Cow and Chicken

Cow and Chicken is an American animated slapstick comedy television series created by David Feiss. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network. It ran from 1997 to 1999, airing 52 episodes that spanned four seasons.

An adolescent cow and chicken named Cow and Chicken live together as siblings with two human parents (whose upper halves are never shown). They also attend school and deal with the Red Guy, a spoof on the Devil.

Development
David Feiss brought the series to life after creating a bedtime story for his then six-year-old daughter. The morning after, he remembered it and turned it into a 25-page children's book. When Hanna-Barbera called him for their 52-episode What a Cartoon! idea, he pitched them Cow and Chicken. They started off as life-long friends with a romantic interest, but they were changed to siblings. The parents and the Red Guy were also added; Feiss saw the Red Guy as the key to the show, "adding that extra element of chaos."

Casting
A hundred people auditioned for the different parts, with Charlie Adler auditioning separately for Cow, Chicken, and the Red Guy. There was a "little pushback" from Cartoon Network who believed that each character should be played by a different actor, but Feiss reminded them of Mel Blanc.

Aftermath
"Buffalo Gals" was banned after being aired once because of the inclusion of a female biker group implied to be lesbians using sexual innuendos. In reruns, it was replaced with "Orthodontic Police."

Segments

 * Cow and Chicken
 * I Am Weasel

Music
The theme song and score were composed by Guy Moon. The opening theme featured lyrics written by David Feiss. Bodie Chandler was the director of music production.

Theme song lyrics Chicken: Mama had a chicken. Cow: and Mama had a cow. Both: Dad was proud, he didn't care how.

Cow: Cow!

Chicken: Chicken!

Both: Cow and Chicken!

Cast

 * Charlie Adler as Cow, Chicken, and the Red Guy
 * Candi Milo as Mom
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Dad
 * Howard Morris as Flem
 * Dan Castellaneta as Earl

Legacy
When the series ended, its secondary segment, I Am Weasel, was spun off into its own full-fledged TV series in 1999.

There were also talks between Cartoon Network and Feiss about him writing a movie, who did an outline with Michael Ryan, which involved Cow and Chicken traveling and looking for something.

In "Once Upon a Toon", a segment of the Mad episode "Taking Nemo/Once Upon a Toon," Cow and Chicken have lost their memories and think they're actually animals. They join Henry Swan in restoring all the classic cartoons' memories.

In the OK KO Let's Be Heroes! crossover "Crossover Nexus," Chicken is one of Cartoon Network characters turned into stone and Cow (as Super Cow) is one of the characters Ben 10 transforms into.

In popular culture

 * In the Ben 10: Omniverse episode "Store 23," alien versions of Cow and Chicken are waiting in line at Mr. Smoothy's. They leave after no one is at the register. Charlie Alder reprises both characters.
 * In the 2022 Disney+ film Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers, a bootleg version of Cow is saved.