Although Nickelodeon had aired externally-produced animation series since the channel's launch in 1977, the network did not air original animated series of its own until the early 1990s. On August 11, 1991, Nickelodeon debuted their "Nicktoons" brand with three original animated series: Doug, Rugrats, and The Ren & Stimpy Show. The development of these programs was a direct reversal of the network's prior concerns, as Nickelodeon had previously refused to produce weekly animated series due to the high production costs. The three series found success by 1992, with Ren & Stimpy at one point being the most popular show on cable television. This resulted in the creation of the network's fourth Nicktoon, Rocko's Modern Life, which also became a success. In the meantime, Nickelodeon partnered with Sony Wonder to release episode compilations of the network's programs on VHS, which became top sellers. Following Viacom's purchase of Paramount Pictures in 1994, Nickelodeon would switch its home video distribution to Paramount Home Entertainment, subsequently re-releasing episode compilations of the network's Nicktoons (despite this, Paramount's logo would stop appearing on-screen on its Nickelodeon (and other MTV Networks) DVDs in 2004, leaving only the Nickelodeon logo). Doug would end its production in 1994, with Ren & Stimpy following suit in 1996; however, Doug would be revived in 1996 as part of ABC's "One Saturday Morning" lineup, following the show's acquisition by Disney. Rugrats, on the other hand, returned from its production hiatus on May 9, 1997 (reruns had continued to air on the channel up until that point), and became the anchor for the network as its top-rated program.
