More than 35 years into its existence, Nickelodeon is still a powerhouse when it comes to pleasing younger generations, and thankfully for those of us old enough to raise our own children, the network is becoming just as keen on reengaging with the audiences who grew up with it. That's best evidenced by the upcoming TV movie [Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie], and it sounds like we just might get to see another beloved cartoon's return in the future: Rugrats. While speaking with co-creator Arlene Klasky at Comic-Con, I asked if more Rugrats could happen, and here's what she said:
I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about that. Let's just say...We've been talking to Nickelodeon. And it's been a decade since Klasky Csupo went its way. So it's actually really nice to be embraced by Nick. I hope so.
I'll admit that it became hard to hear what she was saying over my inner child screaming to be let out so that he could give Arlene Klasky the biggest hug. I know the entertainment industry is as fickle as it gets, and that Tommy Pickles' future isn't set in stone (yet), but the world feels like a more innocent place knowing that the proper people are actively having conversations about getting Rugrats back on TV after so many years. It's not a huge shock, necessarily, considering that show and the other NickToons are a hallmark of 1990s TV, with several successful films and a spinoff to boot. But ice cream isn't shocking, and it's still excellent, so...
Klasky mentioned the end of the production company Klasky Csupo, which she ran with her then-husband Gabor Csupo, but just because it isn't around anymore doesn't mean that he wouldn't be involved. Here's what Klasky said when I asked if she was down for more.
I'm down for it. So is Gabor [Csupo], and I'm sure [other co-creator] Paul Germain is, too. I hope so.
So if she already knows Csupo wants in on it, then those conversations with Nickelodeon must be pretty interesting. Klasky also told me how great the network has been recently, and how engaged its creative side is with not just Rugrats and Hey Arnold!, but many others in its vast library of children's, nay, all-aged people's programming. She also credits fans - who apparently contact her and Nickelodeon very often about a Rugrats return - for keeping the interest alive, and what better way to justify more of something than getting hounded by the very people that will enjoy it. Will the year 2019 be one in which Phil and Lil are getting into new arguments while Ickis and Crumm hide from The Gromble? It's up to us! (And also executives.)
While we wait to hear more about a possible Rugrats return - and hopefully it will be a bit more coherent than when the Pickles pet Spike hears things - take comfort in knowing that Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie will head to a new location in search for Arnold's birth parents at some point in 2017. Waiting is hard.
