Hulu brought Animaniacs back in 2020 after 22 years with Spielberg producing

Animaniacs ran on Fox from 1993 to 1998 and became one of the most popular children's animated series of its era, winning multiple Daytime Emmys for music. It had been off the air for 22 years when Hulu announced a reboot in January 2018.

The key decision was a two-season, straight-to-series order that brought back executive producer Steven Spielberg, with Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation producing. The original characters — Yakko, Wakko, Dot, and Pinky and the Brain — returned in a new series that premiered on November 20, 2020.

Reviewers praised the revival for keeping the animation style, meta comedy and musical numbers intact while updating its satire for a modern audience. The first season of 13 episodes arrived in a single streaming drop.

Hulu ordered two seasons in 2018 and premiered the revival on November 20, 2020; critics called it a revival that had not missed a beat.

The original series was already an Emmy-winning brand with a loyal millennial fan base.

Spielberg's return signaled quality and attracted media attention.

A two-season order gave the creative team room to find its rhythm.

Keeping the original voice and characters made the revival feel continuous, not rebooted.

A revival works when the original talent returns and the show keeps its voice; Animaniacs updated its satire without losing its signature zaniness.

Season two premiered in 2021. The revival's critical success helped Hulu establish a home for adult animation revivals, a strategy it repeated with Futurama in 2023.