Dexter’s Laboratory, the Emmy Award-winning series that helped shape the lives of kids for the better part of a decade, is finally getting a full release on DVD. All six seasons and 78 episodes are coming to home video next month, giving fans an opportunity to revisit the world of the pint-sized mad scientist. While the box set is pretty spare in terms of bonus features, fans can at least be confident they’re getting the mostly-full story: it also includes the special Dexter’s Laboratory: Ego Trip. Unfortunately, it appears the controversial episodes “Dial M for Monkey: Barbequor” and “Rude Removal” will remain in the vault for now.
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Dexter’s Laboratory: The Complete Series will be available for purchase online and in-store at major retailers beginning June 25, 2024. You can pre-order it now at select retailers, including Amazon.
The Emmy Award-winning American series was created by Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack, Primal) and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The series ran from 1996-2003 on Cartoon Network, won many awards, and spawned children’s books, comic books, music albums, toys, video games, and a movie. It also stands as one of the best-reviewed and best-remembered Cartoon Network shows that was actually developed for kids, rather than launching as an Adult Swim project.
While home releases have been made for certain other seasons or specific episodes, this is the first time a number of episodes will ever be released, and is absolutely the first attempt a complete series disc.
The “lost” episodes
The set does appear to have two episodes missing — although only one of those ever aired, so it’s up to you whether you count the other. The titles, “Dial M for Monkey: Barbequor” and “Rude Removal,” have become lightning rods in the fan community, with “Rude Removal” in particular having an active search going on among “lost media” fans.
In “Dial M for Monkey: Barbequor,” there are a few things that piled up to have Cartoon Network pull the episode out of circulation. In it, two Marvel Comics parodies — the Silver Spooner, a flamboyant Silver Surfer parody and Krunk, a stand-in for The Hulk — managed to offend the sensibilities of the network. Spooner was just too much of a dated, flamboyant stereotype of a gay man, while Krunk was drunk, throwing up, and hungover in the episode (per Gawker, via an archived article quoted on Wikipedia).
“Rude Removal” parodied the parental control boxes that were popular at the time, but takes the concept into the real world. After trying to invent a “rude removal system” to make himself and DeeDee less rude, Dexter inadvertently creates incredibly rude and inappropriate clones of them. They swear throughout the episode (although it’s censored), and the episode has only ever been seen at animation festivals and conventions after network standards and practices forbid it being aired on TV. Cartoon Network has publicly toyed with the idea of giving the episode an official release, but at this point it hasn’t happened.
Dexter’s Laboratory is also available now to purchase digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Fandango At Home, and other platforms.
Here’s the show’s official synopsis:
Dexter’s Laboratory is about half-Einstein, half-third grader, Dexter. This boy genius creates the most amazing inventions in the top secret and highly advanced laboratory attached to his room. But his genius can’t stop his space-brained sister Dee Dee from messing up and his work and pushing his buttons. Or his annoying rival Mandark from constantly trying to one-up him. Can Dexter use his intelligence to solve his problems? Time to fight fire with…SCIENCE!
