On August 5, Comedy Central announced that they would be bringing back "The Ren & Stimpy Show." According to the Hollywood Reporter, it will be "a "reimagined" take on the former Nickelodeon and Spike adult animated series." That said, "Ren & Stimpy" isn't the only Nickelodeon show revival on the horizon, as work continues on the live-action Netflix produced reboot of "Avatar: The Last Airbender."
The history of 'Ren & Stimpy'
"The Ren & Stimpy Show" first aired on Nickelodeon in 1991, and would run for five seasons until 1996. The show starred Ren Hoëk, voiced by show creator John K, and Stimpy Cat, voiced by Billy West.
Ren was a chihuahua who angered easily and was often cruel, while Stimpy was a very friendly but often unintelligent cat. Even though the show always focused on these two characters, the setting changed very often. Much like Bugs Bunny in "The Looney Tunes," Ren and Stimpy would find themselves anywhere from a suburban home to the outer reaches of space.
Episodes were often shocking, surreal, full of non-sequiturs, and heavy on violence. After the show ended, it was brought back briefly as the "Ren and Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon" in 2003 on Spike. The show was very short-lived as only six episodes were created, and only three actually ever aired. The new adult take on the show was universally panned.
What we know about the new 'Ren & Stimpy'
Unfortunately, there has been very little information released about what the new "Ren & Stimpy" show will be like. Right now, all we know is that the show is being created for Comedy Central. According to Variety, the original creator of the series John Kricfalusi "will have no creative input into and will receive no financial remuneration from the new series." Due to being created for Comedy Central as opposed to Nickelodeon, it can be likely assumed this series will be more adult-oriented than the original series was.
John Kricfalusi, or John K, as he is commonly known, was likely not involved in the new "Ren and Stimpy" series due to the abuse allegations that have surfaced against him in recent years. Billy West, who originally voiced Stimpy and eventually Ren after Nickelodeon fired John K, has not been confirmed to be involved in the project at this time, but it remains possible that he will.
What would be the ideal version of 'Ren & Stimpy?'
Recapturing the magic that was "The Ren & Stimpy Show" is the equivalent of trying to catch lightning in a bottle. When it first came out, it was like nothing else on the air. Even the first revival, despite having the original creator and free creative control, was unable to get remotely close to the quality of the Nickelodeon classic. While it is at least reassuring John K will not be anywhere near this new attempt, it still seems unlikely someone will be able to do the original series justice. "Ren and Stimpy" all but created gross-out humor, and its experimental storytelling broke the mold of what was expected from a kid's cartoon. For a new "Ren and Stimpy" show to succeed, it would need top-quality animation and a team that genuinely understands what made the first show work.
Most importantly, though, the team behind this show needs to show restraint when it comes to its adult content. "Adult Party Cartoon" took things way too far, and seemed more interested in shocking and disgusting its audience rather than telling interesting, fun, and emotionally resonate stories. Sometimes restrictions can even force writers and artists to be more creative and lead them to make something funnier than what they originally had. Either way, it's abundantly clear, "Adult Party" was not the right way to make a revival of this series.
If you're interested in reading about other news related to TV Shows consider checking out our articles on "The Good Doctor" halting production on its fourth season or updates on "America's Got Talent."
