Rocko, Heffer, Filburt, and yes, Spunky the dog, along with the rest of O-Town are headed back to Nickelodeon for the long-awaited Rocko’s Modern Life revival next year. More than twenty years after it first went off the air, one of the most fondly remembered shows of Nickelodeon’s golden age is coming back for a special TV movie. The good news? The entire original cast is set to return for the special, which has been given an official title as well.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Nickelodeon has officially titled the upcoming one-hour TV special, Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling. Joe Murray, who created the original series, is on board to write and executive produce the special for the network, which is another very important piece of the puzzle for fans. Here’s the synopsis for Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling. And yes, Rock and the gang have been in outer space for more than two decades.
“[Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling] brings the characters back to Earth after being lost in outer space since 1996. Rocko has trouble accepting this 21st century modern life, while Heffer and Filburt embrace every aspect of new technology, social media and the endless diversity of food trucks. Rocko whole-heartedly believes that his nostalgia for the past can save him from the tortures of the modern world.”
Interesting approach. It seems that they are aware that the audience who used to watch the show has grown up and, as such, they are taking a bit of a social commentary approach. More importantly than that, all of the voice actors who made Rocko’s Modern Life what it was are going to reprise their roles for the show. Carlos Alazraqui is back primarily as Rocko, but also Spunky and Leon. Tom Kenny, the man behind Spongebob, is back as Heffer, in addition to Chuck and Really Really Big Man. Other cast members include Mr. Lawrence as Filburt Turtle, Charlie Adler as Ed and Bev Bighead, Linda Wallem as Aunt Gretchen and Dr. Hutchinson, Jill Talley as Nosey, and Joe Murray as Ralph. Two new cast members in the form of Steve Little (Adventure Time) and Cosmo Segurson have also come on board.
This is not the only Nicktoons revival that the network currently has in production. Nickelodeon is also going to be airing Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie later this year, as well as an Invader Zim revival next year. 90s nostalgia is not something Nickelodeon is willing to ignore at this point.
Rocko’s Modern Life aired for a total of four seasons from 1993 to 1996 with a total of 52 episodes. The series, in the same vein of something like Ren and Stimpy, has some mature themes hidden within the framework of a kid-friendly TV series. Like the theory that Rocko works for a phone sex hotline, for example. We can only hope that Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling will bring in some of that same mature humor. Nickelodeon has yet to set a release date for the special yet, but we will be sure to keep you up to date as more information is made available.