[Image: Thought Catalog]
It was on April 4, 1998, when the first episode of CatDog aired. This is not one of the short series that we have looked at here because it ran from that April until June 15, 2005. It needed to be interesting to last for all those years, and it sure was.
Peter Hannan created the animated television series for Nickelodeon. He also composed and sang the CatDog theme song that became rang in the minds of kids for seven years. For a series in the black comedy genre, there are a lot of laughs expected.
CatDog aired in four seasons, 68 episodes. But that was not the end of the series. After the initial run, BBC Two and Nicktoons started the second run from 2005 to September 5, 2011. For more than ten years, therefore, the series was showing on TV!
What can you expect from such a series? As a parent, you only need to know that your kids will laugh uncontrollably when watching some sections. The creature shows silly behavior that keeps you laughing from the start to the end.
What's The Story behind CatDog TV Series?
The Cat uses the Dog’s forelimbs as his hind limbs, and the Dog does the same. The two are brothers conjoined at birth. Let's leave the biology aside; the fact that the two share a body and they are different species means there are so many opportunities for chaos to brew.
Although the two are friends and brothers, and they sometimes have fun, they have different personalities and different likes and dislikes. The Cat appears to be the brains, and he is bossy and fussy. The Dog loves fun and is clueless most of the time.
While the Dog loves running after garbage trucks and cars, the Cat loves relaxing. The Dog also loves fast foods, something that the Cat finds unhealthy. There are so many instances where the two crash on where to be and what to do. As you can already tell, when one is having fun, the other one doesn't see any fun and wants to run away.
The action occurs in Nearburg, a town where so many animals live in a community. There are also a few humanoid figures that make the series interesting.
CatDog TV Series Characters
CatDog
[Image: TVGuide]
Jim Cummings voiced the Cat while Tom Kenny voiced the Dog. These two are brothers, but they are very different. The Cat is the smart and cunning one, while the Dog loves fun, but he is clueless. On many occasions, things are done according to the Cat's wishes as he tricks the Dog into doing what he wants. The Cat also tries to teach the Dog to make him as smart as he is to have the same interests. This doesn't work most of the time.
Because he thinks himself smart, the Cat is selfish and gets the Dog to do a lot of hard work. For instance, he trains the Dog to sled in military-style training. But all this blows up in his face.
The Dog is clumsy. He is loyal, just like a typical dog. When Cat asks him to take on a task, he doesn't give it a second thought before getting into it.
The two always face ridicule from Greaser dogs and mice, but only Cat gets angry because he has the brains, and Dog doesn't. Dog spends his days chasing balls, food, garbage, or bones. When he is not chasing either of these, his overactive imagination keeps him active. The pair is always in trouble because Dog doesn't think of consequences or pay attention to Cat's warnings. Regardless, Dog is the most popular and the most athletic of the two.
Cat secretly loves Shriek. He admitted to loving her in one episode after Shriek kissed Dog. When he is not thinking of Shriek, He is either gardening, reading a book, listening to classical music, or seeking fame. He believes in being polite, staying clean, and avoiding water. But Dog always leaves a mess everywhere he goes and is not as polite as Cat would want.
Cat is not all good as he gets angry sometimes. When his anger kicks in, even the Greasers are afraid of him. In one episode, he got so angry that he destroyed the Greasers' monster truck with a single blow.
Winslow Thelonious Oddfellow
Carlos Alazraqui voiced Winslow. He is a mouse who lived in a hole in CatDog's house. He speaks with a Brooklyn accent and is always cracking wise, especially when he is around Cat. He doesn't get along with Cat. He is always getting Cat in trouble, but that seems to be his way of getting rid of Cat as Cat had tried to eat him.
Dog is friendly with Winslow, and he has no problem with him living in their house. Winslow loves the brothers, but he doesn't show it. All he says is, "What are you? Nuts?"
This is a group of three dogs who always ridicule CatDog. They are bullies, and they always pick on CatDog because of his (their) nature. Dog is friendly to the Greasers as he is also a canine. The Greasers initiated Dog to their gang after he passed a few tests.
The Greasers comprise Cliff, Shriek, and Lube. All three dogs fear ticks.
Clifford Maurice, Cliff
Image: Fandom
Cliff leads the Greasers. He wears a black jacket with an imprint of a dead cat on its back. He is quick to anger and speaks with a Brooklyn accent though not as heavy as Winslow's. He is always rough and harrases other animals. At one time, Eddie, the squirrel, was glued on his back, and this gave him to heads. Shriek and Lube kicked him out of the Greasers, and he was all alone. This time, Cliff learned how it feels like to be an outcast. But as soon as Eddie was off his back, he returned to his old ways.
In another episode, Cliff is stuck under a tree. He vows never to harass any other animal, especially CatDog, but once he is free, he forgets his promises and goes back to his old ways. Even with his anger, Cliff loves ballet and cashmere.
Shriek DuBois
[Image: DeviantArt]
Maria Bamford voiced Shriek. She is the only girl in the Greasers and the brain of the trio. She is a small poodle with a yellow coat. She is always on a green shirt with the letter S inscribed on it. Shriek is loyal to his gang, but she secretly loves Dog and Dog is clueless. When she harasses CatDog, she always hits Cat and not Dog.
In one episode, it comes to light that Shriek comes from a wealthy family, but she couldn't take the rich life, and she opted to join the Greasers. It is also revealed that she has a niece, Squeak, who looks like her.
Final Word
The strange appearance of the CatDog character is probably the main reason why some people gave the entire show negative reviews. But I loved it all the same. After watching it from an adult’s viewpoint, I still love the jokes in the show. Well, there are a few scenes that could not communicate to kids because the emotions and the jokes were a bit complicated for the kids.
CatDog tops the list of shows that I would love to see a reboot.
Did you watch CatDog back in the ‘90s? What is your opinion?
