Real Monsters
AAAHH!!! Real Monsters
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters is an American animated television series about adolescent monsters in training, developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon...
are sitting and staring at him on the television. Chuckie closes the door quickly, but Angelica orders the monsters to get the Rugrats. Tommy tells them there is chocolate pudding
Chocolate pudding
Chocolate pudding is a class of dessert with chocolate flavors. There are two main types: a boiled then chilled, texturally a custard set with starch, version commonly eaten in the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and East and South East Asia; and a steamed/baked, texturally similar to cake, version that is...
downstairs. Ickis decides whether to eat the babies or the pudding by licking Chuckie, and states that the pudding would be the better choice. The monsters leave, angering Angelica, and the babies go upstairs and fall asleep in a nice bedroom with a nightlight. Angelica bursts into the bedroom and yells at them, but the babies continue sleeping. The monsterly trio walks up behind Angelica, scaring her instead of the babies. She runs from the room calling for her parents as the episode ends.
Reception
"Ghost Story" first aired on NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
on March 27, 1999. It, like all other Rugrats episodes, received a parental guidance rating of TV-Y
TV Parental Guidelines
The TV Parental Guidelines system was first proposed on December 19, 1996 by the United States Congress, the television industry and the Federal Communications Commission , and went into effect by January 1, 1997 on most major U.S...
. "Ghost Story" was paired with the episode "Chuckie's Complaint." Nickelodeon had a 10th anniversary special voting in which viewers could choose their favorite Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
episode. "Ghost Story" was ranked 61st of all Rugrats episodes, but did not make it on the 10th anniversary DVD. This episode aired about one year after Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
AAAHH!!! Real Monsters
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters is an American animated television series about adolescent monsters in training, developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon...
ended on December 6, 1997. This episode has also been aired with other Rugrats reruns on Nicktoons Network.
Production
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
for this episode took place in Hollywood, California. Each actor recorded their part individually, taking anywhere from fifteen minutes to four hours depending on the scene or role. Krumm's voice actor, David Eccles, is also the voice engineer
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
for the Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
AAAHH!!! Real Monsters
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters is an American animated television series about adolescent monsters in training, developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon...
episodes.
This episode marked the first crossover between Nicktoons
Nicktoons
Nicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
shows. The other monsters seen in this episode are also from Real Monsters, as shown by their two uvulas, a signature feature of the show's characters. The success of this episode inspired other Nicktoon
Nicktoons
Nicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
TV series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
to have crossover episodes such as The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour series.