Histeria! (1998–2000) User Reviews

Gone and mostly forgotten...

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 22 July 2013]

For years, this show and "Time Squad" were programs I actively looked for to buy. After all, I used to be a history teacher and loved how the shows made fun of our past. Plus, if I had to be forced to watch a cartoon with my kids, I sure preferred these to the rest of the recent cartoons. However, I have just about given up hope, as years later, they STILL have not been released.

So what did I like about "Histeria!". Well, it wasn't its historical accuracy, that's for sure. But I did appreciate how it taught the kids a bit of history but couched it in humor. Additionally, I loved how there was plenty of humor for the adults--such as the very funny lady censor who kept interrupting the show during its bawdier moments. All in all, fun, semi-educational and clever. My only reason for not giving it a higher score is that like so many made for TV cartoons, the quality of the animation was only about average.

Great songs, Great animation, Great information, but filled with some lame jokes

[milesschlenker · 7/10 · 25 June 2008]

I first saw this show about a year ago on in2tv.com. It is filled with some great ideas, but seldom brings them to the screen in a very funny way. I personally believe that this show has Monty Python syndrome. Monty Python syndrome is when a television show fails to make less than half of its jokes funny. Still, Hysteria! is a classic and is somewhat enjoyable. The most enjoyable aspect of the show was the music. This was the last television show by Warner Brothers that used a full orchestra and an original score in each episode. This was also the last show in the Tom Ruegger dynasty. The earlier shows of the dynasty included: Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Freakazoid, and Pinky, Elmyra, and the Brain.

I MISS THIS SHOW!!!

[maxvaughn · 7 March 2004]

As a history major, I'd just like to say that I loved this show. It was clever and silly at the same time. I've been able to use episodes I taped for school projects and my professors just loved it. Sure, it was not as much for the mainstream audience like some of the other Warner Bros. shows, but that's what I liked about it. Where else could you see a cartoon of Napoleon pointing to countries on a map and saying, "Got it. Got it. Want it. Need it!" I can see how some people would not get many of the jokes, but for the most part I felt this show painted a wonderful, fun view of history that should be used in classrooms. Kids can only take so much of text book facts and videos that had been made in the 70's.

AMAZING Educational Musical Fun!

[tonykendragioia · 10/10 · 11 June 2021]

This is the best 90s WB cartoon ever because of the many styles of music heard: folk, classical, jazz, TV theme songs, disco and pop.

Right-wing, western revisionist Propaganda

[Smdragun90 · 1/10 · 4 December 2010]

I discovered "Histeria!" today on youtube, and watched about 2 hours of it. I can say without a doubt that this show is one of the most misleading, horrible shows on TV, and am glad to know that it hasn't been on the air for a while.

In one episode, for example, they refer to Communist leaders as "mass murdering dictators" with little reference to the US dictators of capitalism, Ngo Dinh Diem and Fulgencio Batista, and with little context. In that same episode, they also say "Josef Stalin transformed the USSR into a super power through terrorism and purges". How does one build an economy that went from completely backwater to industrial and superpower in 30 years, simply though "terrorism and purges"? there is a reason why Stalin is still loved in the modern Russian federation, and I'll leave it at that.

Also, they refer to Winston Churchill as a "hero of freedom", with little reference to his planned starvation of millions in British India as a means to control Indian nationalists and weaken the independence movement. Winston Churchill has more in common with "Histeria!"'s idea of Stalin than with any leader of freedom.

finally, the massacre of Native Americans, enslavement of African Americans, and mass lynchings is glossed over completely, while they seem to have no problem spending an entire episode on Stalin making jokes about him being an "evil dictator " (as if that is all he did in his 30 years as Soviet leader was kill his own people).

It's far-right propaganda. ignore it unless you are amused by simple minded attempts at brainwashing the youth into a "USA USA" attitude.

Amusing, but do KIDS get the jokes?

[Ddey65 · 10 July 2000]

With it's mix of semi-educational history lessons, humor, music, and spoofs of contemporary culture, "Histeria!" is quite an amusing cartoon. Episodes which spoof current and classic television shows abound here as well. The only trouble is, some of them seem over the heads of it's intended audience. Does the average young viewer understand why Thomas Jefferson is played out like "The Jack Benny Program?" Do they know that Abraham Lincoln's voice is supposed to be a parody of Johnny Carson? Are they familiar enough with the Rat Pack, to understand why Frank Sinatra & company are playing Julius Caesar, Brutus, etcetera, or Evita Peron sounds like Charo? Ernest Hemingway and Leonardo da Vinci as Batman?

Not to say that it isn't a funny, and educational show, because it is. I particularly like scenes when actual quotes, with hand-written signatures of historic figures are briefly imposed on the screen. The show only ran for one season, and that's too bad, because there's so much more ground for a show like this to cover such as the world since 1945(Okay, I know they've done it already, but not enough), and the tales of the Great Depression that our grandparents never told us about such as the 1932 Bonus March, or how communists and fascists tried to take advantage of the despair of the period.

Anti-media zealots like Peggy Charren, and Terry Rakolta, frequently complain about the content of children's television, claiming that it'll turn kids into violent, illiterate sociopaths, and urge parents to watch with their kids. This show certainly won't give people like them anything to worry about, and may even get them interested in U.S. and World History. But if you have kids, be sure to watch it with them anyhow, because some of what they see here will require more explanations from you.

Hysterical!

[beelkay · 24 November 2004]

I loved this show. I love history, and the way they played with history was one of the show's charms. It was very much in the vein of "Animaniacs," which I also loved. I'm hoping for DVDs someday! My friends and I still use some of the Lucky Bob-isms, such as "Yeth, now!" and "Heyo!" The songs and humor were top-notch, and the characters were hilarious. The kids were all distinct, and Father Time and the World's Oldest Woman were always a kick. One of my favorite episodes was a spoof of the Real World. Several famous historical people had to live together, such as Elizabeth I, who was obviously modeled on Bette Davis, and Caesar, who was Frank Sinatra. So funny!

GREAT!!!

[plok253 · 13 June 2000]

Histeria is a wonderful cartoon that takes well known history stories and makes them entertaining! History was never this fun! Of course, the stories are much different from before, so the show isn't the most educational show ever, but it makes up for that with its entertainment. The writers were obviously thinking "What would it be like if Napoleon and Alexander the (Not So) Great lived in the society we live in today?" This is one of the reasons this show is so entertaining. It mixes normally boring history lessons with everyday characters and life situations of the present. This makes the show very entertaining. Definitely worth a look!

Histerical!

[luckybob1985 · 11 February 2002]

This cartoon has to be THE classic cartoon of the Warner Bros. "Silver Age Of Toons." The plot is simple, the show makes fun of history! Some classic sketches are employed in the making of this series. Also, portraying the historical figures as entertainment stars is sheer genius. (e.g. Frank Sinatra as Julius Caesar, Jerry Lewis as Meriwether Lewis, Mike Myers and Dean Martin both play Marc Antony, and Shirley MacLaine plays Joan of Arc.) For those of you who are classic comedy fans, this is a must-see!

Well, I liked it...

[Infinitygirl · 15 August 2001]

My mother took one look at the theme song and declared that it was the stupidest thing she'd every seen! I thought she was bizarre! This show kept me laughing to no end. Even today as I sit here writing I'm still laughing at "Women Leaders in Group Therapy" as I play it in my head. I learned some interesting things that they don't bother teaching in school (The origins of the weekday names is one thing, Aztec Gods is another! You know, interesting stuff!)! I still catch this every now and then, and I laugh at reruns that I've already seen. So I recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor. As for my mother, she's living happily ever after, complaining about everything I like, from "Histeria" to "Dexter's Lab" to "Cats Don't Dance." What can I do about her? (Sell her at the next yard sale...J/K. Sort of.)

A Great Educational Show!

[Ginger87 · 21 August 2004]

I used to watch this show on Kids WB on weekdays when I came home from school. I was in the sixth grade and I found it to be very cute, amusing, fun, and educational. I was sad to see this show leave and I wish the reruns were still on T.V.

One of my favorite episodes was the one when George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were trying to pick out a national anthem. This episode had many good songs on it and, like all "Histeria!" songs, I liked them. Other good episodes I really liked were the ones with the Underground Railroad and the Revolutionary War. Those episodes were really funny.

Overall "Histeria!" was a very good show and I wish there were more shows like it on T.V. I give this show 10/10 stars.

Enjoyable and entertaining

[dakim · 22 January 2000]

Unlike the other person who commented, I find this show both funny and semi-educational. The actors (especially Rob Paulsen, who does several bit parts on the show) do a superb job of portraying the historical characters, and the writing is creative and witty. True, it may not be completely historically accurate, but it is a cartoon that is primarily geared towards entertainment and not education. I do find Big Fat Baby a bit much, but I suppose he appeals to kids. I believe Histeria! is a wonderful show, and I recommend it to any cartoon fan.

In its defense

[sngbrd39 · 17 November 2001]

As did most other people, I thought this show came in at the weaker end of the Warner Bros./Steven Spielberg output. However, that's not to say that it wasn't funny. C'mon, think about "Women Leaders in Group Therapy" as did another commentator. Think of the episode which had a story about Thomas Jefferson played out like an episode of the Jack Benny show. Think of World's Oldest Woman opening a trap door in the floor and speaking to Hitler as he burned in hell. (Yes, that actually happened in one episode.) I guess what I'm saying is that no, it was not as good as "Animaniacs" or "Freakazoid!", but yes, it was still worth watching. Personally, I thought it was a rather funny show (too much Big Fat Baby at times, though), and at times, it was even rather educational. Unfortunately, the reruns aren't played anymore, as is the case with all the Warner/Spielberg cartoons, which makes me very unhappy. When Spongebob Squarepants is allowed to roam freely and these shows aren't, you know there's something wrong.

Has stupid moments and funny moments

[White Dolphin · 14 January 2001]

"Histeria!" has both it's share of funny moments and it's share of um... less funny moments. I do like it's parody of history and how it makes fun of it. But I do think that it's audience is not that that it's intended for. Adults will understand the jokes much more than children. I especially like The Oldest Woman in the World. Cute show.

A spoonful of comedy helps the history go down...

[Victor Field · 5 August 2001]

This attempt to mix history with comedy in cartoon form didn't quite work, though not for lack of trying. Tom Ruegger and Co filled the series with too many characters (as listed in the opening song by Ruegger and the late Richard Stone) - Father Time, Big Fat Baby, Loud Kiddington, Pepper Mills, Charity Bazaar, Aka Pella, Toast, Miss Information, Froggo, World's Oldest Woman... and they all basically had to take a back seat to whichever people, places and things were at the heart of that particular episode. Of course, "Animaniacs" and "Tiny Toon Adventures" had a ton of characters as well, but they weren't all seen every week.

This was pretty funny, but in at least one instance (the episode featuring slavery and the Underground Railroad) the need to educate overtook the need to entertain - I think this had more to do with the subject matter than the country it was in, as the series was overall just as irreverent about American history as the rest of the world's. But it did strike an odd note. (And this may be the only animated series to turn Lizzie Borden into a comic figure - nothing like playing a murderess for laughs to win over the kiddies, eh?)

"Histeria!" is neither the best animated series from Warners (although it's still better than "Road Rovers" or "The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries") nor the best historical animated series (France's "Once Upon A Time..." shows beat this hands down), but until I get a chance to see if the "Schoolhouse Rock" shows are as good as they reportedly are this'll do. And it certainly beats "The Magic School Bus," even if the latter does have Little Richard singing the theme song.

Wonderfull

[hungus · 3 August 2000]

Histeria! is a great series that reaches a broad age range. Histeria! is a program which allows a set cast of characters to interact with many of histories great personalities in their own way, while introducing the viewer to lifestyles and conditions in which they lived. Younger children will enjoy its simplicity, action and the chorus. Older viewers (I am 27 myself, and working on my masters) will get a lot of the higher brow humor, it is in this way that the show reminds me of much older animation. 9 stars out of 10

Well written and entertaining.

[VENOMOH · 28 March 2000]

Unlike Pokemon or just about any other show in the typical cartoon spread, this show is indeed educational. It is true that it's geared for younger children. However, your average adult can pick up some history knowledge long forgotten from a single sitting. It's not The Discovery Channel, but as far as the "what are your children watching" question, this is a much more enlightening alternative to the japanimation collection of lightning spewing fuzzballs.

Maybe I'm just easily amused..

[CaseyBarkin · 30 July 2001]

It seems people have really mixed emotions about Histeria. I, for one, think it's a cute show and very, very amusing. I'm in high school and it's cool to see them talk about things I just learned in history classes on the show (plus it makes it seem like I was paying attention in class). We even get to watch the show in one of my classes. Even if some kids wouldn't quite get the humor of it, I think it's worth watching, else I wouldn't watch it everyday, Monday-Thursday.

Educational and entertaining

[agent_js03 · 3 July 2005]

I am among those who watched this show when it first came out when I was in Jr. High. It was very funny and they had a way of twisting things so they became ridiculous. My favorite episode was probably the one where Lief Erikson was picking out a figurehead for his Viking Ship. It is true that this show can be sort of annoying at times, but it's not really that bad. The people who criticize it for the depiction of the evil dictators are taking it too seriously. It's true that Genghis khan and all them up to Josef Stalin are evil dictators, but they didn't actually show the evil stuff they did on the show. They just covered that part of history, and depicted it humorously because that's what the show is all about. It wasn't really harmful. The one thing that I have against this show is that sometimes the twist to the story that is added for humor purposes sometimes confused me of the actual occurrence in history.

Very funny

[mrc1149 · 28 March 2002]

This show was so funny, I mean it's even funny in another language! This show was my favorite for so long like one year but the way they took historical characters and made it funny took talent. Trust me there was a lot of talent in this show and it showed because many, many children enjoyed it and they learned from it.

Cross between cartoon and history class

[Barticus88 · 18 April 2004]

Hysteria is a cross between a cartoon show and a history class: Like a cartoon it doesn't inform, and like a history class it doesn't amuse. Okay, that wasn't true all the time, but it was true too often. Sometimes it goes a long time between gags because it's trying to teach, but it's dull and loses the audience. It has too many factual errors (and gags that a child can misinterpret as fact) to be considered educational. It screws up facts that can easily be done right, like a map of the USA as of 1861 which shows the Pacific coast, but doesn't show California and Oregon as states. It's a great concept, but hard to do right, and they didn't put the detail work into doing it right.

Road Runner in movietone news - seeks tenured position

[dust-7 · 1 September 2000]

History - er, histery, er . . histeria.

It's frightening to think kids might actually consider a stand-up comic's take on historical events as historical. It's a broad humor show - and nothing more. History is only history if it can be collapsed into a stand-up routine. That's not history. That's a joke - stale like a joke, offensive like some jokes, not always so perceptive, like some jokes, and just wrong, like many jokes. That's . . Histeria, the television show.

It's quick-cut, faced paced, like any old WB cartoon from the theatrical trailer days. The road runner is up again, and off. The coyote runs into yet another mountainside with the tunnel painted on it. Yuck, and hy-hyuck, once more. That's Histeria, with pretensions to being something more.

At best, it succeeds not as history - at best a sort of strangled, watered down, out of context and awfully politically correct history (and that's not history) - but as a commentary on current trends and issues. Perhaps the folks at this show would hold the old various Jay Ward cartoons in contempt, for the poor animation. But Histeria is most hysterically funny when it calls upon the adult audience to pick up such an 'inside' reference, as was the stock in trade of the old Jay Ward shows.

Histeria tries to be 'smart' in that way. And sometimes it succeeds. But how smart, really, can an overtly politically correct cartoon stand-up routine really be when it has aspirations to be part of some 'learning channel'?

Makes me NOT want to learn history.

[dootuss · 2 January 2002]

This show really sucks. It tries to be educational, and funny but in the end destroys every historical moment in the world. You're better off reading a social studies book, or Brittanica instead of watching this mindless drivel.

History was never so funny

[sherl · 29 January 2003]

I always liked history in school,but this show gives another idea of how to see the guys that we learn about.Jefferson singing rap,Napoleon eating all that cookie,makes you give a lot of good laughs all over.Even difficult and important facts are placed as a real show(The division of the world after WW2 as a table of food)!

The hosts are also a joke all of them ,like Pepper,with her historical screams ,Father time and the Baby,(what about him like Mozart!!!).The most funny thing is the incredible situations where the most famous persons in the world,like the Presidents of the US,Kings and Queens ,scientists and all kind of historical figures are placed,just to make us laugh.So if you still think that History is boring,dare to watch Histeria!And this will so change your mind.

A good blend of education and humour

[dap6000 · 17 August 2000]

This show tried, and sometimes succeeded, to mix humour and history in a way that would make kinds want to learn. While this show may be a bit above the audience it was aimed at, it is in fact a very entertaining, and historically accurate show.