The Powerpuff Girls (1998 TV series)


 * For other uses, see The Powerpuff Girls.

The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated superhero-comedy television series created by Craig McCracken. It was produced first by Hanna-Barbera (seasons 1-4) and Cartoon Network Studios (seasons 5-6) for Cartoon Network. It ran from 1998 to 2005, airing 78 episodes that spanned six seasons. It is the first series in the Powerpuff Girls franchise, with its huge popularity spawning a 2002 theatrical movie, and three TV specials (two of them post-series).

Professor Utonium was determined to create the perfect little girl, who would be made up of "sugar, spice, and everything nice," but the experiment was contaminated when he accidentally knocked into a vial of Chemical X. What appeared to be a disaster inadvertently created an even better result, as he created three little girls: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. Born with extraordinary "ultra superpowers," they have taken the job of defending the city of Townsville.

Development
During Craig McCracken's first year in the character animation program of CalArts, he wanted to make a short film using a wrestler-type character he called "El Fuego". While at the process, he drew three large-eyed girls, visually inspired by the art of Margret Keane, on a small sheet of orange construction paper as a birthday card design for his brother. Intrigued by the girls' appearance, McCracken ditched El Fuego and made them child superheroes called "The Whoopass Girls". The short, ''Whoopass Stew! The Whoopass Girls in: A Sticky Situation'', was created in 1992, and selected to be shown at Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation in 1994.

Music
The main title theme and music were composed by Thomas Chase, Steve Rucker, and James L. Venable. The end credits song was performed by the Scottish indie-pop band Bis.

Cast

 * Catherine Cavadini as Blossom Utonium
 * Tara Strong as Bubbles Utonium
 * E.G. Daily as Buttercup Utonium
 * Tom Kane as Professor Utonium
 * Tom Kenny as the Mayor and the Narrator

Legacy
An anime adaptation known as Powerpuff Girls Z was produced Cartoon Network Japan and Aniplex, and animated by Toei Animation. It aired in Japan on TV Tokyo in 2006-07, while and English Dub (in association with Ocean Productions in Canada) aired on Cartoon Network in the Philippines and Boomerang in Australia and New Zealand in 2008.

Between 2016 to 2019, a reboot of The Powerpuff Girls aired on Cartoon Network. This series took on a new art style, while also having a completely different cast and tone. Unlike the original show, it was met with mixed to negative reviews from critics.

In 2020, a live-action TV series of the series was announced in the works for The CW.

In 2022, it was announced that Craig McCracken would be on board for a reboot for The Powerpuff Girls, in association with Hanna Barbera Studios Europe.