MTV’s Beavis and Butt-Head is currently gearing up for a revival at Comedy Central — and series creator Mike Judge seems rather hopeful that a All in the Family-esque franchise of spinoffs will follow.
Back in 2020, it was announced that Judge had inked a deal to produce new Beavis and Butt-Head episodes for Comedy Central, as well as specials and spinoffs. However, details on that front been rather scarce ever since. Then, early last year, it was announced that Beavis and Butt-Head would also be getting a new full-length film on Paramount+, which is slated to premiere sometime this year.
Judge discussed the upcoming Comedy Central revival of Beavis and Butt-Head during a recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter, during which it came to light that Judge and Greg Daniels were developing a revival of their fan-favorite Fox series King of the Hill through their new Bandera Entertainment animation company.
While the Beavis and Butt-Head revival deal pre-dates Bandera’s formation, Judge says the show “exemplifies the types of risk-taking the company wants to do with animation.” What’s more, Judge hopes the Beavis and Butt-Head revival will spawn an entire franchise, not unlike what Norman Lear did with All in the Family. “Hopefully we can get to that point,” Judge said.
Alongside Bud Yorkin, Lear created the 1970s CBS sitcom All in the Family, which is known for its groundbreaking tackling of social issues, as well as the sheer number of spinoffs it spawned. In total, five additional sitcoms spun directly out of All in the Family: Maude, The Jeffersons, Archie Bunker’s Place, Gloria and 704 Hauser. Moreover, Maude received its own spinoff in the form of Good Times, while The Jeffersons got its own spinoff in the form of Checking In, bringing the total number of shows than can be tied back to All in the Family up to seven.
Created by Judge, Beavis and Butt-Head began life as a duology of shorts that aired as part of MTV’s Liquid Television animation showcase in 1992. MTV then turned Beavis and Butt-Head into a full series, which aired for seven seasons on the network from 1993 to 1997. Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, a feature-length film directed and co-written by Judge, hit theaters on Dec. 20, 1996. After over a decade off the air, Beavis and Butt-Head was revived for an eighth season on MTV in 2011.
The upcoming Comedy Central revival of Beavis and Butt-Head getting its own spinoffs would certainly not be unprecedented. After all, Beavis and Butt-Head already spawned a spinoff in the form of Daria, which aired on MTV for five seasons and two made-for-TV films from 1997 to 2002. That said, Judge had no real involvement in Daria. The show was developed for MTV by the duo of Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn while Judge shifted focus to his and Daniels’ King of the Hill.
Alongside the Beavis and Butt-Head revival, Comedy Central is giving Daria its own spinoff in the form of Jodie, which stars Daria Morgendorffer’s classmate Jodie Landon. Jodie is created by Grace Edwards, with Tracee Ellis Ross starring as the voice of the title character. Ross takes over for Jessica Cydnee Jackson, who voiced Jodie in Daria.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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