Beetlejuice has starred in two successful and fun movies, but it got a TV show 36 years ago, and it did two things better than the movies. In 1988, Tim Burton introduced the world to the wildest bio-exorcist in the afterlife inBeetlejuice. The movie followed the Maitlands (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin), who, after dying without noticing it, summoned Beetlejuice to help them get rid of the Deetzes, who had moved into their home. However, the Maitlands befriended the Deetzes' daughter, Lydia (Winona Ryder), and soon learned that Beetlejuice’s methods are quite questionable.
Beetlejuicewas a critical and commercial success, but its sequel didn’t arrive until 2024. Simply titledBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, and with Burton back as director, the sequel reunited viewers with Lydia and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) afterthe death of Charles Deetz, and introduced Lydia’s daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). When Astrid gets into trouble in the Neitherworld, Lydia has no choice but to summon Beetlejuice. As fun as both movies are, the forgottenBeetlejuiceTV show did two things better than the movies.
Beetlejuice’s TV Show Developed Betelgeuse & Lydia’s Dynamic
Beetlejuice’s Animated TV Show Was All About Betelgeuse & Lydia’s Adventures
Just one year afterBeetlejuicehit theaters, he made the jump to TV in an animated show. Developed by Tim Burton, theBeetlejuiceanimated show is set after the events of the movie, but its tone was completely different. While the movie is aimed at a mature audience, with jokes not exactly kid-friendly,the cartoon show was targeted at a younger audience. TheBeetlejuiceTV show, then, focuses on the title character (voiced by Stephen Ouimette) and Lydia (Alyson Court).
As such, theBeetlejuiceTV showfollows the bio-exorcist and Lydia as they go on different adventures in the mortal world and the Neitherworld, where they come across different supernatural creatures and monsters. In the show, Beetlejuice and Lydia are best friends, so they get involved in all types of situations while also supporting each other when needed. Althoughthe episodes of theBeetlejuiceTV showwere original stories, many episodes in the final season were parodies of movies, TV shows, and books.
The TV format allowed the show to properly develop and explore the friendship between Beetlejuice and Lydia.
The firstBeetlejuicemovie didn’t show a connection between the title ghost and Lydia, and, instead, Beetlejuice used Lydia to get what he wanted. However, the TV format allowed the show to properly develop and explore the friendship between Beetlejuice and Lydia and the many adventures they could go on together, and though there’s no continuity with the second movie, it does help understand their partnership inBeetlejuice Beetlejuicea lot better.
The Movies Are Good, But The Show’s Format Made 1 Thing A Lot Easier
A big part of the appeal of theBeetlejuicemovies is their practical effects, through which Burton and company brought to life some of the weirdest but most fascinating creatures from the Neitherworld. However, there’s only so much these could do and still look believable and/or fun, but theBeetlejuiceTV show didn’t have this problem.
The show’s animated format gave a lot more creative freedom to the team behindBeetlejuice, allowing them to introduce even wilder and stranger monsters and creatures, and do a lot more with Betelgeuse’s physical comedy. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the movies’ practical effects aren’t good or effective, but the TV show had the chance to go a lot further, and it definitely seized it.
Why Beetlejuice’s TV Show Ended After 4 Seasons
Beetlejuice’s Animated TV Show Ended In 1991
The success of theBeetlejuiceanimated TV show allowed it to run for four seasons, ending in 1991. Although it now might seem strange that theBeetlejuiceanimated show ended after just four seasons, despite its success, there’s nothing weird or shady behind its ending. TheBeetlejuiceTV show wasn’t canceled, and, instead,the team behind it decided it was time to end the adventures of Lydia and Beetlejuice.
Speaking toCrackedin 2024, writer J.D. Smith and former president and CEO of Fox Kids, Margaret Loesch, shared what happened during the final seasons of theBeetlejuiceTV show. Smith explained that, after 65 episodes, they hoped they would do more because they had fun working on the show, but the team felt it was enough. Loesch added that the show was done after those episodes because they already had a full run by then, butthe show went on to have a total of 94 episodes.
