Daria

Did You Know?

• The theme song 'You're Standing on My Neck' was written and performed by the female rock group Splendora.
• The show had no original score; incidental music was taken from pop songs, often inserted over exterior shots with no story relevance.
• In 2002, TV Guide ranked Daria number 41 on its '50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time' list.

Characters

Daria Morgendorffer is an unfashionably dressed, bespectacled, highly intellectual, and cynical teenage girl who serves as an icon of sanity in an insane household and suburb. She is voiced by Tracy Grandstaff. Jane Lane, Daria's artistic best friend and fellow outcast, is the youngest of five Lane siblings; she is sarcastic and cynical but more athletic and socially comfortable than Daria. Jane is voiced by Wendy Hoopes.

Quinn Morgendorffer, Daria's shallow and materialistic younger sister, is a popular member of Lawndale High's Fashion Club; she is also voiced by Wendy Hoopes. Helen Morgendorffer, the workaholic corporate attorney mother of Daria and Quinn, is voiced by Wendy Hoopes. Jake Morgendorffer, the neurotic, short-tempered, but well-meaning father, is voiced by Julián Rebolledo. Trent Lane, Jane's older brother by five years, plays lead guitar in his band Mystik Spyral and is the object of Daria's unspoken crush during the first three seasons; he is voiced by Alvaro J. Gonzalez.

Tom Sloane, a wealthy private school student, becomes a love interest for Jane and later Daria; he is voiced by Russell Hankin. Other characters include Brittany Taylor, the ditzy head cheerleader; Kevin Thompson, the equally ditzy quarterback; Michael 'Mack' Jordan MacKenzie, the intelligent football captain; Jodie Landon, the class president and one of Daria's few true friends; and Charles 'Upchuck' Ruttheimer, III, an obnoxious flirt.

Origin

Daria Morgendorffer first appeared as a recurring character on Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head. MTV senior vice president Abby Terkuhle explained that the character was created to serve as a smart female foil. Her original design was created by Bill Peckmann while working for J.J. Sedelmaier Productions during Beavis and Butt-Head's first season. During the final seasons of that show, MTV representatives, seeking to attract a higher female demographic, approached story editor Glenn Eichler with an offer for a Daria spin-off.

In 1995, a five-minute pilot titled 'Sealed with a Kick' was created by Eichler and Susie Lewis, written by Sam Johnson and Chris Marcil. Among five animated pilots pitched to MTV, Daria performed strongest in focus groups, particularly with middle-school-aged participants. Although MTV initially hesitated because their core audience was 18- to 24-year-olds, the show staff argued that college students do not watch much television, and MTV approved a 13-episode series order.

Tracy Grandstaff, who voiced Daria, originally worked as a writer for MTV and later as a staff writer for Beavis and Butt-Head, where she was the only female writer. She cited Janeane Garofalo and Sara Gilbert as influences for the character.

Production

No characters from Beavis and Butt-Head appeared on Daria; the only direct reference was in promotions. Co-creator Glenn Eichler explained that referencing the earlier show risked setting up false expectations and disappointing viewers, so the production steered clear of those characters. In the TV movie Is It Fall Yet?, guest voices included MTV host Carson Daly, Canadian pop punk singer Bif Naked, and rock musician Dave Grohl. Songs by the Foo Fighters, in which Grohl is frontman, were featured in the series.

During production, Grandstaff, Eichler, and Lewis intended to make a show where women appeared smarter and to give a voice to individuals who did not feel they fit in. The show was left to develop naturally, especially regarding Daria's relationships. The creators wanted to capture what high school was like at the time while portraying typical cliques. The crew's attachment to the show became apparent after the five-minute pilot was created, showing how realistic the main character seemed despite being a digital creation.

The animation style used an uncomplicated form of filming that made angles and movements appear natural. Lewis let the storyboards in early stages guide the show's look. Each episode required nine months for processing and completion, including script writing, voice actor recording, and storyboard creation.

Reception

Daria premiered to positive reviews; John J. O'Connor of The New York Times called it 'an indispensable blast of fresh air' in March 1997. The series continued to receive positive reviews and was one of MTV's highest rated shows. MTV manager Van Toffler viewed the character as 'a good spokesperson for MTV, intelligent but subversive'. During its run, Daria participated in MTV's Cool Crap Auction and, with Jane, hosted MTV's Top Ten Animated Videos Countdown.

At the end of the series, Daria had an interview on the CBS Early Show with Jane Clayson. The show received a ratings share between 1 and 2 percent, approximately 1 to 2 million viewers. TV Guide's G.J. Donnelly praised the series finale, lamenting the loss of the character's monotone and boots, and noted the show approached the teenage experience more realistically than shows like Dawson's Creek. Emily Nussbaum of Slate wrote that the show 'is biting the dust without ever getting the credit it deserved: for social satire, witty writing, and most of all, for a truly original main character'.

She praised the finale's exploration of social class. The series was marked by shipper debate, primarily over whether Daria should have a relationship with Trent Lane, with some arguing it would undermine her subversive character.