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.”