Comedy Central is rebooting “The Ren & Stimpy Show,” adding to its roster of revived animated properties, the network announced Wednesday.
The announcement comes in conjunction with the news that ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group has tapped Marvel Studios and Fox Entertainment alum Grant Gish to lead a newly created adult animation unit. Shows under his oversight include the “Ren & Stimpy” reboot, Comedy Central’s “Beavis & Butt-Head” revival, the Tracee Ellis Ross-led “Daria” spinoff, “Jodie,” as well as MTV’s reboot of “Clone High.”
“Grant has incredible instincts and a supercharged passion for animation. Along with his extraordinary reputation and impressive successes with some of the biggest hits in the genre, from ‘Bob’s Burgers’ to ‘American Dad’ – his vision is exactly what we’re looking for to lead our adult animation unit,” said Nina L. Diaz, president of content and chief creative officer for ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group.
“I grew up on MTV’s Animation Studios content where I’d run home from school to watch ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ eating pretzels on my couch,” added Gish. “With access to such a vast library of IP that will enable us to break through the clutter coupled with the opportunity to create a fresh slate, I couldn’t be more excited to join the E&Y Group that’s growing in droves under Chris and Nina’s leadership.”
The original “Ren & Stimpy” series, created by John Kricfalusi, premiered on Nickelodeon in 1991 alongside “Rugrats” and “Doug.” The series ran for five seasons on the network and went on to become a cult hit, though Kricfalusi was famously fired from the show after repeated clashes with the network over production delays and the offensive content.
“I want to thank our partners at Nick Animation as we re-imagine these iconic characters with a new creative team,” said Diaz.
“We are excited to reinvent this iconic franchise with a new creative team and our partners at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio,” said Entertainment & Youth Group president Chris McCarthy. “‘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.”
18 New Summer TV Shows Ranked by Premiere Viewers, From 'Tough as Nails' to 'United We Fall' (Photos)
With all due respect to "America's Got Talent," summer is not exactly the time when Nielsen ratings threaten to fall off the charts -- at least, not the top of the charts. And when it comes to new series, a summer slot isn't generally a vote of confidence from the network.
Due to coronavirus-forced production shutdowns, Summer 2020 has been an especially soft season. Click through our gallery to see how 18 freshman broadcast television shows -- some acquisitions -- fared in total viewers for their premieres this summer.
Rank: 9 Show: "Celebrity Watch Party" Net: Fox Total Viewers: 1.785 million
Fox
Rank: 8 Show: "The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever!" Net: ABC Total Viewers: 2.412 million
ABC
Rank: 7 Show: "Cannonball"* Net: NBC Total Viewers: 2.655
*Network debut of USA Network series
NBC
Rank: 6 Show: "The Genetic Detective" Net: ABC Total Viewers: 3.264 million
ABC
Rank: 5 Show: "Tough as Nails" Net: CBS Total Viewers: 4.096 million
CBS
Rank: 4 Show: "Don't" Net: ABC Total Viewers: 4.178 million
ABC
Rank: 3 Show: "United We Fall" Net: ABC Total Viewers: 4.235 million
ABC
Rank: 2 Show: "Ultimate Tag" Net: Fox Total Viewers: 4.351 million
Fox
Rank: 1 Show: "Game On!" Net: CBS Total Viewers: 4.437 million
CBS
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Nielsen sheets cooled off as the months warmed up
With all due respect to "America's Got Talent," summer is not exactly the time when Nielsen ratings threaten to fall off the charts -- at least, not the top of the charts. And when it comes to new series, a summer slot isn't generally a vote of confidence from the network.
Due to coronavirus-forced production shutdowns, Summer 2020 has been an especially soft season. Click through our gallery to see how 18 freshman broadcast television shows -- some acquisitions -- fared in total viewers for their premieres this summer.