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Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that one main character, Angelica -- who, like the rest of the gang, is a child, is mean, manipulative, and known for being a liar. Young viewers will need to be reminded that they shouldn't follow her example, no matter how funny they find her antics. The show can get a little loud and whiny at times, but, then again, the central characters are literally a bunch of babies.

Families can talk about the difference between finding humor in a cartoon and emulating it. Some antics are funny but not meant to be imitated. Who are your kids' favorite characters and why? Do kids think the characters' behavior is realistic, funny, or dangerous?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Betsy Wallace

RUGRATS is the second longest-running animated series on television (behind The Simpsons), and perhaps more responsible for the success of Nickelodeon than any other show.

Although the series focuses mainly on the babies' escapades -- often as they wander far from their parents -- the show promotes family love and cohesiveness right along with kids' independent spirit. Adults can appreciate the way the series gently pokes fun at neurotic parenting, as well as the inherent humor in trying to raise kids correctly.

The babies' brave leader is Tommy Pickles (voiced by Elizabeth Daily), a toddler who hatches more schemes than his child-psychology-studying mother could begin to imagine. Red-haired Chuckie (Christine Cavanaugh) is the timid one, and some of the series' most endearing episodes feature his friends helping him overcome his many fears. Twins, Phil and Lil (Kath Soucie) add some kid-friendly hilarity as they munch on bugs and store food in their diapers. Decidedly less sweet is the infamous Angelica (Cheryl Chase), a bigger kid who can talk to adults or babies and doesn't hesitate to lie to either audience. Most young viewers will be able to categorize her antics as "bad behavior."

Over the years the series has added to its core cast, seemingly to increase the diversity of the show. Chuckie's single dad married an Asian woman, whose daughter, Kimi (Dionne Quan), then became a regular. Tommy also gained a baby brother and had to deal with the complexities and emotions a sibling introduces.

Fans of these little Rugrats might also want to check out All Grown Up and The Wild Thornberrys, as well as The Rugrats Movie.

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Content
		CS	adults	kids
Sexual Content
Violence Occasional yelling. The babies get into scary situations that are often exaggerated.
Language Some name calling from Angelica, such as "You dumb babies."
Message
	Social Behavior While the characters almost always mean well, Angelica's behavior is far from ideal. She lies, calls names, and is generally manipulative. And there's a fair amount of complaining from the whole crew. Episodes have explored various cultural traditions. Jokes are based on the babies' unique interpretation of words and the world, which bring to light some of life's absurdities. Some racial diversity; lots of age diversity.
	Commercialism Responsible for a vast array of merchandising tie-ins, from clothes to DVDs and more. Some episodes satirically highlight characters' fixation on the dinosaur icon Reptar and Barbie-like doll Cynthia.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco

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