"Beavis and Butt-Head" (1993) TV series 1993-1997

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Creator:

Mike Judge

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

8 March 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Music

Plot:

Animated MTV series about two teenaged heavy-metal music fans who occasionally do idiotic things because they are bored...

Plot Keywords:

MTV | Heavy Metal | Beavis And Butt Head | Anti Hero | Based On Short Film

Cast

Mike Judge

...

Beavis / ... (195 episodes, 1993-1997)

Runtime:

15 min (199 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | UK:12 (some episodes) | UK:15 (some episodes) | USA:TV-14

Company:

MTV Animation

Trivia:

The character "Tom Andersen" is the unrefined version of "Hank Hill", the central character of Mike Judge's other show, "King of the Hill" (1997).

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the music video for the Power Station's cover of Get It On (Bang A Gong) was shown, the album it is from was incorrectly listed as "Electric Warrior." This song is actually from the Power Stations' self-titled album. (“Electric Warrior” is not a Power Station album, but rather a 'T. Rex (I)' album -- the band who performed the song originally.)

Quotes:

Butt-head: [Beavis & Butthead after "sensitivity training"] How about a hug?
Beavis: Shut up! Or I'll wound your inner child! Heh hmmhh heh! And then I'll kick your ass!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Understanding 1990s Teens Via Pop-Culture.

MTV original animation programming about two teens (the titled characters) who go through life obliviously. They care nothing about school or really anything for that matter. They do however constantly show interest in "scoring" (losing their virginity), drinking alcohol, smoking, stealing and an endless list of other possible miscreant activity. Church groups and many adults shunned the show while the majority of those in the huge 15 to 30 age group demographic loved and embraced the program wholeheartedly. A civil war between viewers would then of course start, with the youths of the country winning or did they (the fact that the show pretty much stopped after the theatrical movie makes you wonder if the program didn't go too far with the wrong people)? I personally love the series even today. Creator Mike Judge (who does most all the voices of the insane characters) actually does what his title says: he was creative. The creativity of the series (which ran from 1993-1997 on cable's MTV) is outstanding. Stuff like "Beavis and Butt-Head" is simply to entertain and make its audience feel good about itself (I mean no one could be as moronic as these characters are, could they?). You have to look at the material through a looking-glass to understand the pressures, situations and feelings that many adolescents have in this day and age. Even though the series is not really thought-provoking per se, it still strikes a cord because it pokes fun at sometimes very serious matters. I think this is the reason why some refused to ever embrace the show. If "The Simpsons" knocked on the conventional programming door in 1989, then "Beavis and Butt-Head" definitely tore that door down in 1993. And of course more wonderful animated programming like "King of the Hill" (also by Judge) and "Family Guy" would follow. Is "Beavis and Butt-Head" art? I don't know, but to be honest I have never really cared if it is or not. 5 stars out of 5.