Nickelodeon Franchise Announces Worldwide Tour Following Revival Rumors
Earlier this month, Hey Arnold! writer Joe Purdy claimed that talks with Paramount were ongoing when it came to bringing back one of the biggest NickToons in the cable network’s history. Arnold and his fellow animated youngsters might be making a comeback, though there was some contention over Purdy’s statement. Series creator Craig Bartlett shot down the idea that a revival was being discussed, shooting down Purdy’s claims, though this isn’t stopping the series from making an unexpected return later this year. To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Nickelodeon franchise, a U.S. tour has been announced that will take animation fans back to the city.
The Music of Hey Arnold! Live! is set to kick off on October 26th in California, running for several weeks before ending its tour on December 2nd in the same state. Creator Craig Bartlett is planning to hitch a ride with the tour, marked as a special guest for the thirtieth anniversary celebration. Leading the charge for the tour is series composer Jim Lang, who will be joined by the “PS 118 All Stars” to recreate the soundtrack of the beloved animated show. On top of playing the tracks, the creators will discuss the creation of the music along with a multimedia presentation that once again takes fans back to the Nickelodeon world. Presales have already opened, with general sales opening on August 21st, which you can check out by clicking here.
Will Arnold Return or Not?
As mentioned earlier, a Hey Arnold! revival series is far from confirmed, with the two names responsible for the show seemingly contradicting one another. As of the writing of this article, we here at ComicBook.com aren’t sure which co-creator will be proven right, though Paramount has not weighed in on the subject. While series like SpongeBob SquarePants has continued for decades following their debut, other series ended after a handful of seasons, though many were resurrected in some unique ways.
In the years following the original Hey Arnold! finale, NickToons such as Rugrats, Invader Zim, Rocko’s Modern Life, and more were either given new seasons and/or feature-length films to continue their stories. When the animated series ended in 2004, it returned in 2017 thanks to a feature-length film on Nickelodeon. Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie didn’t just bring back the original cast to have a wild adventure in the Amazon; it made major changes to the universe. Along with finally revealing the mystery of what happened to Arnold’s parents, Helga revealed her affection for the protagonist, seemingly kicking off a romantic relationship between the two that has yet to be fully fleshed out. Should a revival series eventually arrive on Paramount, we have to imagine that these story elements will be further explored.
