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ReBoot came to television first: it debuted in September 1994, more than a year before Toy Story opened in theaters on November 22, 1995. The distinction is about format: ReBoot was promoted as a half-hour series produced entirely by computer, while Toy Story is recognized as the first computer-animated feature film.
What came first: ReBoot or Toy Story?
ReBoot came first by release date. Its television debut was in September 1994, according to the show’s contemporaneous press kit. Toy Story followed with its theatrical release on November 22, 1995. Mainframe Studios identifies ReBoot as its first fully-CG television series, and Pixar and the Academy identify Toy Story as the first computer-animated feature film.
| Title | Format | Release | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReBoot | Half-hour television series | September 1994 television debut | Promoted as produced entirely by computer using CGI and 3D animation |
| Toy Story | Theatrical feature film | November 22, 1995 | First computer-animated feature film |
What does “first CGI movie” mean here?
Calling Toy Story the “first CGI movie” is imprecise: movies made before it had already used CGI for visual effects. The supported milestone is narrower—Pixar describes it as the world’s first CG-animated feature, and the Academy calls it the first computer-animated feature film. Those claims concern an entire feature animated by computer, not the first film to include any computer-generated imagery. See Pixar’s film history and the Academy’s 1996 ceremony record.
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In what sense was ReBoot a CGI first?
The producers’ January 11, 1995 press kit called ReBoot “a television first” and specified a half-hour series produced entirely by computer with CGI and 3D animation. That contemporary wording supports describing it as an early fully computer-animated half-hour television series. Mainframe Studios retrospectively calls it the first fully-CG TV series; that is the studio’s claim, rather than a definitive ruling over every possible television format.
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![ReBoot: Seasons 1 & 2 [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51R7pL1vCpL._SL160_.jpg)
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The qualifier matters because “TV show” can include short-form programs and other formats. Early works such as Insektors complicate an unqualified claim that ReBoot was the first computer-animated television program of any kind. The available evidence establishes the narrower ReBoot milestone, but does not settle an absolute first across every category.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the two milestones do not conflict
ReBoot and Toy Story belong to different categories. One was a half-hour television series that arrived in 1994; the other was a theatrical feature released in 1995. So ReBoot can precede Toy Story as a fully computer-animated series while Toy Story retains its place as the first computer-animated feature film.
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