HARRIS: So, J.C., let's actually start with you.

Now, for the Hulu reboot, Spielberg is on board again, though in place of creator Tom Ruegger, this new version is being led by Wellesley Wild, a frequent collaborator of Seth MacFarlane and Tom Minton, whose resume includes work on the '80s cartoon 'Alvin And The Chipmunks,' which was a show I loved when I was a kid. Now, the show is a spiritual successor to the 'Looney Tunes' and was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, and it ran a total of five seasons in its original incarnation. And in each episode, they manage to break free and appear in sketches and segments alongside other recurring characters like Pinky and the Brain and Slappy the squirrel. They're a little too wild for this world and are kept locked in a water tower on the Warner Bros.

They are created by animators in the 1930s. HARRIS: The very loose premise of the original 'Animaniacs' is that Yakko, Wakko and Dot - voiced by Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell and Tress MacNeille are cartoon siblings of an undetermined species. So in 1993, the cartoon 'Animaniacs' premiered on Fox, and it was zany to the max. HARRIS: Yes, it's awesome to have you here. Howard, a producer of NPR's TED Radio Hour and How I Built This.

HARRIS: And also here from his home in Washington, D.C., we have J.C. Willison, who is one-half of the Two Bossy Dames newsletter and one-third of the 'Appointment Television' podcast. Here with me from her home in Boston is Margaret H. I'm Aisha Harris, and it's time for 'Animaniacs' on POP CULTURE HAPPY HOUR from NPR. Hulu has released a new batch of episodes, and much of the original voice cast returns, though this time around you should expect fewer 'Goodfellas' jokes and more cracks about presidential elections. Led by the fictional siblings Takko, Wakko and Dot, the super meta cartoon featured slapstick humor and cultural references that appealed to both kids and adults alike. Because everything in Hollywood must be revived these days, the Animaniacs are back after being locked in that Warner studio water tower for more than 20 years.

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