As part of a major push into adult animation, Comedy Central has given a series green light to a reimagening of the cult Emmy-nominated The Ren & Stimpy Show.
Comedy Central has been tapping into IP across ViacomCBS to build an original animated slate around stalwart South Park. The Ren & Stimpy Show will join the recently announced Beavis and Butt-Head reboot from Mike Judge and Daria spin-off Jodie on Comedy Central.
“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.
The series, created by John Kricfalusi, followed the adventures of title characters Ren, an emotionally unstable Chihuahua, and Stimpy, a good-natured yet dimwitted cat. It aired for five seasons on Nickelodeon, ending in December 1995. The following year, the series had a run on MTV.
Happy Happy Joy Joy, a documentary on The Ren & Stimpy Show, co-directed by Ron Cicero and Kimo Easterwood, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
“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 Park, Beavis and Butt-Head and Clone High as we continue to reimagine our treasure chest of beloved IP for new generations.”
Clone High is yet to be set up at a network.