As Told by Ginger

As Told by Ginger, also called As Told by Ginger Foutley, is an American animated teen drama created by Emily Kapnek for Nickelodeon. Klasky Csupo and Nickelodeon Animation Studio produced it. The story unfolds in the fictional town of Sheltered Shrubs and follows middle school student Ginger Foutley, who later enters high school, as she and her circle of friends cope with adolescence, friendship, family dynamics, and the school's social hierarchy. The show first aired on Nickelodeon on October 25, 2000, and ended on November 14, 2006, running 60 episodes across three seasons. It earned three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour). Critics praised the series for its continuous storylines, character growth, and honest depiction of teenage life. Unlike most animated children's shows of its time, the characters aged throughout the series, experienced lasting personal changes, and regularly changed outfits, which matched Kapnek's aim to portray adolescence with greater authenticity.

The main character is junior high student Ginger Foutley. Along with her close friends Darren Patterson, Dodie Bishop, and Macie Lightfoot, she tries to improve her social standing at school while handling the ups and downs of friendships, family, and growing up. Though Ginger and her friends sit at the bottom of the school's social ladder, she unexpectedly becomes friends with wealthy and popular Courtney Gripling, who finds Ginger's outlook interesting and often brings her into her social group. Courtney's best friend, Miranda Killgallen, sees Ginger as a rival and often tries to sabotage her. At home, Ginger writes about her experiences in a diary, which serves as the show's storytelling device. Her younger brother Carl and his best friend Hoodsey Bishop appear in recurring comic side plots, while Ginger's mother, Lois, offers advice and support throughout the series.

The show is set in the fictional suburban town of Sheltered Shrubs, Connecticut. Creator Emily Kapnek based Sheltered Shrubs on Larchmont, New York, where she moved during junior high. Kapnek said Larchmont became "sort of the basis for this show." Other recurring locations include Protected Pines, the gated community where Courtney Gripling lives; Brittle Branches, the hometown of Ginger's father; and Heathered Hills, home to Sasha, whom Ginger meets at summer camp.

As Told by Ginger has been noted by fans and Nickelodeon for its character development, much of which was uncommon for a cartoon at the time. In the first season, Ginger's group is in seventh grade. By the second season, they move up to eighth grade instead of staying the same age. During this season, Darren has the bulky orthodontic headgear he wore throughout the first season removed, which boosts his popularity. They graduate junior high midway through the third season and become high school freshmen. Carl's age group follows the same pattern, as they become junior high students by the third season. Many episodes reference earlier ones, giving the episodes a clear order.

A notable feature of the series was its rotating and evolving character wardrobes. Characters changed clothes every episode, and often within the same episode—a highly unusual trait at the time for both Nickelodeon animated shows and children's animation in general. The standard practice in animated television was to give a character a single "default" outfit that rarely changed unless the plot required it. Other Klasky Csupo shows from the same period, like Rugrats and Rocket Power, followed this practice. This simplified animation, saving money and production time. In contrast, As Told by Ginger mimicked live-action sitcoms, where characters change clothes as often as they would in real life. This was most noticeable among the girls in Ginger's age group (Dodie, Courtney, Macie, Miranda, and Ginger herself) and some adults, like Ginger's mother. After Darren had his orthodontic headgear removed, his clothes also changed. Meanwhile, Carl's younger, less fashion-conscious age group changed clothes infrequently, with few deviations from their usual style. Hoodsey stands out as a satire of the traditional animated character who wears only one outfit, as he is always seen in a purple hooded sweatshirt and shorts, which other characters find odd. This is further satirized when it is revealed that Hoodsey's closet mostly contains similar purple hoodies, suggesting that despite appearances, he changes his clothes as often as everyone else. There were limits, however. Unlike many live-action shows where characters often wear an outfit only once, As Told by Ginger characters frequently repeated previously seen outfits in later episodes. New outfits appeared every few episodes, and certain outfits stopped being used after a point, resulting in a set wardrobe rotation for each character.

The series also tackles deeper themes. In "Wicked Game," Ginger's two best friends betray her out of jealousy over her new boyfriend, Darren. In "And She Was Gone," school staff and students think Ginger is suicidally depressed after she writes a disturbing poem that worries them. In "No Hope for Courtney," Carl's pranks cause his teacher to retire. After she agrees to return, Mrs. Gordon passes away. In reality, Mrs. Gordon's voice actress, Kathleen Freeman, died before the episode was finished, and the script was rewritten in her memory.