Rugrats Pre-School Daze (a.k.a. Angelica and Susie's Preschool Daze) is a miniseries of four specials spun off from Rugrats. With a new art style, it focused on Angelica and Susie as they entered preschool. The specials were adapted from, and named after, the Rugrats episode "Preschool Daze".
If you've never heard of this series, don't worry, neither have even most hardcore Rugrats fans. Only four episodes were ever produced. It was originally meant to get 13 episodes before it was announced in a press release
, that the series would "take the form of four specials targeted for telecast in 2003-04", which it never did air.
The show is quite obscure for something based off of one of Nickelodeon's most iconic franchises, and there is a very good reason for that: the series only ever saw an official release as "bonus features" on the Tales from the Crib direct-to-DVD series from 2005/06. It didn't air on TV in the US, but did for the UK in 2005. When Nick finally aired Pre-School Daze between November and December 2008, it was buried in an early morning timeslot where no kid would be awake to see it.
Nickelodeon has more or less disowned the specials, since they have removed them from iTunes and all other streaming websites. You can only (legally) watch it on the aforementioned DVD releases.
Tropes related to this series include:
- All Love Is Unrequited: Harold has a crush on Angelica, and may be the only guy out there who worships her the way she wishes everyone would. Unfortunately, Angelica treats him with disdain.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: A rare example involving both genders; Angelica's the Blonde, Susie's the Brunette, and Harold is the Redhead.
- Nice Mean And In Between: Harold, Angelica, and Susie, respectively. Harold is good-natured, means well, and has an unrequited crush on Angelica, Angelica is mean to Harold and has a frenemy relationship with Susie, and Susie treats Harold with respect but has a rivalry with Angelica.
- Picture Day: The episode "Picture Imperfect" is about this.
- Playing a Tree: In "Tree's a Crowd," Angelica is cast as the Cherry Tree in a play about George Washington.
- School Play: The episode "Tree's a Crowd."
- Super-Deformed: The show's artstyle.
- Two Girls and a Guy: The main trio consists of Angelica (female), Susie (female), and Harold (male).
