Fanboy & Chum Chum
GenreAnimated sitcom
Surreal comedy
Created byEric Robles
Voices ofDavid Hornsby
Nika Futterman
Jeff Bennett
Wyatt Cenac
Nolan North
Jamie Kennedy
Josh Duhamel
Candi Milo
Steve Tompkins
Dyana Liu
Estelle Harris
Theme music composerBrad Breeck
Opening theme"Fanboy & Chum Chum" (performed by The Mae Shi)
Ending theme"Fanboy & Chum Chum" (Instrumental)
ComposerBrad Breeck
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes52 (100 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersFred Seibert
Steve Tompkins
Eric Robles
ProducersTherese Trujillo
Dean Hoff
Running time22 minutes (11 minutes per segment)
Production companiesFrederator Studios
Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Original release
NetworkNickelodeon
ReleaseOctober 12, 2009 (2009-10-12) –
November 2, 2012 (2012-11-02)
NetworkNicktoons
ReleaseJuly 12, 2014 (2014-07-12)
Related
  • Random! Cartoons

Fanboy & Chum Chum is an American animated television series created by Eric Robles for Nickelodeon. It is based on Fanboy, an animated short created by Robles for Nickelodeon Animation Studio and Frederator Studios, that was broadcast on Random! Cartoons. The series was first broadcast on October 12, 2009, on Nickelodeon as a preview, then officially premiered after SpongeBob's Truth or Square. The series centers around Fanboy and Chum Chum, a pair of cheerful, playful, energetic, and fun-loving best friends enthusiastically obsessed with superhero comics, particularly those featuring their favorite superhero Man-Arctica. Their world is full of comic adventure, from an accidental case of Fanboy's teacher turning into a zombie to an ice monster running the Frosty Freezy Freeze machine.[1]

The series' initial release on Nickelodeon finished on November 2, 2012. One episode, "Brain Freeze", was released on DVD in 2011 instead of being broadcast on television.[2]

The theme song was written by Brad Joseph Breeck and performed by an experimental punk band, The Mae Shi.[3]

Premise

The series centers around Fanboy and Chum Chum, a pair of cheerful, playful, energetic, and fun-loving best friends enthusiastically obsessed with superhero comics, particularly those featuring their favorite superhero Man-Arctica. Their world is full of comic adventure (and misadventures) from an accidental case of Fanboy's teacher turning into a zombie to an ice monster running the Frosty Freezy Freeze machine.[4][5]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
PilotAugust 14, 2007 (2007-08-14)
152October 12, 2009November 4, 2010
248April 25, 2011July 12, 2014

Characters

Main

Supporting

Broadcast

A sneak preview of Fanboy & Chum Chum was aired in the United States on October 12, 2009. The official US debut of the series was November 6, 2009. In Canada, the series premiered on YTV on November 1, 2009, and on Nickelodeon on November 2, 2009.[8] In the UK and Ireland, the series premiered on Nickelodeon April 2, 2010. The series debuted on Nickelodeon (Australia and New Zealand) April 19, 2010.. Nickelodeon in Sub-Saharan Africa began airing the series June 2010.

Fanboy & Chum Chum aired in reruns on Nicktoons from October 23, 2009, to December 25, 2016.[9]

The entire series was added to Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) on December 15, 2020, and streamed for 4 years. It was removed on December 23, 2024 due to licensing agreements expiring.

Home media

Paramount Home Entertainment is the DVD distributor for the series. These DVDs were released under the Nickelodeon label.

Fanboy & Chum Chum home video releases
Season Episodes Release dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1 2009–10 52 SpongeBob SquarePants: Triton's Revenge: July 13, 2010
Episodes: "Wizboy" • "Pick a Nose"
Fanboy & Chum Chum: May 24, 2011
Episodes: "Wizboy" – "The Janitor Strikes Back" • "Chimp Chomp Chumps" • "Fanboy in the Plastic Bubble" • "Freeze Tag" • "Fan vs. Wild"
Brain Freeze: August 16, 2011
Episodes: "Berry Sick" • "Norse-ing Around" • "Refill Madness" • "The Frosty Bus" • "Jingle Fever"
The Complete First Season (Amazon exclusive): August 7, 2012		 SpongeBob SquarePants: Triton's Revenge: November 1, 2010
Episodes: "Wizboy" • "Pick a Nose"
Fanboy & Chum Chum: May 28, 2012
Episodes: "Wizboy" – "The Janitor Strikes Back" • "Chimp Chomp Chumps" • "Fanboy in the Plastic Bubble" • "Freeze Tag" • "Fan vs. Wild"
Brain Freeze: July 23, 2012
Episodes: "Back From The Future" • "Brain Freeze"
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Great Sleigh Race: November 12, 2012
Episodes: "Trading Day"
Comic Chaos: March 6, 2013
Episodes: "The Janitor's Apprentice" • "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha"		 Comic Chaos: March 6, 2013
Episodes: "The Janitor's Apprentice" • "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha"
2 2011–12 48 Brain Freeze: August 16, 2011
Episodes: "Back From The Future" • "Brain Freeze"
SpongeBob SquarePants: Frozen Face-Off: January 3, 2012
Episodes: "The Last Strawberry Fun Finger" • "Power Out"		 Brain Freeze: July 23, 2012
Episodes: "Back From The Future" • "Brain Freeze"
Comic Chaos: March 6, 2013
Episodes: "I'm Man-Arctica!" • "No Toy Story" • "GameBoy" • "Bubble Trouble" • "Lucky Chums"		 Comic Chaos: March 6, 2013
Episodes: "I'm Man-Arctica!" • "No Toy Story" • "GameBoy" • "Bubble Trouble" • "Lucky Chums"
Special features
Fanboy & Chum Chum:
Animated shorts

Bonus episode: Planet Sheen: "The Pilot"
Brain Freeze:
"Brain Freeze" original animatic
Comic Chaos:
Bonus episode: SpongeBob SquarePants: "That Sinking Feeling"

Main

Episodes on other DVDs

NOTE: The episode "A Very Brrr-y Icemas" along with Christmas episodes of The Fairly OddParents and T.U.F.F. Puppy were supposed to be on the It's a SpongeBob Christmas! DVD, but they were dropped from the actual release.[10] However, the Target exclusive of It's A SpongeBob Christmas! included the Christmas episodes of those shows on a bonus disc.

Reception and achievements

Reviews

Aaron H. Bynum of Animation Insider called Fanboy & Chum Chum "a fun show that deserves a good look. The quality animation helps counterbalance the immense amount of dialogue from the series' chatty characters, and the sheer comedy of marginally competent comic-loving kids helps outweigh what might otherwise be a binge of geeky annoyance. But overall, Fanboy & Chum Chum is a lot of fun."[11] Variety praised the series' "bright, energetic look and even an appealing premise in theory".[12] David Hinckley of NY Daily News gave the series three stars out of five, and said that "it's good [but] might not be the next SpongeBob".[13]

Not all reviews were positive. KJ Dell'Antonia of Slate found the main characters irritating, and thought the whole concept was unoriginal, with "many tired jokes and not enough of that kind of mild satire to make this play in our house".[14] Joly Herman of Common Sense Media gave the series 3 out of 5 stars; saying that:

If you're looking for deep content and lasting lessons, then this show isn’t for you – or for your kids. Precious little of it can be applied to reality, especially when it comes to Fanboy and Chum Chum’s experiences at school, where they enjoy nearly free rein to goof off and hardly put effort into their work. Even the nature of their friendship may be troubling to some parents, since Fanboy’s control over his pal’s actions sometimes verges on bullying. But there's no doubt that it's entertaining. So if your young tweens can check their sense of reality at the door, this silly show offers a fun depiction of the wild imagination that they probably share with the main characters. For younger kids, though, the blurry line between fiction and realistic lifestyles may be a little confusing.[15]

In 2025, Comic Book Resources (CBR) included the networks's greenlighting of the series on its list of "10 Mistakes That Still Haunt Nickelodeon." According to CBR writer Rachel Ulatowski: "Today, some viewers and critics consider it Nickelodeon's worst cartoon. The show is loud, chaotic, overly reliant on toilet humor, and can be very irritating. Considering Nickelodeon allegedly rejected the now acclaimed show Adventure Time in favor of Fanboy and Chum Chum, its mediocrity is even more disappointing."[16]

Ratings

The series premiered on November 6, 2009, after the SpongeBob SquarePants film Truth or Square.[17] The broadcast ranked number three of cable programs that week and number two of the night.[17][18] The premiere was watched by a total of 5.8 million viewers.[17] The second episode was broadcast on November 7, 2009, and garnered 5.4 million viewers, ranking fifth of all cable broadcasts that week.[17][18]

The third episode was broadcast a week later, on November 14, 2009, with 3.8 million viewers.[19] A broadcast on November 28, 2009, was viewed by 3.9 million viewers.[20] In February 2010, the episode "Moppy Dearest" was viewed by 4.27 million viewers, an improvement over the last few episodes.[21]

A second season was announced on Nickelodeon's upfront of 2010–2011.[22]

Awards

The series won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program at the 38th Daytime Emmy Awards.[23]

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2010 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Individual in Animation Steve Lambe (for "The Janitor Strikes Back") Won
Caesar Martinez (for "Chimp Chomp Chumps") Won
Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program Jim Schumann, Brian Sheesley and Ginny McSwain Won
Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Design Eric Robles, Caesar Martinez, )Niki Yang, Dennis Shelby, Chad Woods, Steve Lambe, Michael Franceschi, Erik Kling and Shaun Cashman Nominated
2011 Annie Awards Best Animated Television Production for Children Fanboy and Chum Chum Nominated
Best Character Design in a Television Production Steve Lambe Nominated
Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production Jeff Bennett

For "The Necronomicon"

Nominated
2011 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Special Class Animated Program Eric Robles, Steve Tompkins, Fred Seibert, Shaun Cashman, Jason Meier, Therese Trujillo, Dean Hoff and MacGregor Middleton Won
Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program Brian Sheesley, Jim Schumann, Russell Calabrese and Ginny McSwain Won
Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special Meredith Layne Nominated
2012 Annie Awards Storyboarding in a Television Production Joshua Nicolas Nominated
Storyboarding in a Television Production Katie Rice Nominated
Best Animated Television Production - Children Fanboy and Chum Chum Nominated
2012 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Special Class Animated Program Eric Robles, Steve Tompkins, Fred Seibert, Jason Meier and MacGregor Middleton Nominated
2012 Motion Picture Sound Editors Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR Animation in Television For "A Very Brrr-y Icemas" Nominated

See also

References

  1. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 192–193. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. "Fanboy & Chum Chum - Episode Guide - watch online - tv listings". Zap2it. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  3. "Brad Breeck and Fan vs Wild Music". Archived from the original on June 8, 2020.
  4. Lowry, Brian (October 30, 2009). "Fanboy and Chum Chum". Variety.
  5. Delovska, Marija (January 7, 2021). "Fanboy & Chum Chum: 5 Best Episodes (& 5 Worst), Ranked By IMDb". ScreenRant.
  6. "FB 107_The Hard Sell". Archived from the original on October 13, 2013.
  7. {{ authors[i].name }} (November 7, 2013). ""A Bopwork Orange" Storyboard". Scribd.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  8. "YTV". Archived from the original on October 27, 2009.
  9. "Nickelodeon USA Holiday Specials TV Guide".
  10. Lambert, David (August 6, 2012). "SpongeBob SquarePants – 'It's a SpongeBob Christmas! this Fall, on DVD...AND on Blu-ray Disc!!". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013.
  11. Bynum, Aaron H. (October 21, 2009). "Fanboy & Chum Chum Review". Animation Insider. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012.
  12. Lowry, Brian (October 30, 2009). "Fanboy and Chum Chum Review". Variety. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012.
  13. Hinckley, David (November 6, 2009). "'Fanboy and Chum Chum': new Nickelodeon show might not be next 'SpongeBob,' but it's good". NY Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012.
  14. Dell'Antonia, KJ (November 9, 2009). "Boys Will Be Boys". Double X. Archived from the original on August 14, 2010.
  15. Herman, Joly (October 12, 2009). "Fanboy and Chum Chum review". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018.
  16. Ulatowski, Rachel (May 22, 2025). "10 Mistakes That Still Haunt Nickelodeon". CBR.
  17. Gorman, Bill (November 10, 2009). "Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants "Truth or Square" Grabs 7.7 Million Viewers, Tops Basic Cable". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 7, 2010.
  18. Seidman, Robert (November 10, 2009). "Cable ratings: NFL Football, SpongeBob and Fanboy & Chum Chum top weekly cable charts". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010.
  19. Seidman, Robert (November 18, 2009). "Nickelodeon's "iCarly" Ranks as Basic Cable's Number-One Entertainment Show with Total Viewers for the Week". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 21, 2009.
  20. Seidman, Robert (December 2, 2010). "Cable ratings: NFL & College Football, Monk and iCarly top weekly cable charts". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 5, 2009.
  21. Seidman, Robert (February 9, 2010). "Cable ratings: WWE RAW, SpongeBob, Penguins of Madagascar and iCarly Top Weekly Cable Charts". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 12, 2010.
  22. "Top-Ranked Nickelodeon Announces its 2010–11 Season Programming". Nick Cannon Archives. March 12, 2010. Archived from the original on April 30, 2010.
  23. "Nick's 'Penguins,' 'Fanboy' Win Daytime Emmys Honors". www.animationmagazine.net. June 20, 2011. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023.
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