Behind the Scenes at 'Daria'

This brief featurette first aired after the premiere of the Daria TV movie "Is It Fall yet?" on MTV in 2000. Although it didn't go into as much detail as any "Daria" fan would like, it did at least reveal all the voice actors and some significant behind-the-scenes contributors. And guess what? They're all attractive (especially the voice director, of all people!). Typical MTV. Actually, a highlight of this special is Tracy Grandstaff (voicer of Daria)'s remark, and I paraphrase here, about how the show was testament to people's "desire for something intelligent" on MTV. I couldn't agree more-- hopefully Daria will be renewed for the next several years, because it is MTV's ONLY intelligent/quality show.

Actually, the version of "Behind the Scenes at Daria" that was shown after "Is It Fall Yet?" was an edited version from it's original airing prior to Season #4, which was being used as a filler. If you're looking for more detail about the making of Daria, you'll find it there. Though typical of your average "behind the scenes" TV-special, most of what was posted in the previous comment was right on the money. The REAL highlight was a segment where Wendy Hoopes gives us her impressions of Jane Lane, and then Quinn & Helen Morgendorffer(even though it looked like she was going from Quinn to Helen in two separate takes), which was cut from the version shown after IIFY?. You'll also find how Brittany Taylor was created(a piece of trivia I once tried and failed to submit to IMDB). Tracy Grandstaff's(Daria Morgendorffer) remark about people's desire for something intelligent on MTV may seem self-congratulatory, but it's well deserved. And yes, the staff is very attractive, including Amy Palmer, Karen Disher, Olivia Ward and even Grandstaff, who could easily be mistaken for a fashion model...something that the teen queen of sarcastic wit would be a little uneasy about.

If you are a fan of the old TV series "Daria", then this special is just for you and something you should not miss. However, if you aren't familiar with the series, then there is absolutely no reason to see it and most of it will make little sense. As I am a die-hard fan and have the DVD set (which, oddly, does NOT contain this special), then it's something I really enjoyed. I saw it when it first aired 16 years ago and was thrilled when I discovered it on YouTube today.

The show is about the making of the series--starting with its inception as a minor character on "Bevis and Butthead" to the actual process through which the show is made. It has a very large emphasis on the voice actors and it was VERY enjoyable seeing these people who looked very, very little like the characters they voiced. Overall, a lot of fun and the show only lapses when the host, Janeane Garafolo, begins talking just to talk (especially at the end)...as it bordered, at times, on the annoying.