Rocko's Modern Life (1993)

Directed by

Joe Murray

Genre

children's television series, comedy television series, slapstick, black comedy television series

Country

United States

Length

4 seasons, 100 episodes

Rated

TV-Y7

Rating

7.5 of 10 from 315 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

It follows an Australian wallaby named Rocko and his animal friends living in a bizarre town. They get into strange situations that comment on modern life and adult topics.

surrealfast-pacedsatiricalslapstickunpredictableabsurdenergeticedgy

What happens

Rocko's Modern Life is an American animated comedy television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on September 18, 1993, and ended on November 24, 1996, totaling four seasons and 52 episodes. Set in the fictional town of O-Town, the series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian immigrant wallaby named Rocko and his friends: the eccentric steer Heffer Wolfe, the neurotic turtle Filburt, and Rocko's faithful dog Spunky. Throughout its run, the series was controversial for its adult humor, including innuendos and satirical social commentary, helping pave the way for adult animation and earning a cult following, akin to The Ren & Stimpy Show. Initially conceived as a comic book, Murray conceptualized the series after encountering a wallaby at a Bay Area zoo. He pitched Rocko's Modern Life to Nickelodeon creative executive Linda Simensky, leading him to develop the pilot "Trash-O-Madness". Compared to another animated series at the time, Murray emphasized casting stand-up comedians from San Francisco and gave a collaborative approach alongside multiple crew members with writing and animation. With influences from Looney Tunes, SCTV, and underground comics, the series uses surreal humour to emphasize its squash-and-stretch style and satirical storytelling. The series' theme song was performed by the B-52s. Rocko's Modern Life received mixed-to-positive reviews initially, with some unfavorably compared it to The Ren & Stimpy Show. It later received critical acclaim retrospectively, emphasizing its satirical nature of American life, expressive acting, and detailed animation. It launched the careers of voice actors Carlos Alazraqui, Tom Kenny, and Mr. Lawrence, and animation directors Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants; Mitch Schauer, creator of The Angry Beavers; Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, co-creators of Phineas and Ferb; and Chris Savino, creator of The Loud House. Much of the staff would regroup to work on Hillenburg's project, SpongeBob SquarePants, on the same network. A special, Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, was digitally released on Netflix on August 9, 2019. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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