80Twelve The hit Nickelodeon show 'Rugrats' just received the green light for another run on television.
‘Rugrats’, the hit Nickelodeon show, is returning to Nickelodeon with new episodes and a live action movie to boot. Viacom’s Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures announced the revival of the 90s children show on Monday, which will feature Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil, as well as a host of other characters.
Sarah Levy, the COO of Viacom Media Networks and Interim President, Nickelodeon, said of the revival, “Rugrats is hands-down one of the most celebrated cartoons in TV history, and we are thrilled for a whole new audience to meet these iconic characters in brand-new adventures.”
The original ‘Rugrats’ series launched in 1991 and ran for nine seasons over 13 years. The show was so successful that it earned a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and spawned three feature-length films. Here’s what you need to know.
1. The Same Executive Producers Will Return to Develop the Reboot
The same producers who launched the original series are returning to helm the reboot, according to E! News. This includes Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain.
The return of Klasky and Csupó marks almost a decade-long hiatus for both individuals. Klasky’s last project on IMDB was as an executive producer on the other cartoon series ‘As Told By Ginger’, and the same is true for Gabor Csupó.
As for Paul Germain, he has been a consulting producer on the television series ‘Part Timers’ through to 2016. Though all three are slated to return as executive producers, it’s unclear how hands-on their involvement with the reboot will be.
2. ‘Rugrats’ Is Just One of Many Children’s Shows From the 90s Set to Make a Return
Though ‘Rugrats’ is one of the more popular cult favorites, there are a handful of 90s-era childrens’ shows set to make a return around the same time as ‘Rugrats’.
This handful includes ‘Double Dare’ (which is currently airing new episodes)and ‘Blue’s Clues’ as well as several series transformations into movies for ‘Rocko’s Modern Life’, ‘Hey Arnold’ and ‘Invader Zim’.
The ‘Hey Arnold’ reboot will occur in two movie-length installations, according to BuzzFeed, and will begin where the television series left off, with Arnold finding a map in his father’s journal that could potentially lead his parents to San Lorenzo.
3. The Return of the Show Is Timed so That Its Original Fans Can Enjoy It With Their Kids
It’s not accidental that several of the children’s shows which were popular in the 90s are making a comeback. Brian Robbins, president of Paramount Players, said of the green-lighting of several 90s-era shows, “Now feels like the ideal time to reintroduce this iconic cast of characters to a whole new generation of young fans.”
He added, “Kids who grew up with Tommy Pickles and the Rugrats crew will now be able to share that experience with their own children.”
Levy reiterated Robbins in her own statement, as she said of ‘Rugrats’, “What was true in 1991 when the original show premiered is still true today: kids are fascinated with the world of babies. We can’t wait for today’s kids to meet Tommy, Chuckie and pals.”
A live action rugrats movie #Rugrats
In confirmation of this theory, Twitter users have been blowing up the #Rugrats hashtag with memes and excited tweets about sharing their favorite kids show with their own kids- though they’re less than enthused about the idea of a live-action film.
4. The Movie Is Slated for November 13, 2020
The live-action ‘Rugrats’ film is set for release in 2020. E! News reports that it will include CGI characters, and (like the show) will include both old and new characters.
This will be the fourth ‘Rugrats’ movie, in total. The ‘Rugrats’ films have been incredibly successful in the past, with the first ‘Rugrats Movie’ in 1998 grossing $100 million domestically, and the sequel, ‘Rugrats in Paris’, earning $76 million domestically.
Both movies were created and produced on a budget of $30 million or less.
5. Fans Can Expect at Least 26 Episodes, as Well as Both Old & New Characters in the Show
For now, the series has been slated for approval with 26 episodes in the first season.
Although there was another ‘Rugrats’ pseudo-reboot called ‘All Grown Up’, which featured the ‘Rugrats’ characters in their teenage years, USA Today reports that this reboot will be focused on the ‘Rugrats’ characters while they’re still babies. In other words, 26 years later, Millennial adults will be returning to their favorite characters who haven’t aged a bit.
