Comedy Central has had a rough go since announcing an adult-targeted Ren & Stimpy reboot last August. The news was met with a tepid response from the industry, followed by a petition to halt the series, owing to the accusations of child abuse against the show’s creator John Kricfalusi.
By late September, Robyn Byrd, one of Kricfalusi’s accuser’s, reported that she had confirmed with several sources that ViacomCBS had canned the reboot. Byrd’s statement was supported by Bob Camp, a former showrunner and executive producer on The Ren & Stimpy Show, who said that he had also heard the show had been shelved.
But there’s a new twist. Billy West, 68, the original voice of Stimpy (and later, Ren too), has publicly stated that he believes the reboot is still moving forward. Responding to a fan’s query on Twitter about whether the reboot had been canceled, West wrote, “Not that I’ve heard. I think there were delays in all production and development because of Covid.” Presumably, West would be involved in the new production if it does move forward.
ViacomCBS, the parent company of Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, did not respond to earlier requests for a comment about the status of the show.
The corporation has made rebooting and extending its existing IP a core part of its adult animation strategy. Other revivals in the pipeline include Beavis and Butt-Head, which will be written and produced by original creator Mike Judge; Clone High, which will also bring back creators Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Bill Lawrence; and Jodie, a spin-off from MTV’s Daria. Additionally, it is developing new movies and specials around South Park, Comedy Central’s flagship show.
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