The Wild Thornberrys
Series, 1998, The '90s, Set in Around the world
The Wild Thornberrys is #8 of 21 in release order and #8 of 21 in chronological order in the Nickelodeon Classics.
The story
Travel the world with the Thornberrys and come face-to-face with blue sheep in Nepal, emus in Australia, marmots in Pakistan, flash floods in Siberia, Egyptian burial chambers, a runaway hot air balloon, a rock slide on the Karakoram Highway and more!
The Wild Thornberrys recap
Eliza Thornberry, twelve, travels the world with her family in the Comvee, a motor home that can cross rivers and deserts. Her father Nigel hosts a wildlife documentary, her mother Marianne films it, her older sister Debbie would rather be at a mall, and her adopted brother Donnie is a feral boy who speaks gibberish. Eliza can talk to animals, a gift from a shaman she freed from a spell, which she will lose if she tells anyone. Her best friend is Darwin, a nervous chimpanzee. Most episodes have Eliza help an animal in trouble, often from poachers, while hiding how she knows what it needs. The series runs five seasons, from 1998 to 2004, with The Origin of Donnie (2001), The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002), in which Eliza rescues a cheetah cub from poachers, and the Rugrats Go Wild crossover (2003).
The Wild Thornberrys ending explained
The series ends with "Eliza Unplugged" in June 2004. Shane, a young pop star who has been living with the Thornberrys, is ready to return to his old life, and after an argument and a search, Eliza tells him how she feels. He kisses her goodbye before his flight, and she watches the plane leave. There is no grand conclusion, and Eliza keeps her secret.
Where to watch The Wild Thornberrys
The Wild Thornberrys is streaming on Paramount+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home.
Ratings
IMDb 6.6/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after CatDog, before The Rugrats Movie.
- Chronological order: after CatDog, before The Rugrats Movie.
Cast
- Lacey Chabert as Eliza Thornberry (voice)
- Jodi Carlisle as Marianne Thornberry (voice)
- Tim Curry as Nigel Thornberry (voice)
- Flea as Donnie Thornberry (voice)
- Danielle Harris as Debbie Thornberry (voice)
- Tom Kane as Darwin (voice)
- Keith Szarabajka as Kip O'Donnell / Otter (voice)
- Betty White as Sophie Hunter (voice)
- Dee Bradley Baker as Parrots (voice)
- Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Tyler Tucker (voice)
- Christopher Masterson as Shane G. (voice)
- Jerry Sroka as Biederman (voice)
Created by Gábor Csupó, Arlene Klasky.