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Spinoffs are a staple of modern television. Not all get to be as successful or beloved as their original source material — Friends spinoff Joey was considered a failure with two seasons, while That 80s Show made the mistake of airing while That 70s Show was still on the air — but some become just as loved or even more memorable than the original show. There are plenty of overly successful spinoff shows, from Fraiser to the endless Stark Trek series, but only a few successful spinoff series are animated.
The most obvious and famous cartoon spinoff is The Simpsons, going from small sketches on The Tracey Ullman Show to the longest-running animated series ever (with no plans of stopping anytime soon), but around the same time that The Simpsons was skyrocketing in the 1990s, another cartoon spinoff series was getting its footing and would soon be labeled as one of the best spinoffs of all time — Pinky and the Brain.
Pinky and the Brain’s Origins
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Before the jump to their own series, Pinky and the Brain were seen on Animaniacs, a children’s animated series that began in 1993. Besides being one of the most successful cartoon series and collecting a cult following after its time on the air, Animaniacs introduced the world to many new and original characters due to its segmented episode structure. Every episode would have three segments that focused on any of the dozen or so characters that surrounded the Warner siblings Dot, Yakko, and Wakko. One of the recurring segments followed Pinky and Brain, two lab rats at Acme Labs.
Genetically altered, Pinky was happy-go-lucky, but dim-witted while Brain was seemingly unemotional and very intelligent. At the end of the day when Acme’s scientists went home, Brain would try to take over the world (with Pinky as a lovable sidekick) through hilarious and ridiculous means. Although the segments were only a few minutes, the writers of Pinky and the Brain were able to tell complete and memorable stories. It wasn't long until Pinky and Brain were standout characters on Animaniacs.
The Spinoff Series
Pinky and the Brain launched as a spinoff series in the fall of 1995. Like its original source material, the series' episodes were often made up of two or more segments, but some only covered one story for its half-hour runtime. While the original Animaniacs segments focused on Brain’s plan to take over the world in a night, the standalone Pinky and the Brain branched out in its story ideas, exploring Pinky and Brain’s backstories — including an episode dedicated to Brain’s archnemesis Snowball — and traveling far beyond the Acme Labs’ walls. It followed in the footsteps of Animaniacs by parodying numerous films and pieces of media, like an episode done in the style of a noir film and a segment poking fun at Winnie the Pooh.
Pinky and the Brain, while labeled a children's show, still had jokes aimed at adults and was a critical success as well. The series had episodes with topical themes and progressive moments. One such episode, entitled "Two Mice and a Baby" followed Pinky and Brain as they attempted to raise a baby from an alien planet. The episode was a spoof of the classic Superman story, as well as Three Men and a Baby, a popular film at the time, but still depicted two male characters raising a child together when LGBTQ+ movements were gaining popularity.
Thanks to its inventive writing and amazing vocal performances, Pinky and the Brain also garnered awards. The series won a Primetime Emmy in 1996 for Outstanding Animated Program, beating staples like Dexter’s Laboratory and The Simpsons. The awarded episode was a holiday special titled “A Pinky & the Brain Christmas” and focuses on Brain’s plan to use Christmas as a ploy to taking over the world. Brain designs a beautiful doll, Noddle Noggin, that can control minds. Pinky and Brain try to get Santa Claus to deliver a Noddle Noggin to every house on Christmas Day, which hits snags in typical Pinky and the Brain fashion.
What makes the episode so memorable is the discovery that Pinky’s annual letter to Santa was never delivered. When it is discovered by Brain, he reads it aloud, learning that Pinky asked that all of his gifts be given to his best friend, Brain. Brain is too touched by Pinky’s gesture to ask for world domination through his mind control toys, and instead orders everyone to have a Merry Christmas. “A Pinky & the Brain Christmas” is one of the few instances where Brain and Pinky show real affection for one another and is the favorite episode of both Pinky (Rob Paulsen) and Brain’s (Maurice LaMarche) voice actors, as well as countless viewers of Pinky and the Brain.