The guy with the head shaped like an American football is coming back.
In more 'it's easier to regurgitate the past than come up with new ideas' news, Nickelodeon has announced it's developing a new TV movie based on Hey Arnold!, the animated series that ran on the channel between 1996 and 2004.
The show followed the adventures of the eponymous Arnold, a fourth grader who lived with his grandparents in a boarding house. The film's storyline will pick up from where the TV series left off and promises to resolve plotlines that were left open, including the whereabouts of Arnold's parents.
However, that's not all; the network has created a new position of senior vice president of content development for franchise properties - a brilliantly managerial-speak title for 'reviving a load of old shows and characters for people who watched them when they were kids, but now have kids of their own, so will probably sit down to watch them together'.
And that means the likes of Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, The Wild Thornberrys and even non-animated content such as You Can’t Do That On Television and Clarissa Explains It All.
Russell Hicks, president, content development and production, for Nickelodeon Group stated: “Kids who grew up on these characters are now of the age that they are having kids and families themselves. Our library has come to fruition and it’s time for it to start coming back to life.”
However, it won't be a straightforward retreat - it'll be adapted for the modern age. Hick added: “You have to remember people who are going to watch really don’t have a recollection of ‘Hey Arnold. You have to make it relevant to them but also nod to the audience that is going to be interested.”
So they'll probably say that things are 'sick' and get into trouble for using their iPhones in school. We'd imagine.
There's no likely launch date as yet - watch this space.
