In the early 1990s, Doug was one of the major new cartoons that helped Nickelodeon reinvent itself. The network had only existed for just over a decade, but its focus had been on live-action kids shows like Double Dare or Hey Dude. The other cartoons that premiered on the same day were Rugrats, which was targeting the younger child audience, and The Ren & Stimpy Show, which was going after teenage viewers. Doug was perfectly tailored for the adolescent audience and still serves as a great window into the inner workings of a preteen mind. The fact that the narration is given by Doug (Billy West) means that the audience is privy to all the thoughts and feelings he’s experiencing while the events unfold on screen. The way the show uses Doug’s imagination mirrors the way that adolescents catastrophize every new challenge they face as they discover their individuality in the world. Doug has definitely retained its relevancy when it comes to shining a light on how an adolescent’s mind develops.
