Rugrats (2021 TV series)

Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain. It has been described as a reboot of the original TV series of the same name that ran from 1991 to 2004. The series premiered on May 27, 2021, on Paramount+; it is the second Nickelodeon-based series created for the streaming service. As with previous incarnations of the franchise, the series was produced by Klasky Csupo and Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

On March 28, 2024, the series was removed from Paramount+ as part of a "strategic decision to focus on content with mass global appeal." Premieres had already moved to the Nicktoons channel on March 14, 2024.

Premise
Apart from the setting update of the 2020s from the 1990s, the rebooted Rugrats remains the same as the original series, as it still focuses on the experiences of a courageous, adventurous one-year-old baby named Tommy Pickles and his group of playmates and other infants and toddlers.

Voice cast
The surviving voice actors of the titular "Rugrats" reprise their roles from the original series, though the adult roles from the original series have been recast, including Betty DeVille who was originally voiced by the returning Kath Soucie.

Children

 * E. G. Daily as Tommy Pickles
 * Nancy Cartwright as Chuckie Finster
 * Cheryl Chase as Angelica Pickles
 * Cree Summer as Susie Carmichael
 * Kath Soucie as Phil and Lil DeVille
 * Tara Strong as Dil Pickles
 * Charlet Chung as Kimi Watanabe

Adults

 * Tommy Dewey as Stu Pickles
 * Ashley Rae Spillers as Didi Pickles
 * Anna Chlumsky as Charlotte Pickles
 * Timothy Simons as Drew Pickles
 * Natalie Morales as Betty DeVille
 * Tony Hale as Chas Finster
 * Michael McKean as Grandpa Lou Pickles
 * Nicole Byer as Dr. Lucy Carmichael
 * Omar Benson Miller as Randy Carmichael

Supporting

 * Henry Winkler as Grandpa Boris Kropotkin
 * Swoosie Kurtz as Grandma Minka Kropotkin
 * Hiromi Dames as Kira Watanabe
 * Alicyn Packard as Josh
 * Anthony Del Rio as Jonathan Kraskell
 * Fred Tatasciore as Reptar

Production
In early September 2015, it was announced on Variety that Nickelodeon may "seek to experiment with retooled versions of classics" that could include Rugrats. The following day, The Independent announced that "Rugrats could soon be back on our screens too." In July 2016, it was revealed that Nickelodeon was in talks with Klasky Csupo and Paul Germain about a possible revival of the TV series.

In late July 2016, Arlene Klasky stated that she would be willing to work on a revival of the series, along with co-creators Gabor Csupó and Paul Germain. In October 2016, a Nickelodeon senior vice president stated in response to a fan question that Rugrats was among other shows being considered for revival.

In mid-July 2018, it was announced that Nickelodeon had given a series order to a 26-episode revival of the series, executive produced by Klasky, Csupó, and Germain. In May 2020, it was announced that the revival series was delayed until 2021.

In late February 2021, it was announced that the reboot would premiere on Paramount+ in late spring 2021. A sneak peek was also uploaded to social media platforms. In March, an all-new cast for the parents were revealed.

The reboot premiered on Paramount+ on May 27, 2021 and began airing on Nickelodeon on August 20, 2021. A second batch of episodes was released on October 7, 2021. Regular Nickelodeon airings began on February 25, 2022.

On September 21, 2021, the series was renewed for a 13-episode second season. The series has a holiday episode that was released on December 2, 2021.

On July 21, 2022, it was announced that an additional 13 episodes had been ordered for season two, and that the series was renewed for a 13-episode third season.

On March 16, 2023, it was announced that season two would premiere on April 14, 2023.

Comparisons with original series
As a continuity reboot, the 2021 series has differences to the original 1991 series, some of which was done to accommodate the 30-year difference between the two. The character Betty DeVille was originally portrayed as a strong feminist woman with a "weak" husband in Howard. She is now portrayed as a lesbian, and Howard is absent. Her voice actress, Natalie Morales, stated about the change that "anyone who watched the original show may have had an inkling Betty was a member of the alphabet mafia."

Susie and the Carmichael family are already established as neighbors (as opposed to the 1991 series, when they debuted during its second season). Susie is also now two years old instead of three and is no longer able to talk to the adults. Charlotte Pickles also is present from the beginning; in the 1991 series, she did not appear until the second season, being an unseen character up until then. Kimi Watanabe is now three and a half years old, and has already moved with her mother Kira from Paris to the United States by the time she meets the cast. Kira and Chas meet in "Lucky Smudge", when it is revealed she won piano lessons he submitted for a raffle at a fair.

Fluffy, the cat already long belonging to Drew, Charlotte, and Angelica by the time of its first appearances in the original series, is adopted in "Fluffy Moves In" during this series.