Classic Animated Series Ren & Stimpy Is Coming Back, But To A New Network

The Ren & Stimpy Show is now joining the growing list of '90s animated series getting a revival. Comedy Central announced in a release that the Emmy-nominated cult hit show is coming back, but not many further details beyond that.

"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.

Noticeably absent from the terse announcement is any mention of the show's original creator, cartoonist John Kricfalusi. That isn't exactly a shock, however. In 2018, Kricfalusi was accused by two women of sexually harassing them while they were underage. He subsequently released an apology for his behavior, blaming his mental health and "poor impulse control."

During the show's original run in the early '90s, Kricfalusi was fired in 1992 and subsequently prevented from having any involvement at all. Ren & Stimpy went on for three more seasons before finishing out, and in 2003, Kricfalusi returned on Spike TV with the short-lived, six-episode run of Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon."

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. The Ren & Stimpy revival follows orders for new versions of other classic animated comedies also from Viacom's cable library, including Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head; Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Bill Lawrence's Clone High; and Jodie, based on the former MTV series Daria.