Pinky and the Brain were originally characters in the highly creative and clever "Animaniacs" television show. While neither purported to be high art, as a cartoon that would both interest kids AND adults, they were both amazing shows.
The Brain was a super-intelligent megalomaniac mouse with visions of ruling the world. Pinky was his incredibly stupid but entertaining mouse friend. Invariably, the Brain's incredibly intricate plans ended up backfiring and Brain ended up blaming Pinky--who was only occasionally guilty to undoing these plots.
The reason this show did so well (eventually even making it to prime time television) is that the characters were clever and lovable, the writing exceptional, the voice work by Maurice LaMarche and Rob Paulsen stellar and the idea for the show very original. When the show was in its stride, it was brilliant and hard to beat.
Ultimately, however, the show began to run out of ideas and actually lasted longer than it should have. If you don't believe me, try watching some of the later episodes--particularly after the show was renamed "Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain". Introducing the obnoxious Elmyra character was proof that the show had outlived its life and had obviously "jumped the shark", so to speak.
If you have a few extra dollars, consider buying one of the box sets of DVDs. They are COMPLETE and unedited--unlike most of the episodes you occasionally see on TV today.
The Brain was a super-intelligent megalomaniac mouse with visions of ruling the world. Pinky was his incredibly stupid but entertaining mouse friend. Invariably, the Brain's incredibly intricate plans ended up backfiring and Brain ended up blaming Pinky--who was only occasionally guilty to undoing these plots.
The reason this show did so well (eventually even making it to prime time television) is that the characters were clever and lovable, the writing exceptional, the voice work by Maurice LaMarche and Rob Paulsen stellar and the idea for the show very original. When the show was in its stride, it was brilliant and hard to beat.
Ultimately, however, the show began to run out of ideas and actually lasted longer than it should have. If you don't believe me, try watching some of the later episodes--particularly after the show was renamed "Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain". Introducing the obnoxious Elmyra character was proof that the show had outlived its life and had obviously "jumped the shark", so to speak.
If you have a few extra dollars, consider buying one of the box sets of DVDs. They are COMPLETE and unedited--unlike most of the episodes you occasionally see on TV today.