The series stars the characters Split Kit, Elliot Mess, Terri Cloth, Patty Putty, and Clogged Duane as gross looking kids with abilities to help others. In the first two episodes, they have normal alter-egos, which transform into their "Garbage Pail" identities; later episodes show them exclusively in their Garbage Pail looks (it is never explained how their Garbage Pail personae became permanent).
The show also features parodies of Hollywood famous movies like the Indiana Jones series, Superman, Conan the Barbarian, King Kong, and The Fly. It also has segments between stories, such as "Garbage Pail Groaners" (jokes) and "Would We Lie To You?" (facts).
