Invader Zim (partially found production material of cancelled episodes of Nickelodeon animated series; 2001-2002)

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Invader Zim title card.png

Title card.

Status: Partially Found

Invader Zim first aired in 2001 on Nickelodeon and was cancelled in mid-2002 due to various reasons, such as the show's big budget, low viewership, as well as controversy due to the intense themes as well as violence and gore.[1][2] After its cancellation, it grew to have a cult following, leading to a thriving fandom, as well as three events called InvaderCon, and even a revival movie called Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, released in 2019.

It was revealed after the cancellation that sixteen episodes remained unmade due to the show's premature cancellation.[3] Some had scripts, audio, and even concept art, while others never got past conception. All of these episodes have been deemed lost. However, some episodes, scripts, audio, etc. have been released. Several, including a few that never had completed audio, had their scripts read by the original cast at the InvaderCon Invader Zim conventions.

Unmade Episode List

Production # Episode Title Last Known Version Written Script Audio
27A Roboparents Gone Wild Nov 27th, 2001 Yes Yes
27B Simon Sez Doom Nov 27th, 2001 Yes Yes
28A Invader Poonchy Dec 13th, 2001 Yes Yes
28B Nubs of Doom Dec 13th, 2001 Yes Yes
30A Ten Minutes to Doom Jan 3rd, 2002 Yes Yes
30B GIR's Big Day --- Outline completed but unreleased ---
31A Return of Keef Jan 2nd, 2002 Yes Yes
31B Day of Da Spookies! Jan 8th, 2002 Yes Script reading from InvaderCon
32A Mopiness of Doom Jan 2nd, 2002 Yes Yes
32B Those! --- Brainstormed only ---
33 Top of the Line --- Completed but unreleased ---
34 The Trial Sept 4th, 2001 Yes Script reading from InvaderCon
35A It Feeds on Noodles --- Brainstormed only ---
35B When Pants Ruled! July 17th, 2001 Outlined ---
36 Squishy: Hugger of Worlds --- Never completed ---
?? Beefus Megabombus --- Brainstormed only ---
?? Burrito King --- Brainstormed only ---
?? Season 2 Finale --- Outline completed but unreleased ---
?? Invader Dib --- Brainstormed only ---

Notes

  • Episode 29 is excluded from this listing, as that episode ("Most Horrible Xmas Ever") was finished and aired as part of season 2.
  • Episode 35B, "When Pants Ruled!", was later adapted into issue 8 of the Invader Zim comics. Chances are this plotline would have gone unused if the series hadn't been cancelled, as Nickelodeon asked the episode to be cancelled because of a similar episode of Jimmy Neutron already having been written.
  • "Beefus Megabombus" has been described by Eric Truehart, a staff writer on the series, multiple times.
    • "Burrito King" was also mentioned in passing by Eric Truehart. Certain indications point to the ideas for this episode being worked into issue 18 of the Invader Zim comics.
  • Eric Truehart claims episode 36, "Squishy: Hugger Of Worlds" was being written when the series was cancelled. Allegedly, the script was partially written.
  • The season 2 finale, not to be confused with Invader Dib, had ideas thrown around by the writers, but the series was cancelled before they even had a definite plot line. Allegedly, it was to be in two parts.
  • Invader Dib has been the subject of many rumours; according to Eric Truehart and Jhonen Vasquez, it was to be a TV movie in a theoretical fifth or sixth season of the series, concluding a multi-episode arc in which Dib goes to planet Irk. If the series had continued on to run this long, it's unknown how much of this early conception of the movie would have remained in the final product.

Gallery

See Also

Invader Zim

Anthology and Short Series

Bumpers and Promos

Game Shows

Inaugural Series

Live Action

Pilots

TV Films

Other

External Links

References

  1. McDonnell, Chris (July 28, 2020). The Art of Invader Zim. Abrams Books. p. 187. ISBN 978-1419734601.
  2. https://rottentomatoes.com/tv/invader_zim/s01
  3. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 432–433. ISBN 978-1476665993.