# The Wild Thornberrys
**The Wild Thornberrys** is an American animated television series produced by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon, broadcast from September 1, 1998 to June 11, 2004 in five seasons and 91 episodes.[1](https://www.nickanimation.com/content/the-wild-thornberry/?shouldReturnToList=true) It follows the Thornberry family, a family of wildlife documentary filmmakers traveling the world, whose youngest daughter Eliza has the secret ability to talk to animals.[1](https://www.nickanimation.com/content/the-wild-thornberry/?shouldReturnToList=true) The series was the third of six original series produced by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon, after *Rugrats* and *Aaahh!!! Real Monsters*.[1](https://www.nickanimation.com/content/the-wild-thornberry/?shouldReturnToList=true)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original run | September 1, 1998 – June 11, 2004, 91 episodes over five seasons[1](https://www.nickanimation.com/content/the-wild-thornberry/?shouldReturnToList=true) |
| Creators | Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo, with Steve Pepoon, David Silverman, and Stephen Sustarsic[1](https://www.nickanimation.com/content/the-wild-thornberry/?shouldReturnToList=true) |
| Premise | Eliza Thornberry, 12, can speak with animals after an encounter with a shaman, but must keep the gift secret or lose it[1](https://www.nickanimation.com/content/the-wild-thornberry/?shouldReturnToList=true) • [2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie) |
| Voice cast | Lacey Chabert (Eliza), Tim Curry (Nigel), Jodi Carlisle (Marianne), Danielle Harris (Debbie), Flea (Donnie), Tom Kane (Darwin)[3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-wild-thornberrys) |
| Ratings peak | In 2000, Nickelodeon's third-highest-rated show among 2- to 11-year-olds, behind *Rugrats* and *SpongeBob SquarePants*[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-17-ca-982-story.html) |
| Feature films | *The Wild Thornberrys Movie* (2002) and *Rugrats Go Wild* (2003)[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie) • [5](https://cinema.com/articles/2377/rugrats-go-wild-production-notes.phtml) |
## Premise and characters
The Thornberrys are a family of documentary filmmakers who travel the globe in a Kommobile-style camper, filming a wildlife series for the foundation they work for.[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie) The family consists of host Nigel Thornberry ([Tim Curry](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-curry)), camera operator and mother Marianne (Jodi Carlisle), teenage sister Debbie ([Danielle Harris](https://www.edgepedia.org/danielle-harris)), the feral adopted youngster Donnie (voiced by Flea of the [Red Hot Chili Peppers](https://www.edgepedia.org/red-hot-chili-peppers)), and Darwin, Eliza's pet chimpanzee (Tom Kane).[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-wild-thornberrys) Eliza, the 12-year-old protagonist, was granted the power of communication with animals through an interaction with a shaman, on the condition that she tell no one about it.[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie) The series's stated motto, in Eliza's own words, is that once she could talk to animals, "life's never been the same."[1](https://www.nickanimation.com/content/the-wild-thornberry/?shouldReturnToList=true)
The show's stories ranged widely: episodes take the family from blue sheep in Nepal and emus in Australia to marmots in Pakistan, flash floods in Siberia, and the [Karakoram Highway](https://www.edgepedia.org/karakoram-highway).[3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-wild-thornberrys) In a review of the first season, Common Sense Media observes that while the Thornberrys lead a life of fantasy, the show delves into the actual customs of numerous cultures as well as the genuine habits and environments of an enormous variety of animal species.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_wild_thornberrys/s01)
**Parents in the foreground.** A defining choice of the series was giving Nigel and Marianne full, substantial roles rather than relegating parents to comic foils or absent figures.[7](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/12/13/on-childrens-tv-an-unusual-new-character-cool-parent/69b49d73-e131-4109-acf1-53f718fcabd9/) The Washington Post, which called the show the most watched new cartoon on television in December 1998, reported that co-creator Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo had long wanted a cartoon with parents in the foreground, and that [Nickelodeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nickelodeon) changed its position after focus-group research with more than 200 groups a year showed children wanted their parents back on screen.[7](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/12/13/on-childrens-tv-an-unusual-new-character-cool-parent/69b49d73-e131-4109-acf1-53f718fcabd9/) A retrospective review notes it was unusual for cartoons of that period to give parent characters equal weight and a B-plot of their own, an approach [Klasky Csupo](https://www.edgepedia.org/klasky-csupo) applied most fully here.[8](https://feelinganimatedblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/07/series-review-the-wild-thornberrys-1998-2004/)
## Development
Nickelodeon put out a call in 1998 for projects with the potential to become five-day-a-week shows with appeal to boys and girls and the possibility of spin-off products; two projects were selected, *[CatDog](https://www.edgepedia.org/catdog)* and *The Wild Thornberrys*. *CatDog*, initially seen as the better prospect, got the five-night-a-week run, while the more story-based *Wild Thornberrys* aired twice a week.[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-17-ca-982-story.html) Co-executive producer Eryk Casemiro, who had joined Klasky Csupo as Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs, described the original concept as one in which father Nigel was an animal psychologist; when the show went to Nickelodeon, it became, in his words, "a perfect idea to have a 12-year-old girl with the ability to talk to animals," reflecting how children role-play with their own pets.[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-17-ca-982-story.html) • [8](https://feelinganimatedblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/07/series-review-the-wild-thornberrys-1998-2004/)
Producer Gabor Csupo also made a deliberate visual choice: Eliza, unusual among television animation protagonists, was given a homely appearance with buck teeth and braces, which Csupo intended from the start and defended against Nickelodeon's objections behind the scenes.[9](https://www.authorsden.com/SampleWorksPDF/78609.pdf) • [10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-01-ca-18323-story.html)
## Broadcast history and ratings
The series premiered on September 1, 1998 in the Nickel-O-Zone, Nickelodeon's new prime-time block for children.[11](https://www.awn.com/mag/issue3.6/AWNMag3.6.pdf) It performed immediately: Nickelodeon President Herb Scannell said it was "a performer" out of the gate, and the initial order of 20 episodes was increased, reaching 80 ordered by December 2000. A year before that date the show moved into a coveted five-night-per-week slot.[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-17-ca-982-story.html) By the end of 2000, it was Nickelodeon's third-highest-rated show among 2- to 11-year-olds.[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-17-ca-982-story.html) Season 1 holds a 90% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 4 critic reviews.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_wild_thornberrys/s01)
Nickelodeon guided the property toward becoming a brand with film potential, a vote of confidence the network's movie department had by then accorded only *Rugrats* and *All That*.[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-17-ca-982-story.html) After the series ended, reruns returned in the 2015 "The Splat" late-night block alongside other 1990s Nickelodeon shows.[12](https://time.com/4048867/nickelodeon-the-splat-rugrats/) As of 2026 the series streams on [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) and is available for digital purchase.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-wild-thornberrys)
## The films
**The Wild Thornberrys Movie** (2002) was the series's first feature, directed by show director Cathy Malkasian with a screenplay by Kate Boutilier, rated PG, with a running time of 86 minutes.[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie) The plot sends Eliza's parents to Africa for a safari documentary; when a cheetah cub friend of Eliza's is stolen by poachers, she must defeat the poachers with Darwin's help after her grandparents send her to boarding school in England.[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie) • [13](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/jan/31/artsfeatures.dvdreviews2) The film added [Brenda Blethyn](https://www.edgepedia.org/brenda-blethyn), Lynn Redgrave, Marisa Tomei, and [Rupert Everett](https://www.edgepedia.org/rupert-everett) to the voice cast.[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie) The production drew on live-action references, with screenwriter Kate Boutilier saying Nickelodeon gave its blessing to push the scariness and realism of the poaching threat; the film's score included [Paul Simon](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-simon)'s "Father and Daughter," his first song written for a film in 15 years.[14](https://feelinganimatedblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/27/film-review-the-wild-thornberrys-movie-2002/) • [15](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-20-et-wild20-story.html) The film received a Metascore of 69 on Metacritic, based on 25 critic reviews.[16](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-wild-thornberrys-movie/) Commercially, it earned $37 million in the United States from its December 20, 2002 release, which The Guardian reported was not enough to cover production and marketing costs.[13](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/jan/31/artsfeatures.dvdreviews2) It did receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Father and Daughter," which lost to "Lose Yourself" from *8 Mile*.[14](https://feelinganimatedblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/27/film-review-the-wild-thornberrys-movie-2002/)
The following year, the crossover **Rugrats Go Wild** (2003) united the Thornberrys with the *Rugrats* cast, the two flagship Klasky Csupo families; executive producer Albie Hecht said the meeting of the two clans had been sought for years.[5](https://cinema.com/articles/2377/rugrats-go-wild-production-notes.phtml)
## Production and visual style
Klasky Csupo's animation for the series was largely hand-drawn; the studio's artwork for both film and television was mostly generated with pencil and paper, then scanned and finished digitally.[17](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2003/Volume-26-Issue-3-March-2003-/Crossing-Over-3-03.aspx) Moving to the film format let the studio use 3D animation for vehicles and environments and develop scenes of more complexity and depth than television allowed.[17](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2003/Volume-26-Issue-3-March-2003-/Crossing-Over-3-03.aspx) The series's character designs, in the house style associated with *Rugrats* and *Aaahh!!! Real Monsters*, drew divided reactions over the years, but the Eliza design was a deliberate, producer-defended choice rather than an accident.[9](https://www.authorsden.com/SampleWorksPDF/78609.pdf) • [10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-01-ca-18323-story.html)
## Themes and reception
The series carried a consistent theme of animal protection, which a Variety review described as relayed "with nice subtlety."[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_wild_thornberrys/s01) Its depiction of wildlife and world cultures was a defining feature of the show's identity, and the series was noted for exploring real animal behavior and habitats within its fantasy premise.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_wild_thornberrys/s01) In one episode described by the Washington Post, Eliza's mother saves the day by rigging a loudspeaker to guide her daughter out of a dark jungle, an episode the paper used to illustrate the broader return of capable, realistic parents to children's television.[7](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/12/13/on-childrens-tv-an-unusual-new-character-cool-parent/69b49d73-e131-4109-acf1-53f718fcabd9/)
The show's combination of wildlife content and family comedy made it one of Nickelodeon's flagship 1990s animated series; by the late 2010s it was being revived on nostalgia blocks aimed at the adults who grew up with it, alongside *Rugrats*, *Rocko's Modern Life*, and *Rocket Power*.[12](https://time.com/4048867/nickelodeon-the-splat-rugrats/)
## References
1. [The Wild Thornberrys, Nickelodeon Animation](https://www.nickanimation.com/content/the-wild-thornberry/?shouldReturnToList=true)
2. [The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Paramount](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-wild-thornberrys-movie)
3. [The Wild Thornberrys streaming information and cast, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-wild-thornberrys)
4. [A Family Phenom in the Making, Los Angeles Times (December 17, 2000)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-17-ca-982-story.html)
5. [Rugrats Go Wild: Production Notes, Cinema.com](https://cinema.com/articles/2377/rugrats-go-wild-production-notes.phtml)
6. [The Wild Thornberrys: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_wild_thornberrys/s01)
7. [On Children's TV, an Unusual New Character: Cool Parent, The Washington Post (December 13, 1998)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/12/13/on-childrens-tv-an-unusual-new-character-cool-parent/69b49d73-e131-4109-acf1-53f718fcabd9/)
8. [Series Review: The Wild Thornberrys (1998–2004), Feeling Animated](https://feelinganimatedblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/07/series-review-the-wild-thornberrys-1998-2004/)
9. [The Wild Thornberrys (1998–2004), AuthorsDen](https://www.authorsden.com/SampleWorksPDF/78609.pdf)
10. [Nick's 'O-Zone' Series Deliver Fresh Air Into Prime Time, Los Angeles Times (September 1, 1998)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-01-ca-18323-story.html)
11. [AWN Magazine issue 3.6, Animation World Network](https://www.awn.com/mag/issue3.6/AWNMag3.6.pdf)
12. [Nickelodeon Confirms Which '90s Shows Are Coming Back, TIME (September 24, 2015)](https://time.com/4048867/nickelodeon-the-splat-rugrats/)
13. [Wild at Heart, The Guardian (January 24, 2003)](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/jan/31/artsfeatures.dvdreviews2)
14. [Film Review: The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002), Feeling Animated](https://feelinganimatedblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/27/film-review-the-wild-thornberrys-movie-2002/)
15. [Serengeti surprise: a delightful family film - Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-20-et-wild20-story.html)
16. [The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-wild-thornberrys-movie/)
17. [Crossing Over, Computer Graphics World (March 2003)](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2003/Volume-26-Issue-3-March-2003-/Crossing-Over-3-03.aspx)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Animated television series (individual series) › Children's animated adventure and fantasy series › Fantasy and magical series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license