These moments from the "Beetlejuice" cartoon are otherworldly! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most memorable moments from the Daytime Emmy-winning “Beetlejuice” animated series.
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00:00It's showtime!
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most memorable moments from the daytime
00:09Emmy-winning Beetlejuice animated series.
00:12Boy, am I in for some eye-poppin' entertainment!
00:16Number 10.
00:17The First Summoning
00:19The Beetlejuice series changed several elements from the 1988 film that inspired it.
00:24Namely, Beetlejuice is now Lydia's friend rather than an antagonist who wants to marry
00:28her.
00:29The show doesn't forget its roots with Lydia singing Deo in the first episode.
00:38She also summons the ghost with the most using three familiar words.
00:42Actually, it's the same word repeated three times.
00:56While Lydia regularly calls upon Beetlejuice throughout the show, the pilot had the best
01:00build-up with dark shadows, creepy music, and a haunting rhyme.
01:04Once Lydia completes her chant, her room and wardrobe are transformed as the music cranks
01:10it up to eleven.
01:18Animation studio Nelvana went the extra mile with this sequence, culminating in Beetlejuice
01:23arriving at the party.
01:27Number 9.
01:28Claire's Comeuppance
01:30Beetlejuice may be vile, but nothing is more sickening than Claire Brewster's snobby attitude.
01:49Whenever the upper-class Claire clashes with the gothic Lydia, Beetlejuice is never too
01:53far away to serve her just desserts.
02:02While there are several examples, the most satisfying instance involves a nightmarish
02:06roller coaster.
02:08After Lydia remodels her not-so-scary haunted house ride, Claire is characteristically critical.
02:18Rather than send her on the real ride, Beetlejuice puts her on the fast track to the Neitherworld
02:22where she encounters Jacques the Skeleton, Ginger the Spider, and a sandworm as a grand
02:27finale.
02:31The hair-raising ordeal scares Claire away from working with Lydia on any more school
02:35projects.
02:36Although, if you ask us, this should be an actual theme park experience.
02:41Number 8.
02:42Nothing to Lose Your Head Over
02:43Lydia's parents are constantly exposed to the anarchy of the afterlife.
02:47They remain oblivious to what's right under their noses.
02:59On a vacation to the Neitherworld, Delia and Charles nearly lose their noses, along with
03:04the rest of their heads.
03:05Stumbling upon what they think is a historical reenactment, the couple meets skeleton versions
03:10of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Antoinette.
03:21We get why Antoinette is headless, although Napoleon died from stomach cancer.
03:27Historical inaccuracies aside, Delia and Charles are headed to the guillotine next.
03:38Delia in particular cracks us up with her cluelessly chipper attitude, even when blindfolded
03:44as a blade looms over her neck.
03:46Were it not for Beetlejuice's feet and Lydia's driving skills, Delia and Charles would have
03:51become permanent Neitherworld residents.
03:57Number 7.
03:58Life Without Beetlejuice
03:59In this parody of It's a Wonderful Life, Beetlejuice sees what the Neitherworld would be like if
04:04he were never born.
04:05Or would it be if he had never died in this case?
04:23Let's just say if Beetlejuice ceased to exist.
04:26He finds that his friends have become vain jerks, although honestly, they're all more
04:30successful without Beetlejuice around to cause mischief.
04:43There is one exception.
04:45Lydia hasn't lost her gothic flair, but her confidence has been drained with no Beetlejuice
04:50to liven things up.
05:06When he approaches her, Lydia doesn't recognize him, but there's still a connection that encourages
05:11Beetlejuice to get his old afterlife back.
05:20For all the gross-out humor and puns, this friendship gave the show a beating heart.
05:25Number 6.
05:26Arriving in Ooze
05:28Beetlejuice spoofs the Wizard of Oz in this episode, which casts Lydia as Dorothy.
05:33Lydia's arrival in Ooze contains some of the best jokes, most notably a pretty accurate
05:38description of almost every politician who ever lived.
05:52If only they were all this honest.
05:54This mayor won't be seeking re-election, as Lydia inadvertently drops a school on him.
05:59Lydia is introduced to the Beetle-like Munchkins, who work in a few clever gags about the gray
06:04areas of the public domain.
06:12They can reference L. Frank Baum's books, but singing any songs from the MGM musical
06:17is off-limits.
06:18From there, Lydia encounters several familiar faces filling Oz roles.
06:30The Munchkins also resurface, although they don't stick around long thanks to a hungry
06:35Beetlejuice.
06:44Number 5.
06:45Meeting Edgar Allen Poe
06:47Beetlejuice was bound to cross paths with Edgar Allen Poe eventually.
06:58In Death, Mr. Poe lives out his stories, searching for his lost Lenore.
07:03During his lifetime, Poe's writing didn't make him an especially wealthy man.
07:08We guess he collected residuals in the afterlife, as the late poet throws cash at Beetlejuice.
07:13Looking to exploit his wealth and sadness, Beetlejuice keeps the weeping Poe around.
07:28The writer comes with some emotional baggage, including a rhyming raven, a tell-tale heart,
07:34and a swinging pendulum.
07:36Who says Beetlejuice can't be educational?
07:44The nightmares that Poe has unleashed seemingly come to an end when he's finally reunited
07:48with Lenore.
07:50Since Poe wasn't exactly known for happy endings though, Beetlejuice can't quite escape
07:54the cycle.
08:01Number 4.
08:03Lies break out
08:04In the Neitherworld, lies manifest in the form of ghostly skeletons.
08:09Every lie means another skeleton is added to your closet.
08:12As you can imagine, Beetlejuice's closet is fuller than others.
08:25Running out of room, the skeletons inevitably break free.
08:29In addition to airing Beetlejuice's dirty laundry, one of Lydia's lies gets out as well.
08:42The concept is creative, and the skeletons are among the show's eerier creatures with
08:46whispery voices that flow through the air like a chilling breeze.
08:50While the skeletons expose Beetlejuice for the scoundrel he is, they also bring out his
08:55softer side, revealing that he actually likes the long-suffering Jacques.
09:08Lydia is his best friend though, a truth that ultimately saves the day.
09:26Number 3.
09:27Shop till you freak
09:28Business isn't booming when Lydia and her friends open a creepy clothing store.
09:36To attract more customers, Beetlejuice comes up with a hypnotic jingle that entrances everybody
09:41in town.
09:54Sales go through the roof, but supply and demand can be dangerous.
09:58We don't know about you, but the lyrics,
10:00Shop till you freak at the spooky boutique have been living rent-free in our heads for
10:05over 30 years now.
10:06We'll just be going about our day-to-day lives when suddenly, our subconscious will send
10:11this infectious song up to headquarters.
10:16We can't say that we were possessed like the people of Peaceful Pines, but this moment
10:20definitely left a lasting impression.
10:22In that sense, perhaps Beetlejuice really does have mind-control powers.
10:40Number 2.
10:41A twisted crossover
10:43Watching TV, Beetlejuice happens upon the Chromazone, a send-up of the Twilight Zone.
10:59No matter how many times Beetlejuice changes the channel, he can't escape host Todd Sperling,
11:05who pulls him into the television.
11:07The Rod Serling caricature reveals that the characters he created have taken over his
11:12show, enlisting Beetlejuice's help.
11:29The premise is inventive enough to be in an actual Twilight Zone episode.
11:33There's a clear admiration for what the episode is satirizing with a plethora of in-jokes
11:38and fourth-wall breaks, and it wouldn't be a Twilight Zone parody without a twist ending.
11:46The episode amounts to a conclusion that not only pays homage to the Twilight Zone, but
11:51also the second greatest horror anthology series of all time.
11:54Alfred Hitchcock presents.
12:06Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
12:10Prince Vince
12:11It's no coincidence that Vince resembles the titular character from Tim Burton's Vincent.
12:28Cursed Village
12:29A nod to the musical Brigadoon.
12:45Getting Cancelled
12:46A reminder that network heads know nothing.
13:00Bringing a Tree to Life
13:02We're surprised that Beetlejuice didn't kick this tree over.
13:16Beetlejuice's Two Sides
13:18The series ends with double the Beetlejuice and double the fun.
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13:46Jackass
13:47Yeah, he said it.
13:48Helping Lydia to brush up on her Shakespeare, Beetlejuice introduces her to characters like
13:53Hamlet, both parts of Henry IV, and Julius Caesar, leading to some of the funniest wordplay
13:58in the entire series.
14:05The standout encounter is with Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream.
14:09Growing annoyed with Beetlejuice, the fairy makes him look like a donkey, or as Beetlejuice
14:14puts it...
14:17For young viewers who had already seen the live-action film, this might not have been
14:21on par with Michael Keaton's F-bomb.
14:26For a cartoon aimed at kids that aired on Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons,
14:30though, you have to wonder how this made it past the censors.
14:33Regardless, the episode encourages kids to study Shakespeare, so parents can't complain.
14:44What's your favorite Beetlejuice episode?
14:46Let us know in the comments!