On 4 June 1984, the show was (along with " Belle and Sebastian") the first animated show to appear on Nickelodeon in the United States and quickly became the second most popular show on the channel after "You Can’t Do That on Television", as it appealed to both preteens and adults with its quick-witted English humour. It was often compared to American audiences as a British equivalent of "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show", due to its gentle satire of politics and outrageous plots.