More than two decades after the classic '90s cartoon went off the air, Animaniacs is still remembered for its zany characters, madcap plots and hilarious songs. Now, a revival of the series is coming to Hulu, and the all-new episodes promise to be just as funny as the originals for both kids and the adults who loved the show when they were young.
Here’s everything we know so far about the Animaniacs reboot, including the release date, the plot and the cast and crew.
The Story So Far
Animaniacs follows Yakko, Wakko and Dot Warner, cartoon siblings who live in the water tower on the Warner Bros. studio lot. Yakko is the smooth-talking, self-proclaimed leader, and his brother Wakko is the always-hungry jokester of the bunch. Meanwhile, sister Dot (full name Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III) is smart and sassy enough to keep up with her older brothers. The siblings get into hilarious hijinks in and around the lot as they interact with a recurring cast of characters, which include Ralph T. Guard, Dr. Otto Scratchansniff and Hello Nurse, something that promises to continue in the revival.
Also returning to the series is the animated short Pinky and the Brain, in which the titular characters, a pair of genetically enhanced lab mice, embark upon a new plot to take over the world each episode. While the Brain is arrogant and scheming, Pinky is well-meaning but dim-witted. Perhaps not surprisingly, their plans for world domination always manage to fail spectacularly.
Cast and Crew
All of the original principal voice actors will be back for the Animaniacs revival, along with original executive producer Steven Spielberg. Rob Paulsen will voice both Yakko and Pinky, while Jess Harnell and Tress MacNeille will reprise their roles as Wakko and Dot, respectively. Maurice LaMarche will also return to voice the Brain.
It remains to be seen whether fan-favorite characters like Dr. Scratchansniff and Hello Nurse will be revived; however, the overly sexualized Minerva Mink, originally voiced by Julie Brown, will reportedly not be returning to the series.
Wellesley Wild, a former writer, producer and voice actor on Family Guy, serves as the revival's showrunner. In addition, Carl Faruolo, a storyboard artist and voice actor known for his work on Gravity Falls, Phineas and Ferb and Sanjay and Craig, will act as supervising director.
Trailer
On Sept. 13, Hulu tweeted a sneak peek for the Animaniacs revival exactly 27 years after the premiere of the original cartoon series. The teaser gives a behind-the-scenes look at voice actors Paulsen, Harnell, MacNeille and LaMarche recording as their characters in the studio. The dialogue includes some meta humor about not wanting to be "your dad’s Animaniacs" and downloading Hootie & the Blowfish albums on Napster.
The teaser also offers a glimpse at the updated animation, which boasts a more modern look while still staying true to the original feel of the series.
News
Hulu has already ordered two seasons of the rebooted Animaniacs, with the first season set for release in late 2020 and a second season coming next year. The streaming service is already home to the original series, the 1999 film Animaniacs: Wakko’s Wish and the spinoff series Pinky and the Brain.
In May, the voice of Yakko and the Brain, Rob Paulsen, confirmed the cast had started recording their lines for the revival.
Release Date
In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hulu is poised to make good on its promise of a fall 2020 release for the Animaniacs reboot, with new episodes scheduled to hit the streamer on Nov. 20. A second season is scheduled for release sometime in 2021.
Animaniacs Season 1 arrives on Hulu Nov. 20.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.