The Itsy Bitsy Spider

"Hi, my name is Leslie McGroarty, and this is my cute spider friend, Itsy Bitsy!"

- Leslie



A 1992 animated fantasy-comedy short named for the nursery rhyme of the same name, originally shown in theaters preceding Bebe's Kids. In 1994, to become a franchise, it was picked up as a TV series, which aired on the USA Network. The franchise focused on an imaginative and tomboyish young city girl named Leslie McGroarty, who is befriended by a little country spider named Itsy.

Tropes covered by the short and the series:

 * Bug War: Mostly one-sided. Characters try to dispose of Itsy for being a spider and he's just defending himself.
 * Cats Are Mean: Langston
 * Country Bug: Itsy
 * David Versus Goliath
 * Determinator: The Exterminator
 * Dumb Muscle: The Exterminator
 * Eccentric Exterminator
 * Hey, It's That Voice!: Frank Welker as Itsy
 * Kill It with Fire: One of the Exterminator's tools is a flamethrower.
 * Meganekko: Leslie McGroarty
 * The Power of Friendship: Leslie and her best friend, Itsy
 * Same Character, But Different: Leslie went from being sweet and introverted in the first season to energetic and happy-go-lucky in the second.
 * Stern Teacher: Music Teacher/Adrianne
 * Top-Heavy Guy: The Exterminator
 * Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Leslie was a cute, sweet and introverted tomboy in the short and first season. Many episodes in season two have her more tomboyish.

Tropes exclusive to the short:
"Leslie: I guess next week's lesson is off, huh? (Leslie and Itsy giggles as they go home to the city.)"
 * The Ahnold: The Exterminator after the Robotic Reveal.
 * Avoid the Dreaded G Rating: This short film was originally have a G rating. But, it has one use of jokes such as the Exterminator robot poops or vomits these bombs in order to give the film a PG rating. See the image here.
 * Bittersweet Ending: Leslie is very sad that she believes Itsy dies in the explosion, but she hears Itsy on her leg. She was extremely happy that Leslie is finally reunited with Itsy. Happily, Leslie and Itsy are going back home to the big city.

"Music Teacher: What is that? The Exterminator: It's a high-tech microchip thermonuclear light-sensitive radioactive blue-screen laptop computer-generator triple-decker arachnid detector and Etch-a-Sketch. Any more questions?"
 * "He leaves me no alternatives, but to bomb the house."
 * Meet Cute: When Leslie puts her glasses back on, she first saw Itsy Bitsy. Leslie believes that Itsy is the cutest thing.
 * More Dakka: Turned Up to Eleven
 * Deuteragonist: Leslie McGroarty
 * No Name Given: Adrianne (aka Music Teacher)
 * Pilot Episode
 * The Protagonist: Itsy
 * Retroactive Recognition: Jim Carrey and Thora Birch
 * "WARNING! WARNING! Vaporization of outer latex insulation in progress! DROP AND ROLL!!! DROP AND ROLL!!!"
 * Stink Bomb: The Exterminator as a robot pooping the bomb out.
 * Techno Babble:


 * Vomit Indiscretion Shot: The Exterminator vomits the rocket bomb. Cue mass audience. "Ewwwwwwwww!"

Tropes exclusive to the series:

 * Absentee Actor: The Exterminator, Adrianne and Langston will not appeared in the episode, "Basic Insect". Also, this episode marks Leslie and Itsy the only two characters appears in every episode in the series.
 * City with No Name: Leslie's hometown was seen in many episodes of the series, especially "It's a Zoo Itsy" and "Sugar-Coated Spider".
 * Daydream Believer: Leslie daydreams about happier days with Itsy in the episode, "Sugar-Coated Spider".
 * Deuteragonist: Itsy
 * Disney Death: Itsy was killed in the episode, "Sugar-Coated Spider", only to be resurrected by Leslie's magical tear.
 * Dream Land: See here.
 * Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: In one episode the Exterminator kills Expies of Bambi and his mother.
 * Negative Continuity: For one thing, the Exterminator is no longer a robot.
 * The Other Darrin: Frank Welker was the only one to return for the series.
 * Panty Shot: Leslie in a couple of episodes, especially "State Fair Itsy".
 * Rubber Girl: Leslie was able to stretch her arms and legs.
 * In the episode, "Sugar-Coated Spider", Leslie stretches out her arm very long to grab Itsy.
 * The Protagonist: Leslie McGroarty
 * Sizeshifter: Leslie has her magical power to shrink herself to bug size. Especially in these episodes of the series, "Basic Insect" and "Sugar-Coated Spider".
 * Tritagonist: George
 * Whole-Episode Flashback: In the episode "Miss Muffet Roughs It", Itsy tells Leslie the backstory about Itsy as a baby living in the country with his mother and father.
 * Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: Occasionally Adrianne and the Exterminator would be shown in different jobs.
 * Wild Take