The History of Doug (Nickelodeon/Disney) - Retro TV Review

Thanks for reviewing Doug, it was a show I watched during the Nick ownership of it, and hadn't seen since. I always found the Doug - Patti ship to feel one-sided, which is typical for children at that age. But Roger, oh geez, that guy was nice-washed bully. The episode I specifically remember was the one where Roger was on a kids TV show and was embarrassed about it, thus providing some context for why he's a bit of a jerk. I think Hey Arnold (1996-2004) was a bit better about the bully/weird-kid dynamic. Rugrats/All-grown-up probably had the better general appeal though (Literately, it aired from 1991 to 2008 between those two shows so it's time frame is slower than real time.) The thing with Hey Arnold and Rugrats, was that the bully was the lead girl character, but they made Helga (H-A) have an unrequited love interest in the main character where as Angelica (Rugrats) was the main character's cousin who was simply spoiled and mean in the way that relatives can be. Hey Arnold's Harold character was only briefly the bully. Nice-washed characters are essentially bullies that only mean or jerks because of plot convenience. Actual bullies channel resentment or have quality of life issues from their living situation that is a source of their perpetual need to lash out for attention.

"Banging on a trash can, Drumming on a street light strumming on my banjo, one little voice is calling me, calling me. One little voice is calling meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" not sure if I got all the lyrics right but my brother and I still sing this song from when Doug set up his "Band"

You know what was deep too? Patty's pop was in a wheelchair and her mom passed. When Doug got that door knocker from her old house, I was like well done dude. Definitely my favorite show as a kid.

I was always threatened with the "permanent record" thing as a kid, and sympathized with Doug's dread of it every time.

My favorite Doug episode is the one where skeeter moves. . . . To his new room in the basement! I was so relieved as a kid. Haha Also, this day, I call everyone I know named Doug, Doog.

We had permanent records at my school. Or at least they mentioned them in classes and with the office staff. It’s just records of the student like what grades you’ve gotten and the health of the student from what I remember. So getting an F would go on there and affect your classes you would end up in.

It's nice to see a review of Doug that's actually positive, I think this show gets too much hate from a number of people

My favorite Doug episode is probably the one where Doug watches a horror movie and the entire crux of the episode is Doug realizing how terrifying something we don't understand is. As a fan of horror movies, and someone that grew up terrified of all things horror, it was so easy to relate to it. And that's why I love it, I can't recall any other kid's show ever discussing how scary movies can traumatize kids.

I often will quote "Ohhhhh, my writer's block!!!!" when I'm trying to work on a project. Nobody ever gets it.

Nickelodeon from the late 80s through the 90s was just amazing. Lightning in a bottle. Never again will a network be so endearing to an entire generation. The right people, right place, right time.

No matter what people think about this show, it's an incontrovertible fact that Doug was one of the first Slice of Life shows that had a big influence on shows that were inspired by it. Before 1991, the year Doug debuted, there wasn't any other slice of life show in which a normal kid went through real issues. It was mostly all about action and fantasy, as well as occasional levity. Doug may seem cliche nowadays, but during its time, it was considered an unprecedented phenomenon that had a huge influence on other slice of life shows that would air right after this. Say what you want about Doug, call it bland and boring all you like, but whether you like it or not, you have to at least respect it for the inluence it had on other cartoons. Without Doug, there wouldn't be a Hey Arnold, Daria, As Told By Ginger, The Proud Family, or even a Loud House. Doug is a far more important show than what many folks nowadays give credit for. So kudos for this review.

I loved watching Doug and Rugrats when my daughter was a little one. Every once in a while the Killer Tofu song pops into my head and I start singing along. Lots of fond memories of that time.

I absolutely loved Doug back when I was a preteen and I still love it today at 37. There is just something unique about it.. we used to call my 8th grade teacher Doug because of his seemingly endless collections of sleeveless sweaters..

When mentioning "heavier" episodes of the show I recalled the one where Doug accidentally demolished Patti's old house, full of memories of her mother. Its take on grief really stuck with me.

I really like Doug. The character was relatable to me as a kid because I too was bland, boring, unpopular, and anxious about literally everything. I don't think the show is bland, though, even if the lead character is. The art style is really unique and has a great charm to it, and the acapella sound/music direction gives it a very distinctive personality. One thing I really love about the old Nicktoons is how diverse they were on an aesthetic and tonal level. So many modern cartoons are really similar to one another by comparison. Nick needed a more down-to-Earth show like this to balance the complete absurdity that was Ren & Stimpy et al, imo.

The Beets, the greatest band to never exist. 🎶❤️

Doug’s dad: “we’re making good time!” Every dad ever

There's a bomb...in the lasagna!

I like the unnatural skin colors. He's right.

Palette cleanser is probably the best description for this show I’ve ever heard. One of my favorite episodes was the Halloween special where Doug and Skeeter are stuck in an amusement park and scare the crap out of Roger and his gang.