The funny thing about Animaniacs is that I felt just about every SUPPORTING character was BETTER than the Warner Bros. (and sister, Dot) themselves! The main characters were just annoying and I rarely laughed at them. The best short ever done with the Warners was the one where the writers took a swipe at practically every major animated TV show producers over the past 30 years. You know, the episode where the chairman loaned out the Warners to practically EVERY CHEAP cartoon studio in Burbank?
Goodfeathers I liked. The only problem is that only adults who had seen the movie Goodfellas -- the BEST gangster movie since the first Godfather movie -- would get the jokes.
(I have a major mojo for good gangster movies. You can't believe the hernia I'm getting over saving up to get the Warner Bros. gangster set...!)
Rita and Runt I could take or leave. I really felt these two were the weakest supporting characters of all except perhaps Katie Kaboom who was a one-trick supporting character.
Minerva Mink was a great character who got short-changed simply because she was TOO sexy for network executives. I think she only appeared in 3 standalone shorts and was relegated to background scenery afterwards. It's funny that Disney can draw sexy gals in G-rated movies but WB execs get a conniption over one well-drawn gal on a syndicated TV show. Minerva Mink was also simply the best voicework that Julie Brown (the comedienne, not the VJ) ever did.
And ah, Pinky and the Brain... Probably the finest two WB characters to be produced since the late 1940s. I'm serious. I think this duo is as good as any of the classic Looney Tunes. Even though I've gotten annoyed many times by the fact that Maurice LaMarche's voicework was overlooked and that a lot of people still don't see the brilliance that is our arrogant Brain, it's still a great comedy team. My favorite P & B episode still has to be the Titanic episode with surprisingly good voicework by Jim Belushi as the demented Jack Ryan ("Hunt for Red October") spoof.
I'm not surprised the Pinky & the Brain TV show burned out quick. It was just too much in a short period of time. When Elmyra was added to the mix, there was no question the show had jumped the shark...