Hey Arnold! writer and producer Joe Purdy set the record straight on whether the classic Nickelodeon show is on its way back.
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| Nickelodeon |
Hey Arnold! writer Joe Purdy recently addressed the possibility of a revival of the beloved animated Nickelodeon series. Created by Craig Bartlett,
Hey Arnold! chronicled the everyday adventures of fourth-grader Arnold Shortman as he navigated friendship, family, and the chaos of the fictional city of Hillwood. The series premiered on Nickelodeon on October 7, 1996, and ran for five seasons and 100 episodes, along with a theatrical film, before concluding its run on June 8, 2004. In 2017,
Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie delivered the long-awaited closure fans had sought for more than a decade when Arnold goes on a search for his long-missing parents.
During an interview with
The Direct at MultiCon 2026,
Hey Arnold! writer and producer Joe Purdy was asked if there have been recent conversations about reviving the Nickelodeon series. Purdy confirmed that discussions are "absolutely" happening amongst decision-makers at Paramount, the parent company of Nickelodeon:
"Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes. There is an ever-changing environment of the business and people who are making decisions. It's the cliche story... But be sure we are [having conversations]."
Purdy's remarks about the "ever-changing environment" of the business are tied to the major leadership changes at Paramount since Skydance Media's acquisition of the company. The $8 billion deal closed in August 2025, ending decades of Redstone family control and installing Skydance founder David Ellison as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Paramount Skydance.
When pressed further about potential storylines and aging up characters in a reboot, Purdy emphasized that any future story would keep the characters only "a year or two older:"
"Absolutely, good question. We're asked that a lot. Would they be much older? Probably not. I think a year or two older. They're so beloved."
Asked whether the series would remain set in the '90s, Purdy said he is unsure, but he pointed out that adding "some technology" could enrich the story while teasing that they are "ready to go" with several ideas and storylines if given the chance:
"I don't know still in the.... I think it's just to add some technology, also. It'd be a little strange, if not. So, that would definitely be a huge difference. We have many, many ideas and storylines, so we're sort of ready to go. But I don't think it would be an abrupt, 'They're in high school.'"
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| Nickelodeon |
The Direct also spoke with Hey Arnold! creator Craig Bartlett about the potential of seeing a revival. Reflecting on how the series might evolve, Bartlett emphasized the enduring nostalgia for the 1990s while stressing the importance of acknowledging change:
"So, we talk about the '90s, which is really the conversation, because people are so nostalgic for the '90s, and for good reason. There's a lot going on. It was really booming. It was boom times. When we got the chance to make The Jungle Movie, that came out in 2017. So already, almost 20 years had gone by, and so the question was, 'What's happened to Arnold's neighborhood?' And we had some gentrification going on. So, I would continue that gentrification thing, and... If you think about, I always like Brooklyn as a model, because Brooklyn has been gentrified like crazy in my lifetime, and it's kind of good and bad, and I think that would be kind of the interesting story: what's good about the changes and the progress, and what's been lost?"
Bartlett then addressed what narrative opportunities a modern reboot of Hey Arnold! could explore that were less feasible during the original run, noting that the show would likely still avoid overt politics and create stories that can hold up over time:
"Yeah, we probably would still not be political... You had to be careful not to be too topical, is kind of the main point, because cartoons are supposed to be evergreen. They're supposed to be, a '90s cartoon can play perfectly well now, because we had an eye toward that. And technology keeps changing. That's the biggest change is technology. And when we made 'The Jungle Movie' in 2017, we gave Rhonda a cell phone, but all the other kids didn't have one. I think they'd all have to have smartphones now, I'm afraid. And maybe that would be one of the things we'd talk about; Attention spans getting frayed by having a little computer in your hand all day long."
Interest in expanding the
Hey Arnold! universe is nothing new. In July 2022, a supposed spinoff for
Hey Arnold! focusing on Helga Pataki and her dysfunctional family made headlines after pages from an old show bible surfaced online (later covered by
Collider). Bartlett confirmed in an April 2023 interview on Jordan Fringe's
YouTube channel that the leaked materials were genuine. The project, titled
The Patakis, had been pitched around 2000 as a more mature continuation aimed at Nick at Nite or MTV, following a teenage Helga after Arnold had moved away.
Revivals are nothing new for beloved shows from earlier generations.
Ben 10 had its own revival that introduced major redesigns for its aliens and a fresh continuity, while other franchises took varied approaches. This ranged from faithful continuations like
Samurai Jack's Adult Swim return to full-scale reboots of hit cartoons like
Rugrats in 2021 and
The Powerpuff Girls in 2016. In 2019,
Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, a TV movie based on another of Nickelodeon's beloved '90s Nicktoons, bowed on Netflix, and saw Rocko, Heffer and Filburt blast back down to earth following the events of the series finale and grapple with modern life today.
More than two decades after its original run ended and nearly a decade after The Jungle Movie provided a well-earned closure, Hey Arnold! could still have a revival to expand and deeply explore the characters in a modern setting.
Joe Purdy and Craig Bartlett's comments at MultiCon 2026 paint a consistent picture of what a Hey Arnold! reboot would look like: one that keeps the core characters and tone largely intact, with only modest updates for technology and the evolving neighborhood rather than a radical reinvention.
Potential storylines could build on those ideas. Arnold and his friends might grapple with the arrival of smartphones, while the town could face challenges from new establishments such as coffee shops and art galleries. Characters like Phoebe could navigate academic pressure, while Gerald could still continue inventing elaborate urban legends with their own modern takes.
With a dedicated fanbase that has kept the series alive through petitions and reunions, and with the original talent prepared with creative ideas, a proper continuation would not only satisfy longtime viewers but also introduce a new generation to one of Nickelodeon's most empathetic and enduring stories - and smooth jazz.
It's important to note that, at the time of posting, a Hey Arnold! revival is still to be given the greenlight.
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Originally published: August 19, 2026.
