'Ren & Stimpy' Reboot Greenlit by Comedy Central
“The Ren & Stimpy Show” Nickelodeon’s ’90s cult favorite, will soon be revived by Comedy Central ― but series creator John Kricfalusi, accused of preying on girls in 2018, will not be part of the return.
Comedy Central announced Wednesday that Ren & Stimpy would be joining the likes of the new “Beavis and Butt-Head” and “Clone High” reboots as part of parent company ViacomCBS’ focus on resuscitating old entertainment properties and doubling down on adult animation.
The original show premiered on Nickelodeon in 1991 and ran for five seasons, with its last episodes playing on MTV in 1996. Showcasing the madcap antics of angry chihuahua Ren and his goofy cat buddy Stimpy, the show popularized the phrase “Happy Happy Joy Joy.” It also frequently tested the line of Nickelodeon’s child-friendly brand with episodes frequently filled with gross-out humor, sexual innuendo and shock value ― several of which were banned or censored.
Comedy Central’s iteration of the series will be the first time the slapstick animal duo has returned to television since the short-lived “Ren & Stimpy ‘Adult Party Cartoon’,” a raunchier spin-off with only six episodes that partially aired on Spike TV in 2003 and received largely negative reviews.
Variety reported that those working on the revival would not include Kricfalusi. A noted perfectionist in the animation industry, Kricfalusi was the subject of a 2018 BuzzFeed report on allegations by two women that he had groomed them for sexual relationships while they were underage ― including one who said they had such a relationship when she was 16.
Kricfalusi apologized for his behavior after the allegations surfaced, citing bipolar and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders that made him “unable to control [his] impulses and obsessions.”
“It’s not pretty to have to stare myself in the face and see myself the way those who I’ve hurt see me,” Kricfalusi wrote on Facebook at the time. “I imagine many other men are waking up and feeling the shame I’ve felt for years. I welcome a social change in our attitudes towards women and how we should treat them with respect and equality.”
Reactions to the show’s revival were mixed on social media, with some welcoming new versions of Ren and Stimpy while others called it “tone deaf” to bring back Kricfalusi’s creations.
Bringing back the legacy of a known pedophile and serial abuser (Ren and Stimpy) is incredibly tone deaf and harmful. This would be a wonderful opportunity to listen and to instead uplift the voices and projects of some marginalized creators with new ideas!!
— leah artwick (@itsleahelaine) August 5, 2020
Ren+Stimpy doesn't need to be brought back. Beavis n Butthead doesn't need to be brought back. Even Clone High doesn't need to be brought back. They had their chances and are interesting relics of the past. There's so many people who have so many new and better ideas for today.
— kc green (@kcgreenn) August 5, 2020
No disrespect to the people who end up working on it, but the Ren & Stimpy name is mud. Imagine being one of the women John Kricfalusi routinely abused having to see this old zombie of a brand shambling about every few years. This one should stay in the 90's where it belongs.
— Drew Green #BLM (@KingOfSafari) August 5, 2020
Ren & Stimpy is back! A new re-imaged series of the show will be joining the upcoming Comedy Central Animation revival block.
John K will not be a part of the series. I hope the likes of Bob Camp are. This will hopefully not be Adult Party Cartoon 2. pic.twitter.com/zrNjsd0IGp— TRAFON (@RiseFallNick) August 5, 2020
REN & STIMPY IS OFFICIALLY COMING BACK AND WITHOUT JOHN K. ON COMEDY CENTERAL
I REPEAT, REN & STIMPY IS OFFICIALLY COMING BACK AND WITHOUT JOHN K. ON COMEDY CENTERAL
THIS IS NOT A DRILL
IT’S HAPPENING, FOR REAL
OH MY 𝙂𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝘿 pic.twitter.com/kzp3H6SUvg— Rocko A. Rama (@Rocko_Rama) August 5, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
