Doug | |
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Also known as | Brand Spanking New! Doug (seasons 5–6), Disney's Doug (season 7, reruns of Seasons 5-7) |
Genre | Sitcom |
Created by | Jim Jinkins |
Developed by |
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Voices of |
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Theme music composer | Fred Newman |
Composers | Dan Sawyer Fred Newman |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 7 |
No. of episodes | 117 (166 segments) (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Running time | 22–23 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Nickelodeon |
Release | August 11, 1991 January 2, 1994 | –
Network | ABC |
Release | September 7, 1996 June 26, 1999 | –
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Doug is an American animated series and sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and produced by Jumbo Pictures. It originally aired from August 11, 1991 to January 2, 1994 on Nickelodeon and September 7, 1996 to June 26, 1999 on ABC. The show focuses on the early adolescent life and zany hijinks of its title character, Douglas "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,[1] The Walt Disney Company would acquire the Doug intellectual property alongside Jumbo Pictures, 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. The first four seasons of Doug are available on Paramount+ as Viacom International retained the rights to those seasons. Disney's Doug and the film are available on Disney+, although not in every region.