Pinky and the Brain

“Every once in a while, a piece of art comes along that makes a man ask the tough questions in life. Pinky and the Brain is this art, and "What do I want to do tonight?" is my question.”

~ Oscar Wilde on Pinky and the Brain

That's not the only thing they do at night.

Pinky and the Brain is a '90s animated television series that aired on Kids' WB! from 1993 to 1998. Pinky and the Brain are two aptly-named body-parts-turned-lab-rats; Pinky was once the smallest digit from the left hand of an adult male Caucasian, while the Brain used to be a genetically-enhanced organ from a 12-year-old girl.

Created by John Milton, the show was a spin-off of the popular TBS drama Mutilatrix 3000. Each body part was originally ripped from their owners in excruciatingly painful ways on Mutilatrix 3000, but despite this, Pinky and the Brain is actually a comedic and whimsical show. Certain hints about dark pasts are dropped in every few episodes, however.

Pinky and the Brain is an unusual cartoon show in that, while it was intended for a young viewing audience, it contains several aspects commonly saved for more mature entertainment, including gross-out humor, exceedingly sharp political satire, social commentaries, full frontal nudity, sexual innuendo and Jeff Goldblum's frequent nude cameos.

Premise

Plot

Though a show about Pinky and the Brain may seem impossible, its episodes never cease to amaze. Season one was a well thought out drama, beginning with the acquaintance of the two friends for the first time in a thrilling action-packed sequence where the pinky finger was used to scratch the head of some bald guy, leading to the everlasting friendship of Pinky and the Brain. The season's breath taking climax did not leave viewers disappointed when the catastrophic horror occurred. The old bald guy accidentally, cut off Pinky with a butter knife. The emotional trama and exquisite acting left not a dry eye in the audience. Praises for Pinky and the Brain lead them to winning two academy awards.

Characters

Pinky always lent an ear to Brain's plans for world domination.

The two main characters of Pinky and the Brain are, predictably, Pinky and the Brain.

• Pinky contrary to popular belief is actually a left index finger obsessed with worshipping Narf and doing different things in bed with "The Brain". He is a native of somewhere in Latvia but currently resides in Acme village. In every episode he is seen worshipping Narf and everything to do with it. Throughout the show's run, jokes about his 3rd nipple were very common and usually followed with sexy fingering afterwords
• The Brain, in contrast, is much more effeminate. He is considered the "poster child" for hydrocephalus and he has inspired many sufferers who had given up hope.
• Jeff Goldblum was a minor character who rose to turbulent prominence throughout the show's run. His entire character was based on his nude cameos, and as such he was highly criticized for his two-dimensional-yet-full frontal character, especially when his name was added to the title.
• Elvira was also added to the cast in the show's final year, but she was hated by fans.

Catchphrases

'NARF!' (to be said with all your might), is Pinky's most famous catch-phrase, most likely meaning Native American Rights Fund, given Pinky is half Native American. It is speculated that Pinky is actually shouting 'KNIFE!' because he wants to kill Brain but then he realizes he doesn't have a knife, so he retreats. The confusion could be due to his cockney accent. Other such mistakes thanks to this odd accent include the words 'Governor' (Cover her), 'Blimey' (Blow me), and 'Cob Wolcher' (Blow me).

Inspiration

A little known fact: The word 'Narf', and the way it was said so vibrantly by Pinky, (who suffers from tourettes) was the original inspiration for the chilling theme music to 'Psycho'. Bernard Herrmann was so impressed by the success of the signature theme, that he later attempted another one with one of Pinky's less challenging phrases ('Poit'), but it never caught on.