The Ren & Stimpy Show | |
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Also known as | Ren & Stimpy |
Genre | |
Created by | John Kricfalusi |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 52 (List of episodes) |
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Executive producer(s) |
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Running time | 22 minutes |
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Release | |
Original network | Nickelodeon |
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Original release | August 11, 1991 | – December 16, 1995
Chronology | |
Followed by | Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" |
External links | |
Website |
The Ren & Stimpy Show, often simply called Ren & Stimpy, is an American animated television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of title characters Ren, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpy, a good-natured, dimwitted cat.
Ren & Stimpy premiered on August 11, 1991 as one of the original three Nicktoons, along with Rugrats and Doug. Throughout its run, the show was controversial for its off-color humor, sexual innuendo, dark humor, adult jokes, and violence which were rare for children's television animation. This controversy contributed to the production staff's altercations with Nickelodeon's Standards and Practices department. The show ended on December 16, 1995, with a total of five seasons and 52 episodes.
Ren & Stimpy received mixed to very positive reviews during its original run then later widespread critical acclaim after its run, and has developed a cult following. The series is often cited as paving the way for animated shows like Beavis and Butt-Head and South Park. A spin-off for adult audiences, Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", aired in 2003 on Spike, but was cancelled soon after its debut.
The series centers on Ren Höek (voiced by John Kricfalusi in seasons 1–2; Billy West in seasons 3–5), a short-tempered, "asthma-hound" Chihuahua, and Stimpson J. "Stimpy" Cat (also voiced by Billy West), a 3-year-old dimwitted and happy-go-lucky cat. The duo fill various roles from episode to episode, including outer-space explorers, Old West horse thieves, and nature-show hosts, and are usually at odds with each other in these situations. While the show was sometimes set in the present day, the show's crew tended to avoid "contemporary" jokes about current events. The show extensively features off-color humor,absurdist humour, and slapstick.