Cue the smooth jazz horns.
As major unresolved TV cliffhangers go, one of the more unsung and yet most frustrating was the resolution to Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold!. After five seasons (and a movie), the show left off with Arnold discovering that his long-lost parents may have disappeared into the jungle. “The Journal” wasn’t the proper series finale (four more episodes aired after it before the show ended in June 2004), but it’s typically remembered as such by fans. After all, it was originally designed as a cliffhanger to lead into a second movie that would finally resolve the mystery of Arnold’s parentage.
After 13 years, the mystery will finally find resolution. On November 23rd, Nick will premiere Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, a two-hour special set to answer that long-lingering question and reunite audiences with the kids of PS 118. Many of the voices have changed, given that all of those kids are probably in their late 20s/early 30s right now (oh god why), but creator Craig Bartlett is still on board to bring the story to a more satisfying conclusion. As nostalgia goes, it doesn’t get much better than a chance to spend two more hours with some of the most lovable latchkey kids of the ’90s.
The Jungle Movie, will pick up with the neighborhood kids moving on to the 6th grade and taking a class trip to Central America to follow the map Arnold found in “The Journal”. Ahead of the Thanksgiving release, Nickelodeon has shared a first look at the updated cast via Buzzfeed. Check it out above.
Another beloved Nicktoon, Rocko’s Modern Life, is also prepping a TV movie revival, with a one-hour special set to air in 2018. The network is also working on bringing back the cult classic Invader Zim.
