Underplayed Gems

Doug (1991)

Doug poster
Genre
comedy drama, children's television series
Country
France, United States
Length
7 seasons, 117 episodes
Rated
TV-Y7
Rating
7.2 of 10 from 245 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

The show follows Doug Funnie, a young boy navigating school and friendships in a new town. He writes in his journal about everyday problems and often imagines wild scenarios. The stories deal with fitting in, crushes, and building confidence.

whimsicalgentlerelatableimaginativesweetlightheartednostalgic

What happens

Doug is an American animated sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and produced by Jumbo Pictures. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from August 11, 1991, to January 2, 1994, and on ABC from September 7, 1996, to June 26, 1999. The show focuses on the early adolescent life and zany hijinks of its eponymous character, Doug Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending school in his new hometown of Bluffington. Doug narrates each story in his journal, and the show incorporates many imagination sequences. The series addresses numerous topics, including trying to fit in, platonic and romantic relationships, self-esteem, bullying, and rumors. Many episodes center on Doug's attempts to impress his classmate and crush, Patti Mayonnaise. Jinkins developed Doug from drawings in his sketchbook that he created over the course of the 1980s. Doug, a mostly autobiographical creation, was largely inspired by Jinkins's childhood growing up in Virginia, with most characters in the series being based on real individuals. He first pitched Doug as a children's book to uninterested publishers before Nickelodeon purchased the show. Following this, the series underwent further development, in which Jinkins meticulously detailed every aspect of the show's setting. Jinkins was insistent that the series would have a purpose and instructed writers to annotate each script with a moral. The show's unusual soundtrack consists largely of scat singing and mouth noises. The series premiered on the cable network Nickelodeon, as the first of the original three Nicktoons alongside two other original animated series, Rugrats (which premiered directly after Doug) and The Ren & Stimpy Show (which premiered directly after Rugrats). The original run consisted of 52 episodes over four seasons that were broadcast from 1991 to 1994, with Games Animation and Ellipse Programmé co-producing. Due to Nickelodeon opting against renewing the show for a fifth season, The Walt Disney Company would acquire Jumbo Pictures alongside the Doug intellectual property, subsequently green-lighting the show for three additional seasons of 65 episodes. Jinkins made several creative changes during this time. The show moved to ABC's Saturday morning lineup, co-produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. In 1998, the series also aired on television syndication. It became a top-rated show, inspiring various books, merchandise, a live musical stage show, and a theatrical feature, Doug's 1st Movie, released as the series' conclusion in 1999. The series has seen multiple home video releases during its run. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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