It Was Twenty Years Ago Today: The Premier of "Pinky & the Brain"

That's "Pinky & the Brain" the primetime series, which premiered at 7pm on Sunday night, September 10, 1995 on The WB.  After their success on "Animaniacs," the two lab mice broke into primetime with their own show.  The title of the first episode:  "Das Mouse," written by Peter Hastings, directed by Liz Holzman and Al Zegler, produced by Peter, Rusty Mills, me and Mr. Spielberg, and starring the vocal performances of Rob Paulsen as Pinky and Maurice LaMarche as the Brain.  

And, now it's 20 years later, and since the world is not yet in the Brain's control, we must assume that Pinky & the Brain have spent the last 7305 nights attempting to take over the world -- without success.  

But there's always tomorrow night.

"Why, what are we going to do tomorrow night, Brain?"

"The same thing we do every night, Pinky -- try to take over the world." 

"They're dinky, they're Pinky & the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain." 

"Narf" forever!    

Merry Christmas from Yakko, Wakko and Dot, Freakazoid and Pinky & the Brain

Warner Bros Animation Studio holiday card, circa 1995

Happy 4th of July from Skippy and Slappy Squirrel

"In the land of the free, now that's com-e-dy!"

Cel set-up from the final scene of the Animaniacs episode entitled "Woodstock Slappy," directed by Audu Paden, written by John P. McCann and me, and featuring the "Who's on Stage?" sketch performed by Slappy (Sherri Stoner) and Skippy (Nathan Ruegger).  

"A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" -- Pinky's Letter to Santa

Happy Holidays!

Here's a cell set-up from "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas."  This special won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in the 1995-96 television season.  This is the one and only Primetime Emmy Award won by a WB program in the entire history of the WB network (1995-2006).  Ever!

                                           A Pinky and the Brain Christmas (1995)
                                                                  directed by Rusty Mills

Slappy and Skippy Squirrel

From "Animaniacs" episode #62: "Scare Happy Slappy."

The voices behind Slappy and Skippy, Sherri Stoner and Nate Ruegger, reunite on The Nostalgia Critic's Tribute to "Animaniacs"...Check it out at...That Guy with the Glasses