‘Rugrats’ Revived at Viacom With New Nickelodeon Series, Feature Film

The Rugrats revival arrives as the kids-focused cable network finds itself in new territory after 30-year-plus Viacom veteran Cyma Zarghami exited her post as president of the Nickelodeon Group. Sarah Levy is running the brand in the interim, as a replacement has not yet been determined. Nickelodeon, once the promised land for youth programming, has lost its perch as fellow cable (Disney Channel) and streaming outlets (Netflix, Apple) have entered the kids’ programming space, driving up the price and demand for content. To compete, Nickelodeon, like other high-end scripted destinations, is leaning on reboots and spinoffs to compete and cut through the cluttered landscape. Rugrats joins other recently revived projects at Nickelodeon including Double Dare, Blues Clues, Rocko’s Modern Life and Invader Zim, and a potential reboot of Clarissa Explains It All with original star Melissa Joan Hart.

«Rugrats is hands-down one of the most celebrated cartoons in TV history, and we are thrilled for a whole new audience to meet these iconic characters in brand-new adventures,» said Levy, chief operating officer at Viacom Media Networks and interim president at Nickelodeon. «What was true in 1991 when the original show premiered is still true today: Kids are fascinated with the world of babies. We can’t wait for today’s kids to meet Tommy, Chuckie and pals.”

Rugrats originally ran for nine seasons and 172 episodes from 1991-2004, earning four daytime Emmys and six Kids’ Choice Awards, among others, and launching a slate of consumer products. The success led to three features, starting with 1998’s The Rugrats Movie, followed by Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) and Rugrats Go Wild (2003). The films grossed $100 million, $76.5 million and $39.4 million, respectively.

«Now feels like the ideal time to reintroduce this iconic cast of characters to a whole new generation of young fans,” said Brian Robbins, president of Paramount Players. “Kids who grew up with Tommy Pickles and the Rugrats crew will now be able to share that experience with their own children.»

Mining its library on both the film and TV side is part of a larger plan by Viacom CEO Bob Bakish to help revitalize the media behemoth amid dwindling linear ratings and increased competition. (Viacom’s push for stage ended with the under-performance of its SpongeBob SquarePants Broadway musical, which closed and lost money.) The company’s MTV recently unveiled MTV Studios, which will mine its library to reboot some of its iconic series for other outlets.

This article was originally published by: Hollywood Reporter