Histeria! facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Histeria!
Title card
Created by	Tom Ruegger
Voices of	Frank Welker Tress MacNeille Jeff Bennett Laraine Newman Luke Ruegger Cody Ruegger Nathan Ruegger Maurice LaMarche Billy West Cree Summer Paul Rugg Rob Paulsen Nora Dunn
Theme music composer	Richard Stone John Philip Sousa
Composer(s)	Richard Stone Steve Bernstein Julie Bernstein Tim Kelly Gordon Goodwin
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	52
Production
Executive producer(s)	Tom Ruegger
Producer(s)	Tom Ruegger
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Warner Bros. Animation
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	Kids' WB
Audio format	Dolby Surround
Original release	September 14, 1998 (1998-09-14) – March 31, 2000 (2000-03-31)

Histeria! is an American animated TV show created by Tom Ruegger and made by Warner Bros. Animation. Unlike other cartoons from Warner Bros. in the 1990s, Histeria! was made to teach kids. It followed rules from the FCC for educational shows.

Histeria! was shown on Kids' WB from September 14, 1998, to March 31, 2000. Reruns continued until August 30, 2001. The show was like a sketch comedy, similar to Saturday Night Live. Its characters often played famous historical people. It was a big project for Warner Bros. They planned to make 65 episodes, but because it cost too much money, only 52 episodes were finished. Production stopped in March 2000. To save money, they often reused parts of old episodes with new sounds. The show later aired online on In2TV from 2006 to 2009.

What is Histeria! About?

Like other cartoons from Warner Bros. at the time, Histeria! used lots of funny physical comedy and satire. What made it special was how it mixed historical figures and events with humor. Episodes often had a large group of kids and grown-ups acting in funny skits and singing parodies of songs. For example, they sang about the American Civil War to the tune of The Brady Bunch theme song.

Meet the Characters

The Hosts

• Father Time (Frank Welker) is the main host of Histeria!. He helps the cast "travel" through time. He has dark skin and a long beard. He often gets annoyed when the Kid Chorus gets facts wrong.
• Big Fat Baby (Luke Ruegger) is Father Time's egg-shaped helper. He often introduces the skits with Father Time.
• Miss Information (Laraine Newman) is a funny tour guide. She leads tourists through history as if it's her own museum. She often gets facts wrong and makes up silly reasons for her mistakes.
• The World's Oldest Woman (Tress MacNeille) is a very old lady. She says she remembers when air was invented! She also claims to have dated many historical men. She seems to like Bill Straitman a lot.

The Kid Chorus

• Loud Kiddington is a boy known for talking very loudly. He often acts out loud moments in history, like the Big Bang. He tells viewers to turn up their TV volume for these parts.
• Charity Bazaar (Laraine Newman) is a main girl in the Kid Chorus. She often seems sad and says, "I'm not happy." She usually speaks in a flat voice unless she's excited. She cares about animal rights and dislikes math homework.
• Froggo (Nathan Ruegger) is a short boy with blonde hair. He has a low, frog-like voice, which is how he got his name. He often asks historical figures for two strange items. He can usually invent something cool with them.
• Aka Pella (Cree Summer) is a member of the Kid Chorus. She uses cool, sassy language and often makes funny jokes about her friends. She is a tomboy and often helps the group think clearly.
• Pepper Mills (Tress MacNeille) is a very energetic teenage fan. She loves all celebrities, historical or modern. She often screams excitedly after almost everything she says. She tries to get autographs from historical figures, thinking they are pop stars.
• Toast (Tress MacNeille) is a relaxed surfer teenager. His name comes from the idea that his brain is "fried" or confused. He also has a constant sunburn. He hosts a talk show called Ask Me If I Care. He invites historical celebrities to share their stories, but he never really cares.
• Cho-Cho (Tress MacNeille) is a small Chinese girl. She is smarter than she looks. She is always with Lucky Bob. She follows people around until they buy what she is selling.
• Lucky Bob (Jeff Bennett) is a boy with a big overbite. He speaks slowly and often agrees with others. He uses phrases like "You are correct, sir!"
• Pule Houser (Frank Welker) is a heavier kid in the cast. He often gets picked on and can throw tantrums.
• Susanna Susquahanna (Tress MacNeille) is a small Native American girl. She has big eyes and a large gap in her front teeth, which gives her a lisp. She often says "Thath's Twue" (That's true).
• Kip Ling, Chipper the Crooked Mouth Boy, and the Bow-Haired Girl are other Kid Chorus members. They mostly appear in songs or in large groups.

Other Fun Characters

• Bill Straitman (James Wickline) is the serious character who balances the funny ones. He often interviews historical figures and the World's Oldest Woman. He tries to avoid her romantic advances.
• Mr. Smartypants (Rob Paulsen) is a shy genius. He wears very large pants and shares many facts. Only the top of his head and his hands are usually seen. He likes Miss Information.
• Chit Chatterson (Billy West) is a quirky salesman. He often tries to trick his customers.
• Fetch (Frank Welker) is Loud Kiddington's talking dog. He loves chasing tennis balls. He often asks historical figures to play catch.
• Lydia Karaoke (Nora Dunn) works for Kids' WB. She is the show's censor. This is a tough job because the show is so wild! She often stops skits to say they are not right for kids.
• Sammy Melman (Rob Paulsen) is a funny spoof of a TV executive. He often criticizes the Histeria! cast to get better ratings.
• Molly Pitcher always offers water with a big smile. She is very cheerful and is based on Martha Stewart.
• Nostradamus (Paul Rugg) says he can "predictiate" the future. But he is often wrong. He acts very fast and impatient. He often yells "Shutup" to quiet the audience.

Many real historical figures in Histeria! were shown as funny versions of modern celebrities. This was done to compare their personalities to people today.

Episodes

Series overview

Histeria! covered many different historical topics across its 52 episodes. In Season 1, episodes explored topics like the American Civil War, the American Revolution, ancient China, the Renaissance, and famous inventors. They also looked at different countries and important historical figures.

Season 2 continued with more historical adventures. Episodes focused on topics such as France, North America, and more about China. They also highlighted "Heroes of Truth & Justice," including Martin Luther King Jr. and Socrates. The show ended with "Big Fat Baby Theatre," which looked at random moments in history through Big Fat Baby's eyes.

See also

In Spanish: ¡Histeria! para niños