Description
Beetlejuice is an 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 film of the same name, it was developed by the film’s director, Tim Burton, who also served as an executive producer. The animated series focuses on the life of goth girl Lydia Deetz and her undead friend Beetlejuice as they explore the Neitherworld, a ghoulish wacky monster supernaturalistic realm inhabited by monsters, ghosts, ghouls, goblins and zombies. Danny Elfman’s theme for the film was arranged for the cartoon series by Elfman himself.
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.