# why does netflix only have Rugrats from season 4 on **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-only-have-rugrats-from-season-4-on/642540 "2012-11-30T04:20:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-only-have-rugrats-from-season-4-on/642540/1 "2012-11-30T04:20:51Z")
the best episodes are season 1-3 ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-only-have-rugrats-from-season-4-on/642540/2 "2012-11-30T07:59:25Z")
I’m only guessing, but it may be to boost sales of the actual DVDs for seasons 1-3. I too feel that those were the best seasons and I’ll bet that most fans of the show feel the same way (actually season one was a little formative, but by two and three the show had really hit its stride). Once the show became a big hit in reruns and was brought back the new shows, I don’t know, had just lost their soul. Then it just became a franchise with multiple movies, spin-offs etc. all of which just got worse and worse… ---
**Author:** ![andrewbub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@andrewbub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewbub)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-only-have-rugrats-from-season-4-on/642540/3 "2012-11-30T10:22:14Z")
i was quite shocked when i tried to watch an episode of rugrats on netflix. i didn’t recognize half the characters and the voices were all wacky. i guess when i stopped watching it as a kid it changed. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-only-have-rugrats-from-season-4-on/642540/4 "2012-11-30T17:58:31Z")
The likely answer is that streaming rights were built into all the contracts from Season 4 on, but were not for Season 1-3 - and going back to get those rights has killed or delayed the release of all kinds of content. Especially trying to get the rights for all the music - which is why some shows release with music changes or cuts as well. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-only-have-rugrats-from-season-4-on/642540/5 "2012-11-30T20:43:13Z")
> [@jacobsta811](#): > > The likely answer is that streaming rights were built into all the contracts from Season 4 on, but were not for Season 1-3 - and going back to get those rights has killed or delayed the release of all kinds of content. Especially trying to get the rights for all the music - which is why some shows release with music changes or cuts as well. Yeah, this is why the Daria DVDs took for goddamn ever to be released. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-only-have-rugrats-from-season-4-on/642540/6 "2012-12-01T05:15:27Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Yeah, this is why the Daria DVDs took for goddamn ever to be released. But the music in RugRats was all original, made specifically for the show (by\*\* Mark Mothersbaugh\*\* of \*\*DEVO \*\*by the way). I can’t see that having been a problem. More trivia: The twins Phil & Lil’s dad Howard was voiced by **Phil Proctor** , one of the original\*\* Firesign Theater\*\* guys.