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{{Infobox television episode
| title = A Rugrats Kwanzaa
| series = Rugrats
| image = File:.jpg
| caption = Aunt T. arrives at the Carmichael's house.
| season = 7
| episode = 35
| airdate = December 25, 2001
| production =
| writer = Lisa D. Hall
Jill Gorey
Barbara Herndon
| director = Anthony Bell
| guests =
| episode_list = List of Rugrats episodes
| prev = Talk of the Town
| next = All Growed Up
}}
"A Rugrats Kwanzaa," also known as "Rugrats Kwanzaa Special," is the thirty-fifth season seven episode of the animated television series Rugrats, and the 104th episode overall. In the episode, Susie Carmichael and her family are visited by her Aunt T. on Kwanzaa. Susie is downtrodden that she is the only one in her family who has not achieved greatness, so Aunt T. shows her a scrapbook filled with their family history.
The episode was written by Lisa D. Hall, Jill Gorey, and Barbara Herndon, and directed by Anthony Bell. Rugrats was considered an obvious place to produce a Kwanzaa special, which executives at Nickelodeon believed was needed to the networks openness towards diversity. African-American actress Irma P. Hall guest starred in the episode as Aunt T., and recording sessions took place in Hollywood, California.
"A Rugrats Kwanzaa" originally aired on the cable network Nickelodeon on December 25, 2001, and was met with a generally positive response. Critics praised it for its treatment of Kwanzaa and the history of African-Americans, and singled out a scene that features deceased black activist Martin Luther King, Jr. Cree Summer was nominated for an Image Award for her performance as Susie, while the episode itself was nominated for a NAMIC Vision Award in the "Children's" category.
Plot summary
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Production
File:HollywoodSign.jpgs for the episode took place in Hollywood, California.]]
"A Rugrats Kwanzaa" was a concept believed by Nickelodeon executives to be a needed programming special in their lineup, due to the networks openness towards diversity and different children viewer's practices. As noted by Marjorie Cohn, Nickelodeon's Senior Vice President for Production in 2001, Rugrats was considered to be a "natural home" for such a special, as it had already produced episodes based on other holidays, such as Hanukkah and Christmas.{{cite journal|title=Kwanzaa turns up on 2 kids' TV shows|date=2001-12-07|work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|page=6B|author=Elber, Lynn (The Associated Press)}} Rugrats writers Lisa D. Hall, Jill Gorey, and Barbara Herndon collaborated to pen a script for the special, while animator Anthony Bell directed it.{{cite web|url=http://www.cooltoons2.com/rugrats/|title=Rugrats → Episode Guide → Specials → More → Rugrats Kwanzaa|accessdate=2010-01-01|publisher=Klasky-Csupo|format=Adobe Flash page}}
Recording sessions for the episode, located in Hollywood, California, took each actor individually one day to complete, taking anywhere from fifteen minutes to four hours depending on the scene or role.{{cite news|url=http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.12/2.12pages/2.12soucievoice.html|title=And I Get Paid!?!: The Life of a Voice Actor|date=1998-03|accessdate=2010-01-06|work=Animation World Magazine|author=Soucie, Kath}}{{cite news|url=http://www.egdaily.com/voice1.html|title=Rugrat's Tommy|accessdate=2010-01-06|publisher=Official Site of E.G. Daily|author=Daily, E.G}} African-American actress Irma P. Hall guest starred in the episode as Aunt T. Hall had previously portrayed a character of the same name in the 1996 drama film A Family Thing.{{cite journal|title=Five Questions with ... Irma P. Hall|date=2001-12-07|work=Chicago Sun-Times|page=60|author=Kim, Jae-Ha)}} In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Hall openly admitted to trying and introduce the Kwanzaa holiday to her companions that were not of African-American ethnicity, and was interested in the episode for its similar endeavors in introducing the holiday to different cultures.
"A Rugrats Kwanzaa" is the basis of the DVD title A Rugrats Kwanzaa, which Paramount Home Video officially released in late 2001.{{cite journal|title=Nick features Kwanzaa in home video series.|publisher=Marketing to the Emerging Majorities|date=2001-11-01}}{{cite news|title=VIDEO RELEASES|author=Davis, Cynthia|work=Chicago Tribune|date=2001-09-13|page=7}}
Themes
| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 95%; background:#ADD8E6; color:black; width:22em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
|style="text-align: left;"|"The show honors the legacy of blacks by introducing the seven principles of Kwanzaa and by highlights the contributions of famous blacks including Martin Luther King Jr. At the same time, it praises the not-so-famous, like the Carmichael family, who nonetheless contribute to society. The message is that everyone can make a difference, a fundamental thought behind Kwanzaa." |
| style="text-align: left;"| —Deborah Holmes, The Hollywood Reporter |
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Release and reception
File:Martin-Luther-King-1964-leaning-on-a-lectern.jpg Martin Luther King, Jr.'s appearance in the episode was applauded by critics.]]
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References
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External links
{{Rugrats}}