A month after announcing the return of Beavis & Butt-Head for two more seasons last month, Viacom is reviving yet another ’90s animated duo- Ren and Stimpy!

Ren & Stimpy is just the latest from Viacom’s cartoon library given new life alongside Jodie, a character spin-off from Daria, as well as Clone High. As noted by Variety, unlike Clone High and Beavis & Butt-Head which sees the original creators returning to helm the revivals, Ren and Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi “will have no creative input into and will receive no financial remuneration from the new series.” Considering the Kricfalusi’s teenage sexual abuse allegations uncovered by BuzzFeed in 2018, the decision is not that surprising.

Despite the controversy behind-the-scenes controversy and with the adult content during its run on Nickelodeon, Ren & Stimpy is still regarded as a revolution for television animation. In fact, the documentary Happy Happy Joy Joy, The Ren & Stimpy Story chronicling and exploring the seminal animated series will be available to stream next week.

 

Today, Comedy Central announced a reimagination of the Emmy®-nominated cult hit The Ren & Stimpy Show as it continues to double down on adult-focused animation, unlocking and reinventing a treasure chest of IP across ViacomCBS to complement South Park, including the newly announced Beavis and Butt-Head from Mike Judge and Daria spin-off Jodie.

“I want to thank our partners at Nick Animation as we re-imagine these iconic characters with a new creative team,” said Nina L. Diaz, President of Content and Chief Creative Officer for ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group.”

Nickelodeon launched the original Ren & Stimpy alongside Rugrats and Doug in 1991, where it quickly catapulted into the pop culture zeitgeist with its dark humor, vivid imagination and critical acclaim.  Often thought of as an adult series at the time, the iconic dog and cat duo are consistently ranked among the top animated characters of all time.

“We are excited to reinvent this iconic franchise with a new creative team and our partners at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio,” said Chris McCarthy, President of ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group.  “Ren & Stimpy joins our rapidly expanding roster of adult animation including South ParkBeavis and Butt-Head and Clone High as we continue to reimagine our treasure chest of beloved IP for new generations.”