AlthoughBeetlejuice Beetlejuicewas a box office success and is stillgoing strongat the global box office, what most people seem to be forgetting about is that there is already a sequel to the originalBeetlejuice, which some of us grew up watching (including yours truly).Beetlejuice: The Animated Serieswas a hit on ABC’s Saturday mornings between 1989 and 1991, and it introduced a whole new generation to the Ghost With the Most.
The ‘Beetlejuice’ Animaed Show Is Very Different From the Original Movie
Beetlejuicewas a hit when it came out in 1988, but it still isn’t the kind of movie people would take children to watch. The humor is both very adult for younger audiences, and that was true for many other box office hits at that time, likeAce Venturaand evenBack to the Future,gettinganimated series of their ownto ride the wave of their success. Fortunately, both theBeetlejuicemovie and the cartoon are perfect, although very different.
The cartoon was developed byTim Burtonhimself, who has always been very smart about creatinggreat family-friendly stories. For the animated series,many concepts about the movie had to be adjusted for the younger audience. The Afterlife, for example, was renamed Neitherworld, and Beetlejuice himself (Michael Keatonin the movies,Stephen Ouimettein the cartoon) had to be toned down, of course. Instead of wanting to marry Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryderin the movies,Alyson Courtin the cartoon), he is simply her best friend, helping her go through the tribulations of growing up as a “strange and unusual” young girl in the very normal and ordinary town of Peaceful Pines.
Still, the essence of whatBeetlejuiceis about is untouched in the animated series. The Ghost With the Most remains chaotic and mischievous, leading to some pretty funny situations thatresonate well with the original movie’s concept. Throughout the series, he and Lydia throw spooky birthday parties, go on vacation with the Deetzes, and even open a spooky boutique — or, better yet, a “bootique” — always causing as much trouble in the living world as they do in the Neitherworld.
The Cartoon Helped To Introduce Many Young Kids to the ‘Beetlejuice’ Universe
One of the best things aboutBeetlejuiceis that it has a whole universe, complete with its unique rules and aesthetic. The strange creatures, for example, bring a weird and eerie atmosphere to the Neitherworld, which had to be replicated in the animated series. So,even though the original movie wasn’t reallymeant for kids, the animation succeeded in bringing them to that universe. Kids in the 1990s were already screaming Beetlejuice’s name three times before becoming old enough to watch the movie, and every sandlot was an opportunity to go to Sandwormland (Titan in the movies) to play with Sandworms.
A lot of the series' success is due to its unique animation. Even though it’s a children’s show, the series is stillBeetlejuice, and the animation keeps in sync with the movies' dark and surreal aesthetic. Eccentric characters withexaggerated designs are everywhere in the Neitherworld, and the show’s design blends gothic elements with a cartoonish twist— Beetlejuice isoften portrayedwith dramatic, jagged lines, a slightly distorted face, and his iconic striped suit. Lydia also has her special look, and some of us who grew up watching the cartoon are even a little disappointed that she never wears her iconic spider web red tunic in live-action. The settings often convey an eerie atmosphere that feels almost dreamlike, which is another thing that comes straight from the movie.
It may be meant for children, butBeetlejuice: The AnimatedSeries is bound to entertain everyone who has at least some sympathy for the Ghost With the Most.It uses slapstick, puns, and exaggerated scenarios to appeal to younger audiences, but those are hardly reserved only for kids. Beetlejuice’s antics are more mischievous than menacing, and the series often leans into absurdist humor, with physical comedy and over-the-top reactions that are typical of animated children’s shows.Beetlejuice Beetlejuicemay bethe big screen sequel, butThe Animated Seriespaved a lot of the way for its success three decades earlier — and prepared the kids who are now adults for the Neitherworld, too.
Beetlejuice: The Animated Seriesis available to stream on Tubi TV in the U.S.
