Beavis and Butt-Head are back, but not for MTV: The 1990s icons are headed to MTV sibling Comedy Central. Series creator Mike Judge and 3 Arts Entertainment have struck a wide-ranging deal to bring back the characters from Judge’s iconic 1990s series for ViacomCBS’s Comedy Central brand, which has given a two-season order to a “reimagined†Beavis and Butt-Head. The deal, which also includes a component for Judge to develop additional spinoffs and specials, comes as Comedy Central mounts a major expansion to build on the long-running success of South Park by increasing its adult animation output.
Beavis and Butt-Head, which was a pop-culture juggernaut during its original run on MTV from 1993 to 1997, was last revived for one season back in 2011. Despite strong ratings for MTV, the network and Judge didn’t move forward on more episodes, in no small part due to the fact that the show didn’t fit with MTV’s focus at the time on younger female audiences. In 2020, the MTV brand is heavily centered around unscripted shows. Reviving Beavis and Butt-Head at Comedy Central, where reruns have aired a few times over the years, simply makes more sense. The network is also moving forward with plans for Jodie, a spinoff of Daria, which itself was a spinoff from a character introduced on … Beavis and Butt-Head. Chris McCarthy, president of the ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group, said he was looking forward to “working with Mike Judge and the great team at [producer] 3 Arts again as we double down on adult animation at Comedy Central. Beavis and Butt-Head were a defining voice of a generation, and we can’t wait to watch as they navigate the treacherous waters of a world light-years from their own.â€
Details of the new series are few right now, but there are hints that Judge may be considering finally aging the animated duo (who were still teenagers in the 2011 series, which was technically the eighth season of the original series.) For one, Comedy Central is saying Judge plans to “reimagine†the series, rather than simply reviving it. A press release announcing the deal also notes that Beavis and Butt-Head “are entering a whole new Gen Z world†and says the new show will have “meta-themes relatable to both new and old fans — Gen X parents and their Gen Z kids.†Judge’s only official comment on his plans? “It seemed like the time was right to get stupid again,†he said.
Judge will write and produce the new series and will once again supply the voice for both characters. The writer, who also created King of the Hill and the feature films Office Space and Idiocracy, recently wrapped production on his HBO comedy Silicon Valley.