It is cartoon review time boys and girls. We have a very special guest today, he is the president of the The More Angry Beavers in Cartoons Today Thingy club. He is going to show us a cartoon today called, wait for it. *Waiting* *Random children start to flic boogers at each other* It’s the Angry Beavers! *One kid cheers and the others throw paper wads at him* Wait, you don’t know the Angry Beavers?! Well, then let us start the show and we will introduce to these two, Daggert and Norbert who live in a bachelor dam (not under the sea but above it!).
The Angry Beavers was a very successful cartoon for the Nickelodeon network that ran from 1997 to 2003. They did a total of sixty three episodes over four seasons and were nominated for eleven awards, four of which they actually won including a Daytime Emmy for Sound Editing and an Annie Award for Production Design. But enough about how wonderful this show and let us move on to the main characters.
The first character is Daggett Doofus Beaver who is voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz You might know him from the voice of the popular cult cartoons such as Invader Zim from Invader Zim and Billy from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Daggett is the youngest of the two twin brothers by a whole four minutes but shows it through and through. He is impulsive and immature and often resorts to calling his brother a name with little hesitation. Dag very wishes he was still at home with his parents (more on that later).
The other brother is Norbert Foster Beaver who is voiced by Nick Bakay. Nick has had a great career as a writer for many comedy shows including King of Queens and In Living Color. But in the voicing world, he is perhaps best known for Salem, the magical cat from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Norb is the more laid back brother of the two. He is well spoken and pretty intelligent but comes with a high dose of sarcasm. He also gives hugs frequently to his younger brother even if he sometimes manipulates Dag into certain situations.
In the very first episode, Born to be Beavers, we learn that Beavers have one litter of two at a time. (hence why Daggett and Norbert are twin brothers) However, when those parents have a second litter, it is time to kick the first litter out of the dam. Which is what they do quite literally. So Dag and Norb do their best to find a place for their new home or dam. This involves plenty of hyjinx and crazy situations such as trying to sleep under a train overpass. Not a good idea. But in the end, their new dam is magically built and they have a new home.
From there, we are introduced to the Beavers trying to fit into their new home and enjoy being out on their own. Whether it is staying up all night in Up All Night or a dare session going too far in I Dare You. Daggett has his share of problems when he deals with spawning Salmon in Salmon Sez or a giant fish who eats his tail in Fish n Dips. But Norb isn’t immune from danger either as he has a dreaded foot disease in Stinky Toe and grows his teeth a little too long in Long in the Teeth.
But the two beavers aren’t the only animals (or even beavers) in this show. We are introduced to Norbert’s love, Treeflower in Bummer of Love. Barry the Bear shows up as Daggett’s good friend in Un-barry-ble where they put on a rock concert. Heck, we even meet Stump, a tree stump who is quite animated. Joke there, boys n girls. *one laugh, who is then soon pelted with paper wads*. But above all, the brothers form a growing bond as they take on everything from Romans (Friends, Romans, Beavers) to singing Lumberjacks (Lumberjack’s Delight).
The Angry Beavers is straight up hilarity. Nickelodeon sometimes missed in the nineties but occasionally a shining star such as this one peeked through the cracks and stuck with the children. For me personally, the only Nick cartoon I found more funny than Angry Beavers was Fairy Odd Parents. Yes and that includes you Mr. Pineapple under the Sea. But perhaps what solidified as a grand hit was the chemistry between the brothers.
Sure, they can have wacky adventures and some interesting co-stars but this show simply wouldn’t work without Dag and Norb going at each episode after episode. It is a dynamic that simply can’t be explained but can be appreciated time and time again. Then after all of the craziness that happens from each tiny episode (2 segments a show), the brothers come together as brothers and are a tight knit family that will never break. At least until the next episode.
Video
The video is framed in 1.33:1 fullscreen presentation. This show is almost fifteen years old now, but it actually looks really good. Angry Beavers despite being about brown (and yellow) beavers and a brown dam with lots of sticks comes out quite colorful. Background scenery is quite colorful and the numerous varied characters are all distinctive without being outlandish. There are only a few weak moments and most of it is very satisfactory.
Audio
For the audio portion, we get a 2.0 English Dolby Digital Track. Audio is almost just as good. Dialog is very strong here and I did not find any problems deciphering the voices at normal listening levels. Sound effects are of the usual cartoon variety but are nice and loud. It is a stereo track so do not expect anything special but most will be happy with the sound in this set. No pops or fizzles. Subtitles are not included.
Final Thoughts
Conventional cartoons have never been my thing. I like the bizarre, the un-ordinary. But Angry Beavers despite the odd wrapping of two talking beavers is actually a lot more conventional than one would think. But that does not stop the funny nor the laughter of this overgrown child-like review writer. Video and audio are certainly satisfactory, I just wish there had been some extras in this set from Shout Factory. A solid recommendation and reasonable price, I just hope that the rest of the seasons come out in short order.
Episodes
Disc 1
Born To Be Beavers/Up All Night
A Dam Too Far/Long in the Teeth
Gift Hoarse/Go Beavers!
Box Top Beavers/Salmon Sez
Beach Brothers A-Go-Go/Deranged Ranger
Muscular Beaver/Fish and Dips
Enter the Daggett/Bugaboo
Disc 2
Mission To the Big Hot Thingy/I Dare You
House Broken/Stinky Toe
H-2 Whoa/Fancy Prance
The Bing That Wouldn’t Leave/You Promised!
Bummer of Love/Food of the Clods
Trees Company/Guess Who’s Stumping to Dinner?
Disc 3
Same Time Last Week/Beaver Fever
Kandid Kreatures/Fakin’ It
Muscular Beaver 2/Stump Looks for His Roots
Tree of Hearts/Dag for Night
Un-Barry-ble/Another Bites the Musk
The Mighty Knothead/Pond Scum
Friends, Romans, Beavers/Big Round Sticky Fish Thingy
Disc 4
Lumberjack Delight/Zooling Time
Utter Nonsense/Endangered Species
The Day the Earth Got Really Screwed Up
Open Wide for Zombies/Dumbwaiters
Sans-A-Pelt/Gonna Getcha
If You Insisters/Alley Oops!
