Earthworm Jim (TV series): Difference between revisions

| composer = William Anderson<br / >Patrick Griffin

'''''Earthworm Jim''''' is an American [[animated television series]] based on the [[Earthworm Jim|video game series of the same name]] that aired on [[The WB]] (now [[The CW]])'s [[Kids' WB]] strandblock<ref name=animation>{{cite news|last=Mendoza|first=N.F.|title=WB Raises the Animation Ante|url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-22/news/-tv-59667_1_animation59667-showstory.html|access-date=23 March 2011|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 22, 1995}}</ref><ref name="network">{{cite web |author=Gamasutra Staff |date=April 22, 2008 |title=Interplay, TenNapel Partner For Earthworm Jim Game, Cartoon Revival|date=2008-04-22|publisher=[[Gamasutra]] |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240000000000*/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18353|author=Gamasutra Staff|access-date=2008-04-April 24, 2008 |publisher=[[Gamasutra]]}}</ref> for two seasons from September 9, 1995, to December 13, 1996. A co-production between [[Universal Animation Studios|Universal Cartoon Studios]] and [[Living TV Group|Flextech Plc]] and based on the [[Earthworm Jim|video game series of the same name]] from [[Playmates Toys|Playmates]] and [[Shiny Entertainment]]<ref>{{cite news |titlelast=Johnson |first=Greg |date=December 17, 1995 |title=A Company and an Artist from Orange County Work to Turn Video Game Character Earthworm Jim Into a Multimedia Star |work= The Los Angeles Times|date=December 17, 1995|url= httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-17/business/-fi-15129_1_earthworm15129-jim-video-gamestory.html |access-date=2010-08-August 27, 2010 | firstwork=GregThe |Los last=JohnsonAngeles Times}}</ref> with characters created by [[Doug TenNapel]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=298–300}}</ref>, the series follows the adventures of the titular character who battles the forces of evil using a robotic suit.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Perlmutter |first1=David |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1538103739 |page=117 }}</ref>

Most episodes involve the series' numerous villains attempting to reclaim the super suit or conquer the universe. However, some episodes have Jim facing more mundane issues, which include returning his neighbor's [[Mixer_(appliance)#Eggbeater|eggbeater]] and finding a new power source after his suit's battery runs out. Also, the show breaks the [[fourth wall]] with characters often talking to the audience and the narrator.

Episodes begin with a [[cold opening]] of Earthworm Jim and Peter Puppy in some peril that has nothing to do with the main plot or the past episodes, with little statement of how they got into the mess. In between parts (generally before or after the commercial break), there is a short side-story, generally featuring one of the villains doing a more natural part of life, usually without any involvement from Jim. Both of these are changed in seasonthe 2second season, with the cold opens being more relevant to the plot and the side stories being dropped entirely. Most episodes end with a character being crushed by a cow, a homage to the original game's ending.

Additionally, some original characters were also created for the series, and were then inbefore turnbeing integrated into future games in the series. ForThese example,include Evil Jim, anand evilEvil doppelgängerthe ofCat's Jimservant created forHenchrat, the series, went on toformer bebeing the main antagonist in ''[[Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy]]''.

* [[Dan Castellaneta]] as Earthworm Jim, Evil Jim, Jim's Four Brains, Turns-His-Eyelids-Inside-Out Boy, [[Death (personification)|Grim Reaper]], Jaepius: God of Puns (in "Assault and Battery"), [[Abraham Lincoln]] (in "Sword of Righteousness")

* [[Jim Cummings]] as Psy-Crow, Bob the Killer Goldfish, Whooping Cough Boy, Zantor: Master of the Flying Toupée, Walter, The Sword of Righteousness, Maggot, Cuban Band Leader, Lower Back Pain Man, Johnny Dactyl and Phlegmaphus: God of Nasal Discharge (in "Assault and Battery"), Giant Fur-Bearing Trout (in "The Anti-Fish"), [[Santa Claus]] (in "For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls")

* [[Kath Soucie]] as Princess What's-Her-Name, Evil Princess (in "Opposites Attack!"), Johnny Dactyl's Mom (in "The Exile of Lucy"), Perpsichore: Goddess of Disco (in "Assault and Battery"), Cody (in "Peanut of the Apes")

* [[Billy West]] as Morty and, Surgeon (in "Lounge Day's Journey into Night")

In 1995, Doug TenNapel and [[Will Meugniot]] created a pitch animation video for WB, in which showcasedTenNapel a different animation style andvoiced Jim not speaking (voice was done by TenNapel). On August 23rd of23, 2022, a [[YouTube]] user named gooberloll uploaded the pitch video.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlE1rjyzyeo&t=0s | title=Earthworm Jim cartoon pilot | website=[[YouTube]] | date=22 August 2022 }}</ref> However, while Meugniot leftwas tonot supervisea seasonproducer 4 of ''X-Men'',for the Grazfinal Entertainmentseries, producedhaving firstleft seasonto of Street Fighter and consultingwork on ''[[G.I.X-Men: JoeThe ExtremeAnimated Series]], someone at the network decided that Jim had to talk''.

{{Episode table |background=#006400 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=25 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |episodes={{Episode list

| ShortSummary = JimDue andto Peteroveruse, journeyJim's suit begins to therun homeout of thepower, godslimiting tohis getmovement. aAfter newlearning GODSthat Batteryit afteris powered by a GODS battery, Jim's suitand beginsPeter runningtravel outto the home of power.the gods to get a Meanwhilereplacement, while Queen Slug-for-a-Butt threatens to destroy Terlawk if Jim does not givengive theup his suit. After negotiating with several lesser-known gods and getting the battery, Jim defeats the Queen by sundownthrowing her into space.

| ShortSummary = JimAfter loseslosing his neighbor Mrs.Ethel Bleverage's eggbeateregg beater during a battle with Bob, Jim is distraught and takes her onand aPeter journeyacross the universe to recover it, encountering Bobnumerous villains in the Killerprocess. GoldfishAfter defeating them, EvilJim finds the Categg beater, Professorbut Monkey-for-a-Head,discovers Psy-Crow,that it is the wrong one and Queenthat Slug-for-a-Butthe alonghad the wayactual egg beater in his pocket all along.

| ShortSummary = After receiving a postcard, Jim andfrom Peter's gouncle toRex, findJim learns of the legendary Giant [[Fur-bearing trout|Fur-Bearin' Trout]]. Atand thesets sameout timeon a road trip to find it. Meanwhile, Professor Monkey-for-a-Head develops a banana-like weapon for Queen Slug-for-a-Butt that is seekingpowered by fish hair, leading her to go to Earth in search of the Trout. toAfter usethe hisQueen hairkidnaps Princess What's-Her-Name, Jim races to powerlocate athe weaponTrout and ultimately defeats her by destroying her staff.

| ShortSummary = Evil the Cat steals Jim's snow globe, summoning Rosebud the Nameless Beast to destroy the universe by breaking its glass barrier. Rosebud launchesproves Jimto be peaceful and Petereventually intoleaves deepEvil's spaceservice, wherebut theyaccidentally meetbreaks athe purplebarrier alienwhile whothrowing becomesaway the key that Evil was controlling infatuatedhim with. Jim and Peter's monsterseal formthe hole, trapping Evil and helpsHenchrat themoutside returnof tothe universe, after which Rosebud realizes that he likes taking orders and becomes a Earthwaiter.

| ShortSummary = Psy-Crow and Professor Monkey-for-a-Head reminiscehave aboutcaptured theJim timeand Peter and put them on display on their wall. A flashback reveals that they captureddid Earthwormso after tricking Jim byinto replacinggiving them his supersuitsuit and replacing it with a weakpowerless replica, with Jim trying several methods to get his powers back before being captured. In the present, Peter escapes and frees Jim after disguising himself as a duplicate[[taxidermist]].

| ShortSummary = Jim and Princess What's-Her-Name finallymanage overthrowsto heroverthrow tyrannicaland sisterimprison Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. However, theshe Queenplots revenge and Professorrigs Monkey-for-a-Headthe havePrincess's theirdress ownso plansthat forit will cause her onto theuncontrollably dayattack ofothers herduring the coronation ceremony. Eventually, the Princess destroys the dress and decides to convert Insectika into an electoral democracy. However, this enables the Queen to take back leadership as nobody ran against her.

}}}}

{{Episode table |background=#700070 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=25 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |episodes={{Episode list

| ShortSummary = Psy-Crow and Professor Monkey-for-a-Head overthrow Queen Slug-for-a-Butt, butand proveexile her to beEarth, evenwhere worseshe rulers than her. Whenbefriends Jim's andneighbor Peter are capturedEthel and everysettles oneinto ofa theirdomestic allieslife. is unavailableHowever, Jim and Princess What's-Her-Name mustrealize that the Queen, despite being evil, is a better ruler than her replacements and work with her sister to reclaimtake back Insectika, with Ethel deciding to move there.

| ShortSummary = EvilAfter themeeting Catand fallsfalling in love and teams up with Malice the Dog., MaliceEvil usessummons hera powersclown-like demon in a bid to trapdestroy the universe and traps Jim, Peter, and Princess What's-Her-Name in a nightmarethe realm of nightmares, where they endface uptheir contendinggreatest withfears. However, they escape and subdue the Lorddemon by calling the Department of NightmaresApocalyptic Affairs, who make him fill out several billion years' worth of papers to get a license for universal destruction. Afterwards, Malice departs to another dimension to star in her own television series.

| ShortSummary = While fighting Queen Slug-for-a-Butt transports, Jim and Peter are transported to an alternate dimension akin to ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]''. (1939After film)|Themeeting Wizardits counterparts of OzWalter, the [[Grim Reaper]]'', whereand theythe Hamsternator, the group sets out to meet the dimension'sWizard of Ooze in versionshopes of Walterreturning home and obtaining their individual wants. Amidst this, they fight the Grimalternate Reaper,counterparts of Queen Slug-for-a-Butt and theProfessor HamsternatorMonkey-for-a-Head, who wantseek to obtain certainJim's [[Ruby slippers|sapphire toe socks]]. After learning that the Wizard can't give them what they want, the group instead gets them at a mall, after which Jim and Peter return home via an interdimensional towing itemsservice.

MCA/Universal Merchandising held consumer product rights for the series.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://kidscreen.com/1996/09/01/17245-19960901/ | title=Licensees line up behind Earthworm Jim }}</ref>

In the United States, the show was aired on [[Kids' WB]] on The WB Television Network (now [[The WBCW|The WB TelevisionCW Network]]) from 1995 to 1996.<ref name="network" /><ref>{{cite magazine |title='Toon In: MDK Comes to Life as an Animated Series |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=101 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=December 1997|page=30}}</ref>

The show premiered in the United Kingdom on co-production partner [[Living TV Group|Flextech]]'s [[The Children's Channel|TCC]] network around the same time. The show was promoted with a country-wide roadshow campaign held at shopping centres.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 26, 1995 |title=NEWS: The Braben Company is spearheading a pounds 200,000 campaign |url=https://www.prweek.com/article/99538/news-braben-company-spearheading-pounds-200000-campaign |website=prweek.com}}</ref> Following this, the show later made it'sits free TV debut on [[Channel 4]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://kidscreen.com/1996/05/01/17021-19960501/ | title=TCC scores big }}</ref> In the 2000's2000s, the show reran on [[Nickelodeon (British and Irish TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] and [[Nicktoons (British and Irish TV channel)|Nicktoons TV]].

==MediaHome media==

On November 18, 2021, it was reported that a new animated television series titled ''Earthworm Jim: Beyond the Groovy'' iswas in development.<ref>{{citeCite web book|urllast=Otterson |first=https://variety.com/Joe |date=November 18, 2021/tv/news/earthworm-jim-animated-tv-series-1235114624/ |title='Earthworm Jim' TV Series in Development From Interplay Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE) |dateurl=18https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/earthworm-jim-animated-tv-series-1235114624/ |access-date=November 18, 2021 |publisherwebsite=Variety.com |access-datelanguage=2021en-11-18US}}</ref> A year later, it was announced that Paris animation studio Circus Studios joined Passion Pictures as a partner on the show.<ref>{{cite web |last=Goldbart url|first=https://deadline.com/2022/11/searching-for-sugar-man-earthworm-jim-passion-pictures-circus-studios-1235180113/Max |date=November 23, 2022 |title='Searching for Sugar Man' Producer Passion Pictures & Circus Studios Broaden Partnership & Are Working on 'Earthworm Jim' Animated TV Series | dateurl=23 November https://deadline.com/2022/11/searching-for-sugar-man-earthworm-jim-passion-pictures-circus-studios-1235180113/ |website=Deadline}}</ref> OneIn ofNovember the2023, writersseries on the show,writer Brent Friedman, saidstated onthat [[Twitter|X]]production (formerly Twitter) that thehad projectbeen isput on hold.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=BFree63|number=1717652415892398341|author=Brent Friedman|title=The project was put on hold.|date=October 26, 2023|access-date=November 11, 2023}}</ref>