Editing Daria (section)

==History==
[[Daria Morgendorffer]], the show's titular character and protagonist, first appeared on MTV as a recurring character in Mike Judge's ''Beavis and Butt-Head''. MTV senior vice president and creative director Abby Terkuhle explained that when that show "became successful, we ... created Daria's character because we wanted a smart female who could serve as the [[Foil (literature)|foil]]".<ref>[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/13512116.html?dids=13512116:13512116&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+17%2C+1997&author=Jennifer+Mangan.+Special+to+the+Tribune.&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=%60DARIA%27+DELIVERS+A+BIG+DOSE+OF+SOPHIXTICATED+HUMOR&pqatl=google "'Daria': Brainy = Zany in MTV's irreverent view of 'girl humor,'"]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} ''[[Chicago Tribune]] TV Week'', August 17–23, 1997. Retrieved on November 1, 2009.</ref> Daria's original design was created by Bill Peckmann while working for J.J. Sedelmaier Productions during Beavis and Butt-Head's first season. During production of ''Beavis and Butt-Head''{{'}}s final seasons, MTV representatives, wanting to bring in a higher female demographic to the channel, approached [[story editor]] Glenn Eichler, offering a spin-off series for Daria. In 1995, a five-minute [[television pilot|pilot]], "Sealed with a Kick", was created by Eichler and ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' staffer [[Susie Lewis]] (although written by [[Sam Johnson and Chris Marcil]]). Among 4 other animated pilots pitched to the channel, Daria performed the strongest in focus groups, especially among middle-school-aged participants—a fact that bothered MTV initially, as they felt their core audience at the time was instead 18- to 24-year-olds.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-oral-history-of-daria/ |title=11 The Oral History of Daria|author=Conti, Allie|date=March 2, 2017|newspaper=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|access-date=January 29, 2021}}</ref> But after show staff argued that college students don't really watch much television, MTV approved a series order of 13 episodes; both Eichler and Lewis were signed onto the series as [[executive producer]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.outpost-daria.com/faq.html |title=outpost-daria Resources and Information |publisher=Outpost-daria.com |access-date=October 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127033421/http://www.outpost-daria.com/faq.html |archive-date=November 27, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.outpost-daria.com/ |title=Outpost Daria |publisher=Webcitiation.org |access-date=October 11, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623073810/http://www.outpost-daria.com/ |archive-date=June 23, 2010 }}</ref>

The first episode of ''Daria'' aired on March 3, 1997,<ref name="Brainy Daria" /> roughly nine months before ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' ended its original run. Titled "Esteemsters", the episode where established 16-year-old Texan Daria and her family's move from fictional Highland, the setting of ''Beavis and Butt-Head'', to the new series' equally fictional locale of Lawndale. As well as introducing Daria's parents and younger sister, Quinn, as primary supporting characters, the first episode also introduced [[Jane Lane (Daria)|Jane Lane]], Daria's best friend and confidante. Other than a brief mention of Highland, ''Daria'' did not contain any references to ''Beavis and Butt-Head''.

The series ran for five seasons, with 13 episodes each in five years, as well as two [[Television film|TV movie]]s and two [[Television specials|TV special]]s. The first movie, ''[[Is It Fall Yet?]]'', aired on August 27, 2000, and took place between seasons four and five. MTV planned an abbreviated six-episode sixth season, but, at Eichler's request, this project was cut down to a second movie, ''[[Is It College Yet?]]'', which served as the [[series finale]] on January 21, 2002.<ref name="Daria Bows Out">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/26/arts/still-the-sane-if-not-successful-voice-daria-bows-out.html|title=Still the Sane if Not Successful Voice, Daria Bows Out|author=Gates, Anita|date=January 26, 2002|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref>