The original pilot for Nickelodeon's "Salute Your Shorts aired only once in October 1990. It featured different actors for some characters and starred Ian Giatti as Michael, Danny Cooksey as Budnick, Kirk Baily as Ug, Michael Bower as Donkey Lips, David Tom as Sponge, Kelley Parker as Dina, Teri Johnston as Telly, and Alexandra Kurhan as Z.Z. The pilot episode aired October 6, 1990 as a special on Nickelodeon. After the series was picked up, the cast had to re-audition for their roles.