Animaniacs is an American animated comedy television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation. It originally aired on Fox’s Fox Kids block in 1993, before moving to The WB in 1995, as part of its Kids’ WB afternoon programming block, until the series ended on November 14, 1998. Animaniacs is the second animated series by Warner Bros. Television Animation to be produced in association with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment after Tiny Toon Adventures. It initially ran a total of 99 episodes, along with a direct to video film, Wakko’s Wish.
Animaniacs is styled as a variety show, with short skits featuring a large cast of characters focusing on the Warner Brothers and their sister as main characters. The Warner siblings were in part inspired by the real life Warner Bros. Water Tower on the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. While the show had no set format, most episodes were composed of three short mini-episodes, each starring a different set of characters, and bridging segments. Hallmarks of the series included its music, satirical social commentary, pop culture references, character catchphrases, and innuendo.
Animaniacs, continued to rerun in syndication through the 1990s into the early-2000s after production of new episodes ceased. The series then became available on several streaming services. A revival of the series, consisting of two seasons aired on Hulu between 2020 and 2023. Additionally, nine video games based on the series were produced.
