Beetlejuice (TV series)


Beetlejuice is a Canadian-American animated television series that ran from September 9, 1989, to October 26, 1991, on ABC, and on Fox from September 9 to December 6, 1991. Loosely based on the 1988 American film of the same name, it was developed by its director, Tim Burton, who also served as an executive producer. The series follows Lydia Deetz and her friend Beetlejuice and their adventures in the "mortal world" and the Neitherworld, a supernatural realm inhabited by various monsters. Danny Elfman, who composed the theme for the film, also arranged it for the series.

Plot

The series follows the adventures of ghostly con-man Beetlejuice and his best friend Lydia in the Neitherworld and the "mortal world", the New England town of Peaceful Pines. As in the film, Lydia could summon Beetlejuice from the Neitherworld or go there by calling his name three times. The series' humor relied heavily on sight gags, wordplay, and allusiveness. Many episodes, notably towards the end of the series' run, were parodies of movies, books, and TV shows.

Characters

Main

  • Beetlejuice is the series' central character, adapted from the 1988 film. In the show, he is still a mischievous prankster, but his personality is toned down compared to the film, making him less crude and more sympathetic. He retains a wide range of magical abilities, most notably shapeshifting, conjuring objects, and teleportation, which are often used for comic effect. Unlike the film version, he is depicted as Lydia's best friend rather than an antagonist. Much of the comedy revolves around his wordplay, as figures of speech spoken by him can become literal. Beetlejuice frequently attempts money-making schemes or elaborate pranks, though his antics are usually more playful than harmful.
  • Lydia Deetz is a gothic preteen and Beetlejuice's closest friend. She is imaginative, intelligent, and more mature than her peers, though she often struggles to fit in at school. Lydia has interests in art, photography, literature, and the macabre, which make her an outsider among her classmates but well accepted in the Neitherworld. She can summon Beetlejuice or travel to his realm by calling his name three times. Through their friendship, Beetlejuice encourages Lydia's confidence and individuality, while she often acts as his moral compass.

    Supporting

Peaceful Pines inhabitants

  • Charles Deetz is Lydia's father. He is mild-mannered, enjoys hobbies such as birdwatching and baseball, and is frequently the target of Beetlejuice's pranks, though Beetlejuice also shows a certain fondness for him.
  • Delia Deetz is Lydia's eccentric stepmother. A self-proclaimed artist and cook, her unusual creations are not always appreciated in the human world but are popular in the Neitherworld. Her offbeat personality makes her less easily frightened than Charles.
Lydia's school friends include Bertha, who shares her interest in the unusual, and Prudence, who is shy and bookish. Her main school rival is Claire Brewster, a spoiled and self-centered classmate who frequently clashes with Lydia and becomes another target of Beetlejuice's tricks.

Neitherworld inhabitants

The Neitherworld features a recurring cast of residents. Jacques LaLean is a French skeleton and aspiring bodybuilder, often exasperated by Beetlejuice but still considered his friend. Ginger is a tap-dancing spider with show business ambitions. The Monster Across the Street resembles a hairy giant and regularly expresses frustration at Beetlejuice's antics.
Other recurring characters include Mayor Maynot, the temperamental leader of the Neitherworld; his assistant I. M. Smallhead; Judge Mental, who presides over legal matters; and Mr. Monitor, who operates the local television network. Beetlejuice's family, introduced in the series, includes his parents Gnat and Bea Juice.
The show also features unusual creatures such as Doomie, a sentient car that occasionally transforms into a monster called the Dragster of Doom, and the Sandworms, feared serpentine creatures that inhabit Sandwormland beneath the Neitherworld.

Episodes

Voice cast

  • Stephen Ouimette – Beetlejuice, Snugglejuice, Posijuice, Negajuice
  • Alyson Court – Lydia Deetz
  • Elizabeth Hanna – Delia Deetz, Miss Shannon
  • Roger Dunn – Charles Deetz
  • Harvey Atkin – Lipscum, Exorcist
  • Tara Charendoff – Bertha, Claire Brewster, Little Miss Warden
  • Len Carlson – The Monster Across the Street, Judge Mental, Barf Birfman, Mayor Maynot, Mr. Juice, Uncle Clyde, Messy Jesse, Foreman, Hopalong Casualty, Poopsie
  • Paulina Gillis – Prudence, Ginger
  • Keith Knight – Barry MeNot, Flubbo, Armhold Musclehugger, Chester Slime, Dr. Zigmund Void
  • Ron Rubin – Germs Pondscum, Doombuggy
  • Fox (actor)|Colin Fox] – Dragster of Doom
  • Keith Hampshire – Doomie
  • Joseph Sherman – Scuzzo the Clown
  • David Goldberg – Fuzzo the Clown
  • Stuart Stone – Ramon
  • Dan Hennessey – Jesse Germs, Captain Kidder, Bully the Crud
  • Peggy Mahon – Mrs. Bugsley, Aunt May
  • Susan Roman – Miss Shapen, Percy, Poopette, the Monstress Across the Street, Mrs. Juice
  • Richard Binsley – Donnyjuice, Wyatt Burp
  • Don Francks – Count Mein, Mr. Big
  • Michael Stark – Fleagor
  • Charles Kerr – Jacques
  • Allan Stewart Coates – Ed
  • John Stocker – Mr. Monitor, Bartholomew Batt
  • Hadley Kay – Prince Vince

    Production

Following the major critical and commercial success of the Beetlejuice film in early 1988, it led to an animated spin-off series being created by Warner Bros. Television. The production was provided by the Canadian Nelvana Ltd., The Geffen Film Company and Tim Burton, Inc. The series premiered on September 9, 1989, on ABC.
The animated series was a mega breakout hit for ABC in its initial seasons, and later became one of the first cartoon animated series to ever air on Fox's weekday afternoons children's lineup, though also remaining on ABC's Saturday morning schedules, making it one of the first animated shows to air concurrently on two different U.S. broadcast networks.
The premise of the animated series differs in a number of ways from the original film in order to be acceptable for children. In the TV series, he and Lydia are best friends, Beetlejuice is made out to be more of a prankster, and Lydia is given a much quirkier, but positive demeanor. Lydia often travels to the "Neitherworld" to have adventures with Beetlejuice. These adventures could involve fun activities together, Lydia saving Beetlejuice from a bad situation, or scolding him for a money-making scam.

Merchandise

Much as with the original 1988 film, various merchandise was released for the Beetlejuice animated series in 1990. This included trading cards by Dart, a sticker album and sticker/activity book by Panini, a jigsaw puzzle by Golden, a coloring book, novels, a lunchbox and thermos set, Valentines, a party centerpiece by Party Creations, a PC game by Hi Tech Expressions, a Game Boy game by Rare, and six PVC figures available with Burger King Kids' Meals. Kenner, the company behind the film's action figures, had begun developing figures for the animated series, but the project did not come to fruition. Vinyl figures of Beetlejuice and Lydia were released by CultureFly in 2024, making it the first licensed merchandise released in over thirty years.

Home media

Warner Bros. released most of the first season of the show on six video-cassettes by December 21, 1993. In September 2008, three episodes were released as bonus features on the film's 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition DVD.
In 2012, Time Life acquired the rights to the series and planned to release it on DVD for the following year. Shout! Factory released Beetlejuice – The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 as an Amazon exclusive on May 28, 2013. They also released Season 1 on the same day to retail stores. Seasons 2 & 3 were released on March 18, 2014. On June 25, 2024, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment re-issued the complete series on a DVD box set in Region 1, to coincide with the theatrical release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice later that same year. Around the same time, the series was made available as transactional video on demand purchases through streaming retailers including Amazon Prime Video and the iTunes Store.

Awards

Daytime Emmy Awards