Watching kids TV back in the 90s meant that you probably came across Rugrats. This humorous and imaginative TV show about the daily lives of babies shot to fame and is popular even to this day. The Rugrats gang are now widely considered to be cartoon icons with their distinctive art style and hilarious gags.
In fact, Rugrats became so popular that in the early 2000s Nickelodeon decided to give Rugrats a spin-off series titled All Grown Up! Nickelodeon had put out a special titled All Growed Up and viewers ate it up, giving the studio the idea for a spin-off. The vision this time around was to age up our beloved babies and send them to school. The show ran from 2003-2008 on Nickelodeon with the hope of grabbing the attention of Rugrats fans and newbies alike, using the signature art-style and familiar faces to get audience members hooked. But all was not as it seemed.
Somewhat predictably, All Grown Up! did not perform as well as its predecessor, lasting only five seasons before it got canceled. This was due to the overall lowered quality of the show, amongst other things. Rugrats also didn’t survive long, getting canceled not long before All Grown Up! did. With all that being said, let’s dive back into the world of All Grown Up! and find some little-known secrets and gems hidden between the potty humor and dating antics. Prepare yourself for cringey moments, revelations and perhaps even nostalgia.
25 Susie And Angelica Are Mysteriously Not In The Last Episode
Now, All Grown Up! had a very inconsistent episode release schedule, to the point where fans waited over a year for the final few episodes. In 2008, the final batch of All Grown Up! episodes were finally aired.
However, there was a noticeable problem with them.
For no discernable reason, Susie and Angelica just are not in those last episodes. Other characters mention them by name, but they are nowhere to be found - where did they go?
24 Even Angelica’s Actress Thought She Was Mean
In the original Rugrats series, Angelica was not exactly the most popular character with audience members. Being the antagonist of the group, she regularly manipulated the Rugrats gang into doing what she wanted and was just an all-around mean girl to play with. But it may surprise you to know that she was just as unpopular behind the scenes - even Angelica’s voice actress Cheryl Chase expressed that she did not like playing such a mean-spirited personality. When the fresh start that was All Grown Up! was in production, the team decided the make Angelica more likable.
23 They Changed The Art Style In Season 2
We mentioned that All Grown Up! was not as popular with audiences as the Rugrats original series was. However, the pilot episode of All Grown Up! was a hit with both old and new fans alike. This is due to the nostalgic art style, beloved characters, and familiar humor.
Too bad it was all downhill from there.
Unfortunately, the art style changed in season two and it was discovered that the trailer did not show any of the episodes that actually aired. Bad call, Nickelodeon.
22 Clothes Mysteriously Change Color (And Chuckie’s Braces Disappear)
Animating a TV show cannot be easy, but it must have been harder back in the 90s. The lack of CGI in Rugrats was due to the primitive nature of technology and the show’s budget. All Grown Up! sticks to regular animation despite the advances in technology. The hectic upload schedule and the lack of technological help cause both shows to be full of animation errors and inconsistencies. In All Grown Up! alone clothes will sometimes change color, Chuckie’s braces sometimes disappear and more. Did you spot any?
21 Anyone Else All Grown Up And Still Playing With Toys?
As we touched on earlier, All Grown Up! did not fare as well as Rugrats did. This was due to various factors, such as a change in art style, false advertising and more. Despite this, Nickelodeon put out some merch for All Grown Up! in the hopes of drawing in more fans and catering to viewers. Now, the merch didn’t sell out, but it did sell surprisingly well all things considered. At least All Grown Up! didn’t completely fail Nickelodeon.
20 Aged Up
While Rugrats was airing on TV, Nickelodeon released a famous episode titled All Growed Up! in which the babies imagined what their adult lives would be like. This episode was so successful that it gave the team at Nickelodeon the idea for what would eventually become All Grown Up!. However, to appeal to their target demographic, the babies were aged up into pre-teens. This meant that they were 9-12 years older than in the original series.
19 Lil Is Older Than Phil (All Grown Up Finally Tells Us!)
So we all know our favorite All Grown Up! twins Phil and Lil. They have been farting and joking on our screens since 1991, but there is one thing that has been secret about them for a long time; who is the older sibling?
Well, All Grown Up! gave us the answer.
In the episode titled ‘Coup Deville’, we discover that Lil is the older one, having been born two minutes before Phil. It feels good to have the truth after all these years.
18 Unexpected Surprises
If you watched Rugrats or All Grown Up! as a kid, you may remember seeing the Klasky/Csupo logo in the credits. It was a bright and colorful logo for the writer duo who have been married (and then split) over the course of the shows’ runs. What you may not know, however, is that Klasky and Csupo worked on animating early episodes of The Simpsons before working on the Rugrats and All Grown Up! - talk about a diverse portfolio.
17 It (Probably) Still Takes Place In California
The setting for both Rugrats and All Grown Up! is pretty vague. However, in the original series, there are some hints. The most important hint is an invoice that Didi receives that reveals that the Pickles live at 1258 North Highland Avenue in Los Angeles, California; the original site of the Klasky/Csupo production offices. There is no evidence of the gang moving in All Grown Up!, so they most likely still live in Los Angeles.
16 The Studio Was Forced Change Directions
It has been a long time since Rugrats and All Grown Up! aired. At the time and even now there are rumors floating around the internet regarding how Nickelodeon handled both shows. It is said that Klasky and Csupo were forced to move from working on Rugrats, their passion, to work on All Grown Up!. Bearing that in mind, it is interesting to note that Klasky has said that she and Csupo would be willing to work on the original series of Rugrats, but not All Grown Up!.
15 The Fans Took The Relationships To A Whole New Level
All Grown Up! saw the gang getting crushes and testing out dating, but everyone was rooting for the will-they-won’t-they couple Tommy and Kimi. People thought that there was more to explore there and began writing their own stories called fanfiction, depicting the two dating and other things. Tommy and Kimi aren’t the only couple to receive the fanfiction treatment; some popular fan pairings are Chuckie x Angelica, Tommy x Lil, Phil x Kimi and Chuckie x Tommy.
14 Rugrats Is Coming Back In 2020
Many fans have been left dissatisfied by the cancellation of both Rugrats and All Grown Up!, posting on social media and even creating petitions to convince the creators to return to the franchise.
At last, our prayers have been answered.
In July of this year, it was revealed that there will be a 26 episode series and a live action film. Klasky, Csupo, and Germain will be executive producers on the TV series and the movie is due to be released in November 2020 - will you be watching?
13 Lucky 13 — A Day To Remember
We all love commemorating a great moment in history. In fact, the All Grown Up! team wanted to pay homage to the Rugrats original series while working on the spin-off show. How did they manage it? Nickelodeon postponed releasing season two’s 8th episode, ‘Lucky 13’; it aired close to the 13th anniversary of the Rugrats’ premiere - Rugrats’ first episode was released on August 11th, 1991. How sweet is that?
12 Angelica Gave Tommy The Camera That Inspired Him
In All Grown Up!, Tommy is an aspiring film-maker, something he claims to have wanted his whole life. His parents claim that they always knew he had it in him since he picked up his dad’s camera when he was three.
This little detail is connected to the original show.
In the Christmas two-part special ‘Babies in Toyland Part 2’ Angelica actually gives Tommy his first camera. This was a rare glimpse into Angelica’s softer side!
11 The Kimi Spin-Off
Ever wondered what it would be like if one of the Rugrats side characters was the star of the show? If so, you are not alone. Some feel that their fave should get a spin-off so badly that they are actively trying to make it happen.
There is a petition on Change.org for Kimi to get her own show.
The creator states in the petition info section that Kimi ‘has a lot of potential…and she deserves more screentime…’ Good luck!
10 Tommy’s Joke Is Actually Real
During season four, there was an episode titled ‘A Deville House Divided’ that dealt with Lil’s jealousy over Phil dating her friend. In this episode, there is a moment where Tommy mocks Chuckie for sucking at paper football, and Chuckie says ‘I guess I’ll never go pro in the National Paper Football League…’ Well, it turns out that there actually were Paper Football Leagues at the time - maybe it’s not too late for Chuckie to compete!
9 A Harsh Reality
While it is true that ‘All Growed Up’ was what the Rugrats crew imagined adult life to be, All Grown Up! was a bit different. It presented the sometimes unpleasant reality of growing up but with the unwanted extras of dating, classes, and angry principles.
I bet the reality was a bummer compared to what the babies pictured.
If they think being a pre-teen is bad, they aren’t ready for real teenage years.
8 Suzy’s Mom Also Sings
Now, we know from the original Rugrats series that Susie Carmichael likes to sing. This ambition is amplified in All Grown Up!, with her even going so far as to trust a creepy talent agent. Susie’s voice is good and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In ‘Run Around Susie’, it is revealed that Susie’s mother Lucy used to sing in blues clubs before she became a doctor. Now that’s what they call a career change.
7 Angelica Sings That Catchy Intro
Not only did Susie’s original voice actress, Cree Summer, reprise her role for All Grown Up!, but she even went the extra mile. The opening theme ‘All Grown Up’ and the ending theme, which are both pretty catchy, were both sung by Cree Summer herself. The tracks are the typical teen fare of not wanting to go to school, etc. In a way, Susie is living her dream of being a real singer through her voice actress.
6 Everyone Has A Crush On Everyone Else (Even Chuckie)
During the course of the show, girls crushed on both Tommy and Phil. This comes as no surprise considering that Tommy is the leader and Phil is pretty honest and straightforward if a bit gross. What is surprising, however, is the fact that Lil and Susie have both had a crush on Chuckie, our own brave boy - way to go little man! What a Lothario.
