The Weasel Patrol (partially found Nickelodeon animated pilot; 1990)

Cover art for the original comic.

Status: Lost

The Weasel Patrol was an unsold animated pilot that was pitched to Nickelodeon.

Origin

In 1989, kid-oriented cable network Nickelodeon decided to launch their own original animated programming, which they dubbed "Nicktoons." They commissioned eight pilots, and planned to choose the four best pilots to make it to series (though in the end, only three were chosen), with a targeted premiere in August 1991.

The Weasel Patrol was created by Ken Macklin and Lela Dowling for Mark Zander Productions, based on the humorous comic book of the same name. The Weasel Patrol consisted of seven weasels who fought crime. They were lousy crime fighters, despite their claims to the contrary, and only ever won due to random circumstances that worked to their advantage. The original comic series, however, was adult-oriented, and each story contained an adult element that would be inappropriate for the target audience. To try and make the show family-friendly, the plot of the pilot was cobbled together from several issues of the comic.

Plot

The story involved the Weasel Patrol trying to keep top secret hot chili peppers from a duo of smugglers. The peppers were intended to be used for rocket fuel, and an alien creature was also involved. Both the Weasel Patrol and the smugglers were incompetent, and the Weasel Patrol only won accidentally, and in the most confusing way possible.

Results

The test audience's reception of the pilot was overwhelmingly negative. One nine-year-old boy stated that he'd rather watch a blank television screen. The comics were funny, but the pilot, which was an adaptation thrown together from a handful of unrelated stories, was convoluted and confusing, and an entirely new story would probably have been a better idea. Seven weasels, two smugglers, and an alien creature were too many characters to introduce in a five-minute pilot. The weasels, while funny in the comics, also lacked developed personalities, and some didn't even have names given.

The pilots eventually picked up were:

• Doug Can't Dance by Jim Jinkins for Jumbo Pictures; became the pilot for Doug.
• Tommy Pickles and the Great White Thing by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain for Klasky Csupo; became the pilot for Rugrats.
• Ren Hoek and Stimpy in "Big House Blues" by John Kricfalusi for Spümcø; became the pilot for The Ren & Stimpy Show.

The Weasel Patrol pilot was never shown to anyone outside those involved in its production and the test audiences, nor has it been shared by its creators since, save for a presentation given by Linda Simensky in 1995 at the Society for Animation Studies Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she showed the five failed Nicktoon pilots, as well as four others, to an audience of animation professors and historians.

Credits

Created by Ken Macklin and Lela Dowling
Directed by Norton Virgien

See Also

Anthology and Short Series

• Astrology with Squidward (found series of "SpongeBob SquarePants" Nickelodeon animated short series; early 2000s)
• Attack of the Giant Vulture (found Nickelodeon short film; 1998)
• Balinese Slapping Fish (partially lost Nickelodeon Australia animated short series; 1998)
• Bobby the Lizard Boy (found Nickelodeon animated short; 2000)
• Gordon Bleugh! (found Nickelodeon animated short series; early 2000s)
• ICarly at the 2008 Kids Choice Awards (found Nickelodeon promotional short web series; 2008)
• Leader Dog (partially lost Nickelodeon animated short series; 2004)
• Making Fiends (partially lost promotional shorts for Nickelodeon animated series based on web series; 2008)
• Meet The Moores (partially found British Nicktoons animated short series; 2002-2003)
• Nick Studio 10 (partially found Nickelodeon channel block; 2013)
• Nickelodeon Blimp (found Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards animated short; 2005-2007)
• Oh Yeah! Cartoons (found Nickelodeon animated anthology series; 1998-2001)
• Schoolyard Safari (found Nickelodeon short series; 2002-2003)
• SpongeBob: Re-Hydrated (partially lost "SpongeBob SquarePants" animated short; 2003)
• Tortellini Western (partially found Nickelodeon animated short series; 2004)
• A Very Aggressive Vegetable (partially lost Nickelodeon Australia animated short series; 1998)

Bumpers and Promos

• 101% Whizbang! with Henry & June (partially found Nickelodeon channel block; 1999)
• Blood and Guts (partially found Nickelodeon bumpers; 2000s)
• HaHa Nick (lost Chinese block of Nickelodeon shows; 2005-2007)
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (partially found TV promos for Nickelodeon animated film and TV series; 2001–2002)
• Nickelodeon (partially found idents and bumpers from TV channel; 1979-present)
• Nickelodeon's Historical Firsts (partially lost animated promos from TV channel; 1997)

Game Shows

• BrainSurge (partially lost episodes of Nickelodeon game show; 2009-2014)
• Double Dare (partially lost Nickelodeon game show; 1986-1993)
• Figure It Out (partially found Nickelodeon game show; 1998)
• Gamefarm (partially lost Nickelodeon GAS game show; 2003)
• Legends of the Hidden Temple (lost Pit of Despair incident footage from unaired final round/episode of Nickelodeon game show; 1994)
• Legends of the Hidden Temple (partially found original consolation plugs from Nickelodeon game show; 1993-1995)
• Nick Arcade (found Nickelodeon game show; 1992)
• Nick Arcade (partially found original consolation prize plugs from Nickelodeon game show; 1992)
• Nickelodeon Splat! (partially lost Nickelodeon game show; 2004)
• SuperNick (partially found Dutch Nickelodeon game show; 2007-2011)
• SuperNick op De Stoep Bij... (partially found Dutch Nickelodeon sports show; 2007-2008)

Inaugural Series

• By The Way (partially found inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979-1980)
• Hocus Focus (partially found inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979-1981)
• Nickel Flicks (lost inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979)
• Pinwheel (partially found Nickelodeon educational puppet series; 1977-1990)
• Pocket Money (non-existent inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979)
• Video Comics (partially found inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979-1981)

Live Action

• The Adventures of Pete & Pete (partially found original versions of episodes of Nickelodeon live-action comedy series; 1991-1993)
• All That (partially lost Nickelodeon sketch comedy series; 1994-2005)
• Bing! The Sound of Something New (partially found Nickelodeon magazine TV series; 1995)
• Cousin Skeeter (partially lost Nickelodeon live-action/puppet series; 1998-2001)
• Drake & Josh (partially found widescreen version of episodes of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2004-2007)
• Just For Kicks (found Nickelodeon live-action comedy-drama series; 2006)
• Kids' Court (partially found Nickelodeon non-traditional court series and other media; 1988-1994)
• Mcjuniorclub TV (partially found Dutch Nickelodeon/McDonald's live-action short series; 2008)
• Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (partially found Nickelodeon educational news series; 1992-2015)
• Noah Knows Best (partially found English audio of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2000-2001)
• Reggie Jackson's World of Sports (partially found Nickelodeon sports series; 1981-1982)
• U to U (partially found Nickelodeon interactive series; 1994-1996)
• Vic's Vacant Lot (partially found ESPN/Nickelodeon sports series; 1982-1985)

Pilots

• Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (partially found unaired pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; early 1990s)
• The Adventures of Johnny Quasar (found prototype "Jimmy Neutron" animated shorts; 1995-1997)
• The Angry Beavers "Cuffed Together" (non-existent pilot episode of Nickelodeon animated series; early-mid 1990s)
• Back at the Barnyard (partially found original test pitch of Nickelodeon CGI animated series; 2000)
• Bad Seeds (found pilot of "Harvey Beaks" Nickelodeon animated series; 2013)
• Big Beast Quintet (lost Nickelodeon animated pilot; 1990)
• Camp Nick (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; mid-1990s)
• Catscratch (found animated pitch of Nickelodeon animated series; 2004)
• The Crowville Chronicles (partially found Nickelodeon animated pilot; 1990)
• Drake & Josh (partially found unaired pilot of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2002)
• Fresh Beat Band of Spies (found unaired pilot of Nickelodeon animated spin-off of "The Fresh Beat Band" musical series; 2013)
• Generation Gap (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; early 1990s)
• Gibby! (partially found unaired pilot of cancelled spin-off of "iCarly" Nickelodeon teen sitcom; 2012)
• Go For It (lost Nickelodeon game show pilot; early 1990s)
• Hey Arnold! (found unaired pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; 1994)
• Humongous (lost pilot of Nickelodeon game show; early 1990s)
• I Don't Think So (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 1994)
• Invader Zim (lost 3D animation test sequence from pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; 1999)
• KaBlam! "The Henry and June Show" (found spinoff pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; 2000)
• Kappa Mikey (found original MTV pitch and Nicktoons pilots of animated series; 2004)
• Morph Sports (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 1995-1996)
• Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (partially found pilots of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2003)
• Ned's Declassified High School Survival Guide (lost pilot of rejected spin-off series of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2008)
• Pudding Toast (lost Nickelodeon animated pitch pilots; 2012)
• Rocket Beach (partially found unaired pilot of "Rocket Power" Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)
• Roundhouse (partially found unaired pilot of Nickelodeon comedy series; 1991)
• Slime Survivor (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 2000)
• The Thundermans (partially lost unaired pilot of Nickelodeon live action comedy series; 2012)
• Tooned In! (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 1998)
• Trash (lost Nickelodeon stop-motion animated pilot; 1990)
• Who Knew? (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 1998)
• The Wild Thornberrys (found pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)

TV Films

• Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (non-existent Nickelodeon TV film; 1998)
• Cry Baby Lane (found Nickelodeon TV horror film; 2000)
• The Electric Piper (found Nickelodeon animated TV film; 2003)

Other

• Action League Now!: The Series "Monster Mashed" (lost episode of "Kablam!" spinoff animated series; 2002)
• Action League Now!: The Series "Thunder Girl: Tracking The Storm" (found episode of "Kablam!" spinoff animated series; 2001-2002)
• The Angry Beavers "A Tail of Two Rangers/Bye Bye Beavers" (partially found finale episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 2001)
• The Butcher (lost Nickelodeon puppet short film; existence unconfirmed; 2001)
• Crash Nebula (lost production material of cancelled spinoff of" The Fairly OddParents" Nickelodeon animated series; 2004-2006)
• Danny Phantom (partially found original opening title sequence of Nickelodeon animated series; 2003)
• Gruff's Groove Box (lost Nickelodeon music series; 2001)
• Invader Zim (partially found production material of cancelled episodes of Nickelodeon animated series; 2001-2002)
• KaBlam! "Episode 29" (non-existent episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)
• KaBlam! "Just Chillin" (found episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 2000)
• KaBlam! "KaFun!" (found episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 1999)
• KaBlam! "An Off-Beats Valentine's" (found spinoff special of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)
• The Loud House (partially lost deleted scenes of Nickelodeon animated series; 2016-present)
• Nickelodeon Japan (lost final sign-off of Japanese TV channel; 2009)
• Nickelodeon Launch Box (partially found educational series; 1991-1994)
• Nickelodeon Magazine's Big 10 Birthday Bash (found TV special; 2003)
• Nickelodeon Studios Opening Day Celebration (found live broadcast of Nickelodeon event; 1990)
• Ren and Stimpy (lost unused Kurt Cobain song for Nickelodeon animated series; existence unconfirmed; 1990)
• Robot and Monster (partially found unaired/unfinished episodes of Nickelodeon animated series; 2012-2013)
• Rugrats: A Live Adventure (partially found footage of musical adaptation of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998-2000)
• SpongeBob SquarePants (partially found deleted scenes of Nickelodeon animated series; 1999-present)
• SpongeBob SquarePants "Sailor Mouth" (lost uncensored version of Nickelodeon animated series episode; 2001)
• SpongeBob SquarePants "Shanghaied/You Wish" (lost English audio from alternate "Patchy the Pirate" segments of Nickelodeon animated series episode; 2001)
• SpongeBob SquarePants "SpaceBob InvaderPants/Krabs' Army" (lost unfinished episodes of Nickelodeon animated series; 2015)
• War Blowers (found full version of "SpongeBob SquarePants" production music; 1999)
• Weinerville (partially lost Nickelodeon variety puppet series; 1993-1997)