If you grew up in the ’90s, chances are you spent hours in front of the TV watching Animaniacs. The Warner Bros. cartoon was massively popular during the decade, but sadly it went off the air in 1998. If you miss it as much as I do, you’ll be pleased to know Animaniacs is coming back, and that includes the infamous Pinky and the Brain!
- The news comes courtesy of actor Rob Paulsen. You might not know that name, but Paulson was the voice of Yakko. Not only will he reprise his role a whopping 27 years after Animaniacs premiered, but so will Jess Harnell as Wakko and Tress MacNeille as Dot.
- Pinky and the Brain are back too! Not only are the Animaniacs coming back, but so are the legendary Pinky and the Brain, Paulsen said. In an interview with ComicBook, the actor expressed his excitement about the reboot. “It’s impossible to quantify what a compliment that is [being asked to return to the show]. Moreover, to be able to do that again, with Maurice, with Tress, with Jess. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are back and so are Pinky and the Brain,” he said. “Moreover is that in this era of celebrities doing a lot of animated characters — and I get why the producers do it, I totally get it — but I also know that just having a movie star do the talking chicken doesn’t mean that the show’s going to be a hit. You’ve got to have a good script, great characters, and terrific actors, whether they’re celebrities or not.”
- Producer Steven Spielberg was inspired by Paulsen’s dedication to the character. “He [producer Steven Spielberg] sees the fact that Randy and I have been traveling around the country, doing Animaniacs in Concert,” Paulsen continued. “He sees Maurice and I when we’re at a comedy festival, doing ‘Who’s On First’ as Pinky and the Brain or are doing a Q&A with 3,000 people, and he’s asking me, ‘Pinky, are you pondering what I’m pondering?’, and I say, [switches to Pinky voice] ‘I think so, Brain. But me and Pippi Longstocking? What would the children look like? Narf’.”
- The show should be back this autumn. While there’s no set date for the return of Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, it’s been suggested that it might premiere on Hulu sometime this autumn. Only time will tell, but I know I’ll be watching when it’s out!
