Everything that is old can be new again, at least when it comes to beloved TV projects, and so it shall go with that most classic of animated series, Animaniacs. That's right, everyone: Yakko, Wakko and Dot are finally heading back to our TV screens and the lyric-memorizing parts of our brains, as Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg's Amblin TV are putting their heads together for a brand new Animaniacs series. This. Needs. To. Happen.
Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like anyone is within any animation studios, already working hard on bringing the Warner Bros. tower to 2D life for 2017-18 audiences. At this point, the faboo project is still in the earliest stages of development, according to IndieWire, which means there's the potential for things to implode before they ever fully get off the ground. However, there are several factors that give an Animaniacs reboot six stubby legs up on many other shows that fans would love to see more from, and it's said that Steven Spielberg would be directly involved with the new version's development process.
The original Animaniacs series made its streaming debut on Netflix last year, where it not only brought older generations back into the parody-filled fold, but it was also introduced to new generations that were entirely unaware of its existence. (Repeats and DVDs haven't always been so available over the years.) A streaming presence definitely wouldn't have been such a laudable element five years ago, but Netflix's subscriber base is enormous enough to necessitate its worth.
Then we broaden our scope out to bring up the obvious point that TV is currently embracing the hell out of resurrecting former hits for continuation or revamping purposes. From Prison Break to American Idol to 24 to Will & Grace to Roseanne to [keep going ad nauseam], studios and audiences are all-in on keeping nostalgia and fanbases strong. (Or strong enough for advertisers, anyway.) And with shows like the now-cancelled Girl Meets World and the upcoming That's So Raven spinoff, it's clearly not just adult primetime fare that's getting the reboot treatment, making Animaniacs ripe for consideration for renewed small screen consumption.
And while no networks were mentioned as far as where Animaniacs could end up, the big red-logo elephant in the room, Netflix, would be an ideal spot for it. It's not even so much the fact that it would be available to watch whenever we want, since most kid-oriented networks adapted streaming sites and apps early on. Or that Netflix would no doubt dump a ton of money into it. I'm into Netflix being a home for new Animaniacs because we've already seen several popular kid-friendly franchises and characters return to the streaming service's library of Originals and exclusive acquisitions. Shows like The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show and Danger Mouse are excellent updates, and we've also seen fun spinoffs of The Croods, Home and even King Kong (sorta) show up.
Plus, and this is the REAL reason: we'd probably get to hear a song about all of Netflix's shows, which would be amazing. Plus, we're hoping it would then lead to more Tiny Toons and more Freakazoid!
So while Animaniacs isn't making a definitive return just yet, it would be a totally insane-y, money down the drain-y move if the reboot goes unproduced for even a second longer than whatever 5 seconds from now is. Those are the facts....For more facts, check out a bunch of 1990s kids shows you probably don't remember, and if you need something to watch while waiting to hear more about Animaniacs' potential return, check our our summer TV premiere schedule.
