The Wild Thornberrys

The Wild Thornberrys is an animated series produced at Klasky-Csupo for Nickelodeon, which follows the adventures of a fictional wildlife-documentary-making family, the Thornberrys, and particularly of Eliza Thornberry, who can talk to animals. It premiered in October 1998, and was the first Nicktoon to exclusively use 30 minute stories (previously, other Nicktoons mostly used the two-fifteen-minute-stories format). At the time, the series was quite dark in tone for a Nicktoon (with life-threatening situations in several stories).

Trivia

• Wildlife conservationist Jane Goodall appeared as herself in the episode titled The Trouble With Darwin.
• In early February 2003, Nickelodeon devoted a week to the five episodes that take place after the movie (the last episodes produced), which have the Thornberrys in Alaska with a pop guitarist staying over with them (Shane G, voiced by Christopher Masterson). After the fourth of the five episodes aired, Nick then aired a promo for the fifth episode Eliza Unplugged to air on Saturday, February 8. However, they ended up airing The Fairly OddParents instead; that episode wouldn't air for another 16 months (June 11, 2004).
• Animation fans have helmed this show to be the jump the shark of Nicktoons, they believe every other cartoon after this one turned about to usually be bad the majority of the time.