The Ren and Stimpy Show

Summary
Ren and Stimpy is about a neurotic "asthma-hound" chihuahua named Ren Hoek, and a dumb cat (but at times smart) named Stimpson J. Cat. Together, they go on weird adventures. Creator John Kricfalusi created Ren & Stimpy in the 1980's, but they were drawings that had nothing to do with each other.

John Kricfalusi took this show to many networks, but they turned it down because it was too weird and too disgusting. He took it to Nickelodeon, but they thought it was disgusting like the other networks. Luckily, they accepted it.

It ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 until 1996. Although a product of the children's cable network Nickelodeon, Ren & Stimpy had a reputation for subversiveness.

Many parents of young children were also particularly critical about the fact that the dumb and polite Stimpy would be the subject of repeated violence by his supposed "friend" Ren, often in the form of a very powerful slap across the face. There were also scenes where Ren breaks down into fits of psychosis (or anger) and gleefully plots to kill Stimpy or other characters. While conscience eventually prevents Ren from carrying out the deed, these scenes made concerns of parents and critics. Scenes may indicate that Ren is particularly prone to paranoid schizophrenia.

Due to this, Nickelodeon fired Kricfalusi and his animation team Spumco. An animation studio formed by Nickelodeon, Games Animation (which also did episodes from Rocko's Modern Life and Hey Arnold!), did the episodes from 1993 until 1995.

Low ratings ruined the show, and Nickelodeon canceled it in 1995 and aired the final episodes in 1996.

In 2003, John Kricfalusi got a call from a channel called The New TNN (later to be renamed Spike TV) asking him if he wanted to make more episodes of Ren and Stimpy and he accepted. Right after that, Ren and Stimpy came back as Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon in the summer on The New TNN. The show is intended for more mature viewers, since it was rated TV-MA and the episodes were uncensored. It was canceled after only a few episodes.

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Current Air Times on Nicktoons Network

In 2005, Nicktoons Network (formerly called Nicktoons TV) started to air episodes of Ren and Stimpy again after Ren and Stimpy's Adult Party Cartoon was canceled. It airs weeknights at 11:30 P.M. and at midnight every Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Nicktoons Network.