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We’ve all been there—rolling our eyes at the announcement of yet another spinoff trying to capitalize on a show we love. Let’s face it: most spinoffs feel like the TV equivalent of leftover pizza. It’s still okay, but it’s never quite as good as the original. But every now and then, something magical happens. A spinoff comes along that doesn’t just live up to its predecessor—it actually surpasses it.

A still from Tom and Jerry | Credits: Turner Entertainment

These rare gems take what worked in the original series and elevate it to new heights, sometimes becoming so successful that people forget they weren’t the original show to begin with! So grab your remote and get comfortable as we count down the top 10 spinoff shows that didn’t just escape their parent shows’ shadows but cast impressive shadows of their own.

10. Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

Exclusive: Filmmaker Peter Hastings has signed with Independent Artist Group for representation.

The news comes following the January release of Hastings’ hit animated feature Dog Man, based on the bestselling book series by Dav Pilkey, which opened at #1 at the North American box office and has so far grossed over $105 million globally.

Hailing from DreamWorks Animation and Universal, Dog Man follows a half-dog, half-human police officer as he doggedly pursues the feline supervillain Petey the Cat. Hastings directed from his own script, with Pete Davidson, Poppy Liu, Lil Rel Howery, and Isla Fisher leading the cast.

A six-time Emmy and Peabody Award winner, Hastings previously wrote and produced on several Steven Spielberg series for Warner Bros including Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and Pinky and the Brain, which he ran as a primetime series for The WB. He created and produced the live-action/animation hybrid One Saturday Morning for ABC and Disney and also wrote,...

Let’s make this easy: your mileage on “Dog Man” is going to depend entirely on whether you’ve got a Dav Pilkey fan in your life. And if you’re already lost, take it on faith that this probably isn’t the movie for you. But if your house has teetering piles of Pilkey’s bestselling graphic novels — which include various installments of both “Dog Man” and “Captain Underpants,” and which are pitched squarely at scatologically-inclined elementary-schoolers — rest easy: Peter Hastings’ big-screen adaptation does full, chaotic justice to its source material. The kids will love it. And actually, you might, too.

Writer-director Hastings, whose work on similarly anarchic efforts like “Animaniacs” and “Pinky and the Brain” makes him an ideal choice to helm this particular project, is clearly a fan himself. He also developed the televised “Epic Tales of Captain Underpants” series, and stays totally true to Pilkey’s distinctive brand of skewed silliness.

This Winter, Your Favorite Canine Crime-fighter Comes To Life!

Dreamworks Animation Presents Pete Davidson, Lil Rey Howery, Isla Fisher And Ricky Gervais in Dog Man.

In Theaters January 31.

https://www.dogmantickets.com

The special advance screening is at 10Am on Saturday, January 25th at The Galleria 6 Cine (9am Suggested Arrival)

Pass Link: http://gofobo.com/uKXzj44614

Dog Man has been rated PG

Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s Dog Man directed by Peter Hastings.

Part dog, part man, all hero.

From DreamWorks Animation—creators of the beloved blockbuster franchises Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and The Boss Baby—comes the canine-crime-fighting film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon: Dog Man.

When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born.

Olivia Hussey, known in part for playing one of the two leads in the 1968 feature film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has passed away. She was 73 years old.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Hussey died due to cancer. Filmmaker Marc Huestis confirmed her passing, telling the outlet, “I just heard some sad, sad news. I adored her. She had so much love, and was the most beautiful Juliet ever. On screen and in real life she exuded love and life.”

Born in Argentina in 1951, Hussey was still a child when she began her acting career. After she was noticed for her stage work in London, she wound up getting cast as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. For her role in the film, which also starred Leonard Whiting, Hussey drew heavy acclaim, even garnering a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. This success led to other big roles,...

The holidays can often be a very nostalgic time for people, and nothing brings back floods of childhood memories quite like old cartoons. For people of all ages, rewatching TV shows from their childhoods can unlock old memories of holidays gone by. Cartoons seem particularly well-suited to this, for whatever reason, so animated shows from 20 or 30 years ago are always great for Christmas viewing.

Plenty of old animated shows had Christmas specials or other holiday episodes at some point, and there were some running themes. Referring back to an older generation of Christmas animation, a lot of these cartoons use poetry and music, even if this is completely unusual for the show in question. These are just a couple of quirks which can make Christmas episodes stand out from animated shows, and this gives them a powerful nostalgia factor.

Animaniacs - "'Twas The Day Before Christmas" Season 1, Episode 50

Before the Animaniacs revival,...

Everything’s still coming up Milhouse for Pamela Hayden. The actress, who has voiced Bart’s best friend on “The Simpsons” for 35 years, is retiring after Sunday night’s episode, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes.” But Hayden said she has no regrets in parting ways with the long-running show.

“How many actors can say they’ve worked on a show for 35 years straight?” Hayden told Variety. “That alone is amazing. But it was time for me to devote my time to other creative endeavors that I have, like filmmaking. It was a tough decision, but I feel like it was the right one.”

Given the long lead time that animation takes from concept to air, Hayden’s exit has been in the works for a while. Hayden, whose voices also included school bully Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Chief Wiggum’s wife Sarah and Lisa’s friend Janey Powell,...

Part dog, part man, all hero. From DreamWorks Animation—creators of the beloved blockbuster franchises Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and The Boss Baby—comes the canine-crime-fighting film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon: Dog Man. A trailer for the film can be seen above.

When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over.

As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief, he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat. Petey’s latest plan is to clone himself, creating the kitten Lil Petey, to double his ability to do crime stuff. Things get complicated,...

Universal Pictures has revealed the trailer and poster for DreamWorks Animation’s Dog Man, which is coming to theaters on January 31, 2025.

From DreamWorks Animation—creators of the beloved blockbuster franchises Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Boss Baby—comes the canine-crime-fighting film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon.

When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over.

As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief, he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat. Petey’s latest plan is to clone himself, creating the kitten Lil Petey, to double his ability to do crime stuff.

When you think of classic Warner Brothers cartoons, the first thing that comes to mind are The Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, DC Comics' wide-range of animated programs and The Animaniacs. However, one of the more underrated shows of the mid-90s was the latters spin-off series Pinky and the Brain. Even though it's been almost three decades since this diabolical series ended, it still has a stranglehold on pop-culture. Case in point, this week Pinky and the Brain was among the top-rented series.

"Solar Opposites" is back for season 5, and the show is as funny as ever. The adult animated sitcom created by Mike McMahan and disgraced animator Justin Roiland continues to blend the sci-fi lunacy of "Rick and Morty" with classic family sitcom tropes without veering too much into a single territory, keeping audiences on their toes as they watch. The stories about this alien family reluctantly coming to love planet Earth despite how much they complain about it, choosing time and time again to stay here when it's a detriment to their mission, are funny. Still, it's in the B-plots where the show truly shines.

The first of these B-plots is The Wall, a recurring segment taking place in a terrarium of one of the alien kids, who continuously shrinks random people against their will when he feels they wrong him, and puts them in the terrarium. After a while, The Wall became a full society,...

When revisiting stuff from your childhood, sometimes you have to call upon the magical power of nostalgia to distract yourself from how truly childish — or downright terrible — it is. Transformers, for example, is the dumbest cartoon ever made, and Nickelodeon’s Doug couldn’t be anymore dull.

There are some kids’ cartoons, though, that have so many layers that they only get funnier as you age. Here are seven of them…

6 Ren & Stimpy

Ren & Stimpy is probably the first cartoon people think of when they’re talking about kids’ cartoons aimed at adults since it’s filled with all sorts of gross and suggestive moments, particularly when involving the relationship between its two leads.

5 Rocko’s Modern Life

Like Ren & Stimpy, Rocko’s Modern Life had adult jokes that went over kids’ heads, but there’s another layer to the show that appeals to adults, too. Nearly every story is...

We're nearing the halfway point of 2024, and Apple is still doing its best to mimic Pinky and the Brain with world domination in mind, at least on the streaming front.

Credit where credit is due. Apple is nothing if not on-brand when it comes to quality over quantity.

There's little doubt that some programs popping up on Apple TV + over the years have been duds, but quality duds indeed.

What Is Time Bandits About?

Apple has announced its next assault on our streaming lives by turning back the clocks to an oldie but goodie known as Time Bandits.

For the uninitiated, Time Bandits is a 1981 film by Terry Gilliam. It is a dark comedy filled with Gilliam's bizarre filmmaking aesthetic.

Taika Waititi, Iain Morris, and Jemaine Clement lead the way as co-creators and co-showrunners.

With Lisa Kudrow (Friends and The Comeback) on board in a leading role, prepare for some serious buffoonery.

"The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour" is likely not remembered by many people, except for Billy Crystal himself. The variety/talk show ran from January 30 through February 27 in 1982, lasting a grand total of five episodes. Crystal was already a successful comedian and beloved figure in the industry thanks to the popularity of his 1970s stand-up work and his role in the 1977 sitcom "Soap," so he had connections. He was able to secure guest appearances from many of his famous comedian friends, including Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Robin Williams, and John Candy for the debut episode. Subsequent guests included Morgan Fairchild, the Manhattan Transfer, Nell Carter, Shelley Duvall, Cindy Williams, Al Jarreau, and Smokey Robinson. 

"The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour" fell right in between "Soap" and "Saturday Night Live" on Crystal's professional timeline, and it might be considered something of a dip in his career. The show was canceled after only two episodes aired,...

Futurama, a beloved sci-fi comedy, features the unforgettable Calculon voiced by Maurice Lamarche with inspiration from various "cheeseball" actors. Lamarche has cited Seinfeld's J. Peterman, Lyle Waggoner, and Roger Ramjet's Gary Owens as influences for Calculon. Lamarche's vocal talents shine not only through Calculon but also as The Brain in Pinky and the Brain, showcasing his depth and humor.

Futurama has been a staple of science fiction and comedy for over two decades, with Calculon encompassing exactly that. Set in the 31st century, the show follows the adventures of a hapless delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically frozen and wakes up 1,000 years in the future. The series is celebrated for its witty humor, clever writing, and the depth of its characters, ranging from a booze-fueled robot, Bender, to the one-eyed, competent spaceship captain, Leela. But what really brings Futurama to life is its voice cast.

Maurice...

Saturday mornings in the 1990s were filled with top-tier cartoons, with Batman: The Animated Series standing out as the ultimate champion. From Mighty Ducks to X-Men, nostalgia for 1990s cartoons runs deep, highlighting memorable characters and impactful storylines. Shows like Rugrats and Hey Arnold! brought valuable life lessons to viewers, making Saturday mornings a peak moment for kids in the 90s.

If there was one thing for certain on a Saturday morning in the 1990s, it was that the TV schedule would be jam-packed with brilliant cartoons. In a world of streaming services, thousands of cartoons are available at the touch of a button. However, in the 1990s, viewers would have to wait a whole week to catch the next episode of their favorite shows.

Despite the era only coming to an end 24 years ago, there's a lot of nostalgia for the 1990s. For those who went through their childhood during the 1990s,...

With 22 seasons and more than 400 episodes, Family Guy is one of the longest-running animated series ever. It launched Seth MacFarlane into the stratosphere of American pop culture. After a cancellation, the show’s cult status only grew, forcing the show to return to Fox, where it continues. And as far as creator McFarlane is concerned, the show will keep going.

Speaking with The Wrap, McFarlane said that Family Guy hasn’t really been given a reason to go off the air. Even after its numerous controversies — mostly concerning critics targeting the show’s supposed transphobia and misogyny, not to mention its warped “hot takes” on pop culture, at different points of its run — the show continues to have a following. “It’s still surviving and thriving. It still has a sizable audience and is a perfect example of there being an appetite for something. So we continue to feed the beast…...

Some of the best episodes of TV were written before the writer was even hired. The staff that writes great television like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" usually starts out by writing a spec script — in plain English, they script an original episode of the series within the framework laid out by the series creator and the writers. Some of the most memorable moments of the entire show have originated this way, including Giles getting thrown out of the Watchers' council. The spec script that got David Fury hired as the main writer of the season 3 episode "Helpless." However, not everything from his initial pitch made its way into the episode.

In the 12th episode of the season that follows Buffy's final year as a student at Sunnydale High, she starts to grapple with the authority figures in her life in a new way — her final boss is the town mayor,...

Will Ferrell's iconic performance as Buddy in Elf was supplemented by another actor for a 12-minute scene. Voice actor Maurice Lamarche provided the burp sound for Buddy's soda-drinking scene in Elf. Lamarche continues to receive residual checks for his brief contribution to Elf, thanks to the movie's annual popularity during the Christmas season.

While Elf is remembered for Will Ferrell's beloved performance as Buddy, he was actually swapped out for a movie and TV legend in one of the holiday classic's most memorable scenes. The 2003 comedy Elf was already trending on streaming platforms days after Halloween in 2023, proving how universally embraced the silly yet heartwarming Christmas adventure remains after 20 years. It chronicles the journey of Buddy the Elf, a human adopted by Santa's elves, who heads to New York City to reunite with his birth father, with a deep focus on family and the power of Christmas spirit throughout.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced its 2023 Gold and Silver Circle inductees, honorees who have significantly contributed to children’s television.

The inductees will be honored at the second annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Dec. 17.

According to NATAS, “the Gold and Silver Circle is a society of honor. Inductees have performed distinguished service within the industry, setting standards for achievement, mentoring, leadership, and professional accolades for 50 or 25 years, respectively. They represent the best and the brightest in the television community.”

Gold Circle – 2023 Children’s & Family Inductees:

Peter Engel, Producer/Executive Producer (“Saved By The Bell,” “One World”) David Newell, Actor/Producer/Public Relations Director/Props/Manager/Talent Booker (“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” “My Tale of Two Cities”) Fred Seibert, Producer/Creator/Innovator/Creative Genius/Mentor/Mensch (“Adventure Time,” “The Fairly OddParents”)

Silver Circle – 2023 Children’s & Family Inductees:

Vicki Ariyasu, Senior Vice President,...

More troubling news from the lot of Warner Bros. Discovery, folks. Ever since Discovery's acquisition of the legendary Hollywood studio as a part of WarnerMedia last year, the policies, decisions, and mandates coming from CEO David Zaslav have been increasingly zany to the max. 

Zaslav's behavior has indeed hit the limit of WB's most honored citizens: the siblings Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, collectively known as the Animaniacs. At press time, it's being reported that they have emerged from their hibernation in the Warners' water tower and are prepared to do battle with Zaslav for the future of the studio.

As of this writing, Warner Bros. has decided to shelve the animated feature film "Coyote Vs. Acme," a movie that not only starred beloved wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, but featured a live-action/animated hybrid style that would seem to continue the tradition of prior WB hits such as "Space Jam," as...

It’s well-established cultural lore that the 1990s are of mythical importance to many Gen-Xers and even some millennials.

But why though? Was it the relatively strong economy? Preponderance of the color teal? Or even just the fact that the ’90s was the last decade to seem like its own distinct thing before new millennium turned intervals of 10 into an unrecognizable sludge? Seriously – you rarely hear people opine for the innocent times of the “’00s” or “’10s” because that just sounds ridiculous.

All of those are possibilities but real ’90s-heads know the appeal comes down to one thing alone: the cartoons. Animation quite simply dominated the end of the 20th century. With Nickelodeon, Disney, MTV, and many other studios operating at full capacity, the decade was filled with creative and entertaining options. From crude renderings to lush, operatic works, the ’90s had something for every animation fan.

Since it’s...

Steven Spielberg's Animaniacs introduced us to a wide variety of new, fun characters which, along with Tiny Toon Adventures just before it, brought back that element of WB zaniness that endeared their Looney Tunes cast to generations. Animaniacs had recurring gags, and a healthy dose of both intellectual and juvenile humor ("The Great Wakkoroti" is a personal favorite). It would be fair to say, however, that the breakout stars from the show are the pair of Pinky and the Brain (Maurice Lamarche and Rob Paulsen). They were popular enough to land their own series from 1995 to 1998 and featured in the Animaniacs 2020 revival. But what we haven't seen yet, and what we need, is a Pinky and the Brain movie. The time couldn't be better.

With its 11 Best Animated Program wins and 24 Emmy victories elsewhere, “The Simpsons” certainly isn’t hurting for attention from the TV academy. Nevertheless, the clear consensus among Gold Derby users is that it’s time for the Fox staple to triumph in the top animation category once more. Its dozenth animated program win would specifically be for its 33rd annual “Treehouse of Horror” episode, which would only be the fourth one ever nominated there. At this point, the series’ Halloween specials have brought it no competitive Emmys at all, but that will finally change if our odds prove correct.

The newest special, “Treehouse of Horror Xxxiii,” aired one day before Halloween 2022 and, as usual, consists of three unrelated segments. It is the first without an opening scene and the second (after Season 27’s) to have been directly preceded by a non-“Treehouse of Horror” Halloween episode (“Not It”). For the first time in 20 years,...

Television is currently in a golden age of programming, but it's important not to forget the formative series from past decades -- like the '90s -- that have helped get the medium where it is today. Television can effectively embrace formulaic tropes as well as subvert expectations, with neither of these approaches being better than the other.

The '90s is a pivotal period of change for television that welcomed in more genre series and ambitious network procedurals that are still talked about today. The '90s is a home for some of the biggest TV shows of all time, but there are also specific types of series that present influential heroes. There are certain TV characters from the '90s that are impossible to forget, yet there are also plenty of underrated heroes who also deserve their due.

Related: 10 Best '90s Sitcoms That Should Be Rebooted

Jett Jackson...

One reason that "Batman: The Animated Series" was and remains so beloved was how it embraced case-of-the-week storytelling. This was perfect for showcasing all the different corners and characters that make up the wild world of Gotham City. Such a large cast of characters meant that the series brought in a lot of actors; voice director Andrea Romano sought actors of all stripes for parts big and small. On the Popcorn & Shield podcast, the late Kevin Conroy (the voice of Batman) described the casting process as thus:

"They were really looking for actors, rather than just voice people. They cast a really wide net. So there were TV people, film people, stage people. Every week going in it was like going to summer camp, the people I got to work with."

Series co-creator Bruce Timm, also being interviewed, agreed with Conroy's sentiment. "Every week there was always some special, you know,...

The death of Charles Kimbrough, known for his role as Jim Brown on the hit sitcom Murphy Brown, was confirmed by his son Jim Kimbrough. He was 86 years old.

Kimbrough his breakout role as Harry in Stephen Sondheim‘s Company, a role that won him a Tony Award nomination in 1971. He appeared in another Sondheim production, Sunday in the Park with George, five years later.

In Memoriam 2022: 100 Great Celebrities Who Died In 2022

The famous stage actor has also appeared beside Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker in Sylvia in 1995 and also acted in Leonard Bernstein‘s Candide, followed by The Merchant of Venice and Accent of Youth. His most recent work was in 2012 opposite Jim Parsons in Harvey.

He went on to land the role of Jim Brown on Murphy Brown, a CBS hit series that ran for 10 seasons and ended in 1998. Kimbrough revisited his beloved character...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Pom Poko"

Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max

The Pitch: A tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) tribe wages war on human interlopers in Tokyo's suburbs in this Studio Ghibli animated film from the late Isao Takahata.

"Pom Poko" is as much a war movie — with casualties on both sides — as "War for the Planet of the Apes" is, except it passes the Six Laugh Test as a comedy and centers on shapeshifting raccoon dogs with occasional parachute scrotums. If that sounds like a recipe for something special, it is.

The thing I love about "Pom Poko," what keeps it tied with "Spirited Away" as my current favorite Ghibli film, is that it starts out like a quaint oral history,...

Nic Izzi of Red20 announced on Thursday that he is developing a new version of the 1980s animated kids show “Rude Dog and the Dweebs,” which is being reimagined as an adult animated series.

The character, created by Brad McMahon in the 1980s, originated as a mascot for Sun Sportswear. In 1989, he got his own animated series from Marvel Productions and was part of the CBS Saturday morning line-up. Rob Paulsen, who voiced Yakko on “Animaniacs” and Pinky on “Pinky and the Brain,” provided the voice of the pooch with the rude ‘tude.

“Rude Dog and its brand left an indelible mark on its generation,” Izzi said. ”Rude Dog’s story evolves into a satire about the broken institutions which have left behind the working class. Audiences have embraced the wide spectrum of adult animation, from joke-heavy comedies to sophisticated tales of reconstruction, which is exactly the vibe Rude Dog evokes.

Over Savio P. Clemente’s many years as a certified wellness coach, podcaster, and syndicated columnist, he has talked to hundreds of individuals at all stages in their battle with cancer. A Stage 3 cancer survivor himself, Clemente collected 35 of those interviews in his new book, “I Survived Cancer and Here Is How I Did It.”

In an excerpt from his book below — which is available to purchase in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook editions now, Clemente speaks with voice actor Rob Paulsen about his battle with throat cancer and what got him through it.

This excerpt has been edited for style and clarity.

***

I had the pleasure of interviewing Rob Paulsen. You probably grew up with Rob. Your kids are

growing up with Rob. Name not familiar? What about Pinky from “Pinky and the Brain?” Yakko from “Animaniacs”? Mutant Turtles, who happen to be martial arts experts, named Raphael and Donatello...

In director James Cullen Bressack’s upcoming film, “Murder, Anyone?”, two playwrights named George and Charlie, are tasked with the challenge of creating the next “avant-garde, surrealistic, mind-bending neo-noire thriller.”

Unfortunately, as they write, the story comes to life in real time. However, their own emotions and arguments also begin to manifest on film, creating sharp twists and turns and filling their life with hilarity — and chaos. And below, you can get a hint of what that’s like courtesy of some exclusive-to-TheWrap images.

The comedic play-within-a-play-within-a-movie, which per Bressack contemplates “the complexities of language, art, theater, film and more” is also especially personal for him. It’s based on the play written by his father, Emmy award-winning “Pinky and the Brain” writer Gordon Bressack, who died in 2019.

“I self financed and made the film in honor of my father’s memory so his words could live on,” Bressack said.

James Cullen Bressack (“Fortress”) is adapting the play “Murder, Anyone?” into a feature film, Variety can exclusively reveal.

“Muder, Anyone?” was originally written by Bressack’s father, Emmy Award-winning “Pinky and the Brain” writer Gordon Bressack. The play first premiered at the White Fire Theatre in Los Angeles in 2017.

Gordon Bressack, who worked on dozens of beloved animated shows including “Animaniacs” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” died in 2019.

Now his son will direct and produce a feature film adaptation, in part to “bring attention to his work,” Bressack tells Variety.

Spencer Breslin (“The Happening”) and Kristos Andrews (“The Bay”) are set to star in the film, a faithful adaptation of Bressack Sr.’s show about two playwrights tasked with creating a new “avant-garde, surrealistic, mind-bending neo-noire thriller” who find their story coming to life as they write.

Breslin and Andrews are joined by Galadriel Stineman (“The Is Us”), Maurice Lamarche (“Animaniacs”), Charles M.

Chick Vennera, a voice actor in numerous Warner Bros. animated projects like “Animaniacs” and “Batman: the Animated Series,” and actor in “Thank God It’s Friday” and “The Golden Girls,” died Wednesday in Burbank, Calif. He was 74.

His daughter Nicky Vennera told several media outlets he died of lung cancer.

Former castmate John Mariano posted the news on Facebook, writing, “We worked together on ‘Steven Spielberg’s Animaniacs.’ We were ”The Goodfeathers.’ He’s an amazing talent, but more so, an amazing person. I can go on, but I think you all get what I’m trying to say. Gentle rest grant unto thee, Chick.”

Following a series of small roles on television, Vennera landed the part of Marv Gomez in 1978’s “Thank God It’s Friday” where he performed a now iconic scene in which he danced atop cars outside a disco. He went on to work in over 50 films, including “Milagro Beanfield War” and “Yanks.

Chick Vennera, a prolific voice actor perhaps most recognizable for his scene-stealing disco dance performance atop a parked car in the 1978 hit comedy Thank God It’s Friday, died from cancer yesterday at his home in Burbank.

Vennera, who voiced characters for Animaniacs and Batman Beyond, among many other series, and appeared during the late 1980s in the recurring role of Enrique on the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls, was 74. His death was confirmed by his daughter Nicky Vennera.

Born Francis Vennera in Herkimer, New York, the actor known professionally as Chick Vennera moved to California after high school, studying at the Pasadena Playhouse where he would later teach acting. After a stint in the Army, Vennera returned to the West Coast to perform musically in nightclubs and, for two years, as a singer and dancer in the Disney on Parade tour. He also toured in the national company of Grease...

Legendary actor John Astin is celebrating his 91st birthday and fans of The Addams Family star are joining in on social media. Known across the world as the first man to bring the role of Gomez Addams to life in the 1960s, Astin is particularly popular with fans of the classic sitcom. Hoping to see the actor having a great day to celebrate turning 91, fans everywhere are wishing him the very best on his special day.

"Happy birthday to John Astin, who played Gomez Addams on the 1964 Addams Family television series," one Astin fan tweets. "Hope you have a great day!"

Happy birthday to John Astin, who played Gomez Addams on the 1964 Addams Family television series. Hope you have a great day!

Freestyle Digital Media has announced the cable, satellite and Digital HD release of Witness Infection, from filmmaking team Carlos Alazraqui and Jill-Michele Melean and director Andy Palmer. Witness Infection will be available to rent and own on North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms and DVD on March 30, 2021 through Freestyle Digital Media. Here’s the trailer:

Winning Best Feature at the Horror Hound Film Festival and Best Director at the Frostbite International Film Festival, and showing at several others including Portland Horror Film Festival, Ha Comedy Arts Festival and more, Witness Infection is being lauded as “a wild ride of raucous fun” (Horror Buzz). The feature film by Andy Palmer has been entertaining audiences at film festivals, gathering up its very own cult following even before its wide release. This stomach-turning comedic horror/ mob movie mash-up is now poised for a March 30, 2021 release. Witness Infection will be available...

Coming to digital services at the end of March from Freestyle Digital Media, here's a look at the trailer for the zombie comedy Witness Infection:

"Witness Infection tells the story of two rival mob families who are transferred from the Witness Protection Program to the same city by mistake. Life has always been pretty protected for Carlo Serrelli. But his past is about to come back and bite him. Carlo’s father has kept him out of the deadly mob business by giving him a job at the family dog groomers, while his younger brother, Dominic, has always done the dirty work.

All that is coming to an end as Carlo’s father has to force him into an arranged marriage with the daughter of the rival Miola family boss. Carlo’s two best friends, Gina and Vince, vow to help him get out of this predicament, but they...

Another popular Springfield resident is getting a long-overdue recast.

Harry Shearer, a white actor who has been voicing Black doctor Julius Hibbert since the character’s debut more than 30 years ago, is stepping down from the role, TVLine has confirmed. In fact, Shearer’s final episode as Dr. Hibbert (Season 32’s “Diary Queen”) aired this past Sunday. Shearer will continue to voice his myriad other Simpsons roles, including Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner and Mr. Burns.

More from TVLineThe Simpsons Recast: Better Things Actor Replaces Hank Azaria as CarlFamily Guy Reveals New Actor Voicing Cleveland Brown in Season 19The Masked Singer...

DreamWorks Animation has gone to the dog.

The animation arm owned by Universal, is developing a feature film adaptation of Dog Man, the mega-selling graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey.

Peter Hastings, who cut his teeth writing influential ’90s animated series Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, is attached to direct Dog Man, whose rights DreamWorks recently optioned.

Published by Scholastic, the Dog Man series of books follows the madcap adventures of Dog Man, a lovable canine superhero, and his friends Li’l Petey, a curious kitten who embodies love, optimism and hope, and 80-hd, a robot who expresses himself best through his art. They ...

DreamWorks Animation has gone to the dog.

The animation arm owned by Universal, is developing a feature film adaptation of Dog Man, the mega-selling graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey.

Peter Hastings, who cut his teeth writing influential ’90s animated series Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, is attached to direct Dog Man, whose rights DreamWorks recently optioned.

Published by Scholastic, the Dog Man series of books follow the madcap adventures of Dog Man, a lovable canine superhero, and his friends Li’l Petey, a curious kitten who embodies love, optimism and hope, and 80-hd, a robot who expresses himself best through his art. The ...

When “Animaniacs” returns with all-new episodes Nov. 20 on Hulu, a key ingredient of the original animated series will also return: orchestral music by Steve and Julie Bernstein, two of the series’ primary composers from its 1993-98 run.

Five of the show’s eight Daytime Emmy Awards were won by the “Animaniacs” music team, including the Bernsteins, who have spent most of their careers in Warner Bros. animation, from “Tiny Toons” and “Taz-Mania” to “Pinky and the Brain” and “Histeria!”

And while their work brings a sonic consistency to Warner brothers Yakko (voiced by Rob Paulsen) and Wakko (Jess Harnell), and Warner sister Dot (Tress MacNeille) — as well as world-domination-seeking Pinky (Paulsen) and the Brain (Maurice Lamarche) — what’s unusual is the presence of 30 to 40 musicians on every score.

Virtually all TV animation is now scored with samples and synthesizers emulating the sound of an orchestra, with the occasional addition of...

“Quantum mechanics, quinoa wraps, Queen Bey — we’ve missed so much!” The Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister!) are back to explore the trappings of the modern world in the official trailer for Hulu’s Animaniacs reboot.

And you’ll be happy to know that Yakko, Wakko and Dot are just as self-aware as ever, opening the trailer by explaining that “reboots are symptomatic of a fundamental lack of originality in Hollywood.” That is, until Hulu offers them a ludicrous amount of money to return to TV after 22 years away.

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We’re a month away from getting Animaniacs back and it’s not a moment too soon. Yakko, Wacko, and Dot have been missing since the late-90s and, honestly, it was probably more due to fatigue than anything else. Sometimes you need to rest a property, then bring it back down the line. Animaniacs is a very welcome return, but at the same time, we don’t want it to be too different. More specifically, it doesn’t need to be too different. Add a new splash of paint and modernize it without straying too far, but keep the soul the same.

Things were already on the right track with the news that they were bringing back all the original voice actors. Apparently, it was a situation where Steven Spielberg wanted all of them back or it wasn’t happening.

On Sunday, New York Comic Con had a panel...

When it comes to Yakko, Wacko, and Dot Warner, the trio is meant to come off as timeless. They’re sentient retcons, created in the early 1990s, but also canonically existing since the 1930s. Much like Bugs Bunny (and unlike Buster Bunny), it doesn’t matter what decade they’re doing their hijinks in.

That’s why it’s so welcome that Animaniacs is making a comeback in November on Hulu. With the same voice actors behind the characters decades later and the Steven Spielberg seal of approval, all signs point to this being a worthwhile revival.

And while that Animaniacs theme song is so damn iconic – including the Freakazoid parody – it Maaaaaay just need an update. I mean, for one, there’s the line about Bill Clinton playing the sax. It’s been three Presidents since then! If we’re lucky, we’ll be on our way to four...

Ever since getting the role of Snow Job in the ’80s GI Joe animated series, Rob Paulsen realized that his future was not in a local rock band or appearing in commercials, but in the realm of voice acting. Through the decades, Paulsen has taken on many iconic roles, such as Raphael from the ’80s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Donatello from the 2012 reboot, Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron, Mighty Max, Major Glory from Dexter’s Lab, Pj from Goof Troop, Steelbeak from Darkwing Duck, Buck Tuddrussel from Time Squad, and hundreds more.

He’s also a survivor of throat cancer and recently wrote a book about it called Voice Lessons.

Of course, two of his biggest roles that come to mind are Yakko Warner, Pinky, and Dr. Scratchansniff characters from the beloved animated series Animaniacs. Wouldn’t you know it, that series will be coming back this November!

We got an...

https://youtu.be/sgv0O5MePPM Listen / download here: There's a good chance you know Rob Paulsen's voice when you hear it. Be it Raphael in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series or Donatello in the 2012 version, the iconic Warner Bros. mascot Yakko Warner from Animaniacs or the hit character Pinky from the super successful spin-off series Pinky and the Brain, Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, or one of any of his nearly 1,300 roles, Paulsen has been honing his voice-acting craft for 40 years and continues to go strong today with no …...

Color and music figure prominently in “Scoob!,” an origin story about how the gang on the classic 1970s Saturday-morning cartoon first become acquainted. Warner Bros. is offering the animated film — which features the voices of Will Forte (Shaggy), Zac Efron (Fred), Gina Rodriguez (Velma), Amanda Seyfried (Daphne) and Frank Welker (Scooby) — on VOD starting May 15.

“It was great to find out where the characters meet and what their first mystery is,” says director Tony Cervone. “And it was cool to do it in a big, special and fun way.”

Cervone, an animation veteran, has worked on projects including “Space Jam,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Pinky and the Brain.” With “Scoob!,” his feature directing debut, he mixes classic touches with fresh ideas to help fans hark back to familiar tropes without letting the look get stale. “It’s a dance,” he says of finding the right balance.

Color was one way to achieve that equilibrium.

The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (Hnca) has selected voice actor Rob Paulsen as its official spokesperson for 2020.

Paulsen will serve as the face and voice of Hnca’s Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Program (Ohanca), which celebrates its 22nd year in 2020.

The cornerstone of the annual initiative is Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, scheduled for April 13-19, when dozens of free oral, head and neck cancer screenings and awareness programs take place around the world.

Rob Paulsen is known for voicing some of the most iconic cartoon characters of all-time. His voice has been featured in series such as Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Paulsen will now use his famous voice to help raise awareness of oral, head and neck cancer, encourage those at risk to get screened for oral cancer, and promote the importance of early...

Chicago – Who are the voices in our lives that really matter? If you were a cartoon fan in the 1980s and ‘90s then it was Rob Paulsen, the source for Pinky (“Pinky & the Brain”), Yakko (“Animaniacs”) and a myriad of others. Recently Paulsen beat cancer, which threatened his career, and he tells the story in the new book … “Voice Lessons.”

The subtitle of “Voice Lessons” is “How a Couple of Ninja Turtles, Pinky and an Animaniac Saved My Life” (written with Michael Fleeman) and to know Rob Paulsen is to realize his deep appreciation and love behind his creations. But beyond that passion, he also is endeared to the admirers of his work, the millions of children and now grown-ups who continue to embrace his characters and the voice behind them. Beating his cancer gave Paulsen a new purpose in his life, to use his gifts “…on the biggest scale I can.

Gordon Bressack, best known for his work on the animated Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs, has died. He passed on Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness, according to his son.

Bressack was nominated for five Daytime Emmys and won three awards, all shared with his colleagues. They included outstanding achievement in animation for Animaniacs in 1996; outstanding special class animated program for Pinky and the Brain in 1999; and outstanding children’s animated program for Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain in 2000.

He also was the first to receive the Writers Guild’s Animation Writers Caucus Animation Award.

Bressack’s credits include Tiny Toon Adventures, The Smurfs, Mighty Max, Darkwing Duck, Bionic Six and his own creation, Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys.

A native New Yorker, Bressack worked in theater in his early years, then returned to the craft in his later years, writing and directing plays in Los Angeles.