If you were a kid in the ’90s, there’s a solid chance Animaniacs was one of your go-tos after school. It wasn’t just a cartoon—it was a full-blown comedy variety show with chaotic energy, nonstop laughs, and a whole lot of “Did they really just say that?” moments.
Title: Animaniacs
Release Date: September 13, 1993 to November 14, 1998 (Original Run)
Genre: Animated Comedy / Variety Show
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot (aka the Warner siblings) were the stars of the show—and they were totally unhinged in the best way. They lived in the water tower on the Warner Bros. studio lot, popped out whenever they felt like it, and pretty much ran wild, causing mischief wherever they went.
Photo: reddit.com
Photo: reddit.com
Photo: reddit.com
Gif: giphy.com
Gif: giphy.com
It wasn’t just about them. Animaniacs had a whole crew of hilarious side characters—like Pinky and the Brain (two lab mice trying to take over the world), Slappy Squirrel (an old-school cartoon legend with a lot of sass), and Buttons and Mindy (poor Buttons deserved a break). Every episode was a mix of skits, songs, parodies, and gags that made the show feel like Saturday morning cartoons met Saturday Night Live… but for kids (and secretly for adults too).
Gif: giphy.com
Gif: giphy.com
What made Animaniacs so awesome was how smart it was. Sure, there were fart jokes and wacky sound effects—but there were also jokes about Shakespeare, political satire, and actual educational songs that somehow still slap. (“Yakko’s World” is permanently etched into our brains.)
The animation was super lively, the orchestra-backed music was legit epic, and the characters had so much personality. And c’mon—that theme song? Instant classic.
Photo: justwatch.com
Photo: rottentomatoes.com
Gif: giphy.com
QUOTES THAT LIVE RENT-FREE IN OUR HEADS
The one-liners from this show were next-level. Some were silly, some were surprisingly clever, and some definitely went over our heads as kids (but hit way different as adults).
“Helloooo, nurse!” – Yakko & Wakko
“Narf!” – Pinky
“What are we going to do tonight, Brain?”
“The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!”
“Faboo!” – Wakko
“I’m cute! Yes it’s true! I really can’t help it but what can I do?” – Dot
“Goodnight, everybody!” (usually after a joke your parents didn’t want to explain)
Even though the original series ended in the late ’90s, Animaniacs never really left our hearts. It got a reboot in 2020, but nothing beats the OG version for pure nostalgia and cartoon chaos.
If you haven’t revisited it in a while, now’s a perfect time. It’s still hilarious, still kind of genius, and still totally insaney.
Wheel of morality, turn, turn, turn—remind us why we loved this show and never really grew up.
