Dexter's Laboratory
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dexter's Laboratory | |
|---|---|
 Dexter's Laboratory logo since season 2. |
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| Format | Animated television series, Comedy, Science fiction |
| Created by | Genndy Tartakovsky |
| Voices of | Christine Cavanaugh (1996-2001) Candi Milo (2001-2003) Allison Moore (1996-1997; 2001-2002) Kathryn Cressida (1997-1999; 2002-2003) Kath Soucie Jeff Bennett Eddie Deezen |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 78 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Cartoon Network/Boomerang YTV/Teletoon (Canada) |
| Original run | April 28, 1996 – November 22, 2003 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Dexter's Laboratory (Dexter's Lab for short) is an American animated series created by Genndy Tartakovsky.
Contents |
[edit] Production
Dexter's Laboratory was inspired by one of Genndy Tartakovsky's drawings of a ballerina. After drawing her tall and thin shape, he was inspired to pair her with a short and blocky opposite, Dexter. In 1991, he made his first "Dexter" short. On February 20th, 1995, Dexter's Laboratory made its first run on the "What a Cartoon!" show. In March 1996, the first season sparked off. Directors and writers on the series included Genndy Tartakovsky, Rumen Petkov, Craig McCracken, Seth MacFarlane, Butch Hartman, Rob Renzetti, Paul Rudish, Mark O'Hare, John McIntyre and Chris Savino.
Dexter's Laboratory ended its initial run in 1999, with the series finale being Ego Trip, but re-entered production in 2001. The new episodes, which ran for two more seasons, had a different production team than the originals, since Genndy Tartakovsky was busy working on Samurai Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars. The second series featured new character and background designs, alternative storyline and character backgrounds, and different sound effects (which were mostly all classic Hanna-Barbera sound effects). Also, Dexter's voice actress changed from Christine Cavanaugh to Candi Milo.
The show currently airs on Cartoon Network's sister channel, Boomerang at 9:30 P.M and on the Cartoon Cartoon Show on Cartoon Network. It aired again on Cartoon Network on June 8, 2008 on The Nacho Chip Marathon on 12:30 P.M.
[edit] Premise
The series revolves around a boy genius named Dexter, who has a secret laboratory filled with highly advanced equipment hidden behind a bookshelf in his bedroom. Access to this never-ending laboratory is achieved by speaking various passwords or by activating hidden switches on the bookcase. Dexter is normally in conflict with his ditzy older sister, Dee Dee, who has an uncanny talent for gaining access to Dexter's lab despite his best efforts to keep her out. Dee Dee eludes all manner of security and, once inside, delights in playing in the lab, often destroying his inventions and creations. For reasons left unexplained, Dexter manages to keep the lab a secret from his clueless, cheerful parents, and in the beginning of the show, Dee Dee is the only other character to know about his lab. In several episodes, however, he is forced to reveal his lab to his parents, although such episodes always end with his parent's memories being wiped. His name forms the root of the word dexterous, meaning one who is mentally adroit and skillful with the hands.
Dexter has an arch-nemesis, a boy named Mandark Astronominov. (In the later seasons where the production team was changed, "Mandark" was changed to his nickname, his new real name being Susan. This is never mentioned in the original seasons.) Often Mandark, through fraud or (rarely) by coincidence, attempts to take credit for Dexter's achievements. Mandark is also "secretly" in love with Dee Dee. In the later seasons, after the revamp, Mandark becomes significantly more evil, his laboratory dark-looking and spiky (instead of the bright, cartoony lab featuring the Death Star from earlier seasons) and his plans more diabolical and nasty.
The show's humor derives in part from Dexter's essentially one-sided and intense rivalry with his sister (in which Dexter, although brilliant, never gets the upper hand) and from exaggerated stereotyping of his high intelligence and social awkwardness. Much absurdist and surrealist humour is used as well.
The show breaks the time-honored TV rule of returning the characters and situation to the status quo at the end of each episode; most episodes end in an unresolved state with no easy solution offered for returning the characters to normal; e.g. Dexter is a mutated mass of protoplasm, a large tentacled monster attacks the house (this monster appears in a Cartoon Network bumper), there are multiple clones of Dexter and Dee Dee running around, the entire lab self-destructs and is completely gone, Dexter destroys the lab and is later turned into a sandwich, etc. However, each episode always begins from the accepted "normal" premise of the program.
An hour-long special, Ego Trip, aired on Cartoon Network in 1999, in which Dexter travels through time and meets several of his future selves. Ego Trip was originally supposed to conclude the series, but two additional seasons followed.
[edit] Backup Segments
Two short segments ran in between episodes during 21-minute slots called Dial M for Monkey and The Justice Friends. These segments existed within the Dexter's Laboratory universe and main characters from either "show" appeared in actual episodes regularly. The episodes of the first half of Season 1 of the show included the "Dial M for Monkey" segment in between two Dexter shorts. The last half of Season 1 included a Justice Friends segment in between the two Dexter shorts. Monkey often appeared in the Justice Friends segments as well, teaming with his fellow superheroes.
[edit] Dial M for Monkey
The Dial M for Monkey shorts feature Dexter's lab monkey, Monkey (played by Frank Welker), who (unknown to Dexter) has superpowers and fights evil with his partners. Monkey revealed his secret to Dexter in the all-star episode Last But Not Beast, only to erase his memories afterwards. The segment's title derives from Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder.
[edit] The Justice Friends
Major Glory, Krunk, and Valhallen are all room mates who live in an apartment complex. Most of the adventures of the Justice Friends deal with the three trying to balance out their superhero adventures while just trying to keep their composure living in the house. They have also appeared on at least one episode of The Powerpuff Girls, thereby tying the "universes" of those two shows together. Most of these adventures play out like a sitcom along with a laugh track, which is highly unusual for animated shows, used in a satirical manner. The segment's title likely derives from the DC Comics superhero organization The Justice League and its sanitized animated cartoon version, Super Friends. The three main characters are based on the Marvel Comics characters of Captain America, Hulk, and a hybrid of Thor and Eddie Van Halen.
[edit] Media
[edit] "Ego Trip" film
Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip is an hour-long film that was released on VHS in 1999
[edit] "Chicken Scratch" theatrical short
Chicken Scratch is a Dexter's Laboratory episode that appeared in theaters, as a bonus short before The Powerpuff Girls Movie. After Dexter catches the Chicken Pox, DeeDee tells him a ridiculous tale that if he keeps scratching them, he will turn into an evil chicken, and throughout the episode Dexter tries his best not to scratch.
[edit] Music Videos
Four music videos were made in 2002 and had occasional airings between shows on Cartoon Network. One was a mock-anime video sung by They Might Be Giants called DeeDee and Dexter.
The other three were rap songs which were released on a compilation album:
- Back to the Lab (by Prince Paul): A pop art video highlighting the walkway sequence of a stern Dexter, marching presumably back to the lab. The video consisted of various clips and animatics derived from the series's later seasons.
- Secrets (by Will.i.am): Will.i.am singing/rapping within a color-tinged record studio, with Dexter bumping his head and mixing up beats on a turntable in the background.
- Dexter (What's His Name) (by Coolio): A pseudo "live" performance, essentially Coolio freestyle-rapping beside Dexter on an animated stage, with the large cheering crowd being made of a host Cartoon Network characters.
[edit] Dexter's Laboratory: The Hip Hop Experiment
Dexter's Laboratory: The Hip Hop Experiment, a compilation album featuring songs by various hip hop artists inspired by the series, was released on August 20, 2002. The track listing for the CD are as follows:
- "Dexter's Laboratory Opening Theme"
- "Secrets" - will.i.am
- "Dexter (What's His Name?)" - Coolio
- "Love According to Dexter" - Phife Dawg, introducing Slick E. Rose
- "Sibling Rivalries" - De La Soul
- "Mandark's Plan" - YZ
- "Back to the Lab" - Prince Paul
[edit] Video games
Two games were released to tie in with the series, Dexter's Laboratory: Chess Challenge for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance which was released in 2002 and Dexter's Laboratory: Mandark's Laboratory? for the Sony Playstation both developed and produced by the now defunct[1] publisher BAM! Entertainment.
[edit] DVD Release
The complete first season was released on February 19, 2008 in Australia, on Region 4 DVD. It is a two-disc set, and contains the two pilot episodes "Changes" and "Big Sister", as well as a limited edition door hanger. The first half of season two is due for release on July 11, 2008. [2]
No US or UK release has yet been announced.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Dexter's Laboratory at the Internet Movie Database
- Dexter's Laboratory at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
- Dexter's Laboratory at the Big Cartoon DataBase
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