Born to be Beavers

**"*Born to be Beavers*"** is an episode of *The Angry Beavers* from Season 1. It is the first segment of Episode 1, and is the first episode overall.

## Plot

One day in April 1996, two beaver brothers named Norbert and Daggett Beaver are kicked out of their parents' dam after their mother Rose gives birth to their little sisters Stacy and Chelsea and are forced to find a place of their own. However, this task proves difficult due to Norbert and Daggett's constant arguing and bickering.

## Characters

### Main

* Norbert Beaver (debut)
* Daggett Beaver (debut)

### Supporting

* Leonard Beaver (debut)
* Rose Beaver (debut)
* Stacy Beaver (debut)
* Chelsea Beaver (debut)

### Minor

* Bill Licking (debut;voice only)
* Other beavers (debut)
* Chickens (debut)
* Farmer (debut)
* Dogs (debut)

## Production

### Development

"Born to be Beavers" was written by series creator Mitch Schauer and was directed by Robert Hughes. Schauer also functioned as a storyboard director alongside Micheal R. Gerard. According to Mitch Schauer, the idea for this episode was developed from the fact that when beavers have a second litter, their first litter is forced to leave their dam and build a new one.

During his time as producer of the Warner Bros. animated series *Freakazoid!* in 1995*,* Gunther-Wahl Productions Inc. (Schauer's employer at the time) requested three ideas for animated series, as the studio had the opportunity to pitch a show to Nickelodeon. One of the three ideas that Schauer presented was an early concept for *The Angry Beavers*. Schauer wasn't even present for the pitch meeting, his ideas being pitched for him by the production company instead. Of the three ideas, network producer Mary Harrington was intrigued by the Beavers. *The Angry Beavers* was inspired from Schauer's early years in Oklahoma when he was homeless and often spotted beavers in a nearby river. The initial concept of the show centered on two bad-tempered, politically incorrect beavers that hated anything that was a fad, cause, or just popular in the media. "I tend to develop things that are counterculture", stated Schauer. "I like to buck whatever is popular at the time or considered society's way of doing things, because you get more interest when you stand outside the box". Schauer was against making the beavers cute, as a response to many of the "soft, safe" character designs at the time. He also cited cartoons such as *The Pink Panther*, *The Flintstones*, and *Rocky and Bullwinkle* as primary influences for the show.

During production of the series, Schauer and the crew began to learn more about real world beavers and implemented their traits into the show's storylines, considering himself to have become a "beaver expert" by the end of its run. Traits adapted into the show include their endlessly growing incisors, tail slapping, and scent glands. During his time at Nickelodeon, Schauer gifted Harrington a personally signed log that was bitten by a beaver, though he later admitted in 2017 that he bit it himself.

Richard Steven Horvitz and Nick Bakay were chosen as voice actors for main beavers Daggett and Norbert, respectively. Gunther-Wahl held auditions for over 300 different actors, but Schauer settled on the two because they embodied the two beavers' characters perfectly, also being impressed by their chemistry upon being introduced to one another. He recalled the two frequently going off-script while recording, which he encouraged, considering their improvisation leading to some of the series' best moments. Schauer was influenced by classic Hollywood director Howard Hawks for the show's ad-libbing and overlapping of dialogue.

### Release

* "*Born to be Beavers*" along with "*Up All Night*" premiered on Nickelodeon on April 19, 1997, alongside the 1997 Kids' Choice Awards.
* This episode is available on The Angry Beavers: Seasons 1 & 2, The Angry Beavers: The Complete Series, Out of the Vault, Best of Angry Beavers Season 1, Season 1 (Australian), The Essential Episodes: Seasons 1-4, The Angry Beavers: Collector's Edition, and The Angry Beavers: The Collector's Set DVD's
* This episode is also available on Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime, Roku, and other streaming services.

### Reception

* "Born to be Beavers" was rated 8.0/10 on IMDB.

## Background Information

* Leonard Beaver, Rose Beaver, Stacy Beaver, Chelsea Beaver, and Bill Licking's debut episode.
* At the beginning of the episode, Norb and Dag walked by a mileage sign with the locations of Pawhuska (birth place of the series' creator Mitch Schauer), Burbank (home of the Nickelodeon Animation Studio since 1998), and Fairfax on it.
* This episode is one of the rare occasions where Dag acts more responsible than Norb.
* This episode is the first for many things:
	+ The first episode where Norbert has his current character design after having a different design in "Snowbound."
	+ The first episode where a female character gets pregnant on screen.
	+ The first episode where Norbert and Daggett's dam is built.
	+ The first time Norbert does "Big hug!" to Daggett.
	+ The first time Norbert and Daggett argue.
* This episode re-aired on November 22, 2007, which was the final rerun of the series on the main Nickelodeon network.
	+ Meaning, this episode and "Up All Night" were both technically the first and last episodes to air on the main channel.
* According to the Timeline, this episode takes place exactly one year before it aired.