Why A New Regular Show Is Happening (Despite How Season 8 Ended)

With nominations for several awards due to its wacky storylines, and with Mark Hamill featuring among Regular Show’s small cast, Regular Show became Cartoon Network’s most successful original series. Therefore, when it came to an end, fans were disappointed to see it go. However, in 2024, an announcement at Annecy confirmed a new Regular Show featuring J. G. Quintel returning as showrunner was in development. While this is exciting news for fans of the original cartoon series, it does pose the question as to how a new show would work in the same universe after Regular Show’s definitive finale.

Regular Show Season 8’s Finale Left Little Room For The Show To Continue

Regular Show Concluded Everyone’s Stories In Season 8

The problem with a new Regular Show series is that the finale left little room for the show to continue. In the final episodes, Pops and his brother, Anti-Pops, battle for the fate of existence in an event that had already happened a billion times before, leading to an Avengers: Endgame-style portal scene in which characters from earlier seasons joined the fight. After Pops sacrificed himself to ensure that Anti-Pops was defeated, the finale showed Regular Show’s characters growing old in a montage, which presents an obstacle if the new show aims to pick up where it left off.

The cartoon series was not shy about making meta jokes during its seven-year run, and Regular Show was fully self-aware of its dwindling status at the end. The finale, and much of season 8, was full of references about the state of streaming, how hard it is for a show to run for so long, and how things should end when there are no more stories left to tell, making a marked statement against itself. Consequently, Regular Show’s reboot may need to address the self-aware season 8 finale, to avoid being hypocritical and make Regular Show’s ending still matter.

Regular Show Has Been One Of Cartoon Network’s Biggest IPs For Years

Cartoon Network’s Original Series Has Prevailed

Regular Show was one of the best shows on Cartoon Network for many years due to its unique PG-rated humor and its use of modern social trends, which kept the show culturally relevant. As a result of the cartoon’s everlasting popularity, there are always reruns available to watch. In fact, Regular Show earned a prominent position on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list despite it being 7 years since the series ended. According to Netflix, in the week of February 5, 2024, Regular Show ranked number 8 in the Global Top 10 Shows, even sitting above Young Sheldon's season 6.

As one of the few original Cartoon Network series (many other shows were collaborations), Regular Show was always front and center for years, making it one of their biggest IPs. The series was often compared to similar shows like Adventure Time – whose showrunner, Pendelton Ward, had previously worked with J. G. Quintel on The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack – as the two shared a similar humor and audience. However, Regular Show’s bizarre episodes made it a brilliantly funny series which stood out among the many others on the network and earned it a legacy throughout the 2010s.

Warner Bros. Discovery Has Been Focusing On The Studio’s Biggest Properties

Regular Show’s Return Is Attributed To Its Popularity

In recent years, Warner Bros. Discovery has been focusing on their biggest properties following a massive redirection by the studio, which has led to a lot of axed shows. As part of a statement about the Max/Hulu/Disney+ streaming bundle, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav stated via Deadline that he felt “the best content wins. That’s why we’ve really focused on the creative side of our company […] bringing the best talent back to Warner Bros.” Regular Show is obviously a part of Zaslav’s plan for a new direction for the studio, in its mission to capitalize on established IPs.

While the decision to ax certain shows has caused discontent among audiences, Warner Bros. Discovery has promised they will be releasing a variety of new shows in the coming years, including a Harry Potter TV series. At the Annecy Film Festival in 2024, Variety listed all the new shows which Warner Bros. Discovery will be releasing and confirmed that the studio will be bringing back a bunch of Cartoon Network shows, including a new Regular Show TV series. Despite mixed fan responses about Zaslav’s new direction, Variety reported that Annecy’s audience were audibly excited about the Regular Show series.

What The Regular Show Reboot Should Look Like After Season 8’s Ending

Rumors Are Circulating About Regular Show’s Reboot

There are many different ways that a Regular Show reboot could happen after season 8’s ending, and with details surrounding its premise and title being kept secret, there have been plenty of theories about what the untitled show might be about. If the series decides to start again in the same universe, Regular Show’s reboot could bring some exciting new characters into the fold that would help revitalize the 7-season show. A fresh start featuring new storylines and personalities would also avoid the issue of retconning Regular Show’s finale, which already showed how the characters’ lives unfold in the future.

According to ComicBook.com, there is a big rumor that the Regular Show series will be called “The Lost Tapes.” This title suggests a diversion from the suspected linear continuation of Regular Show and implies that the new show may be some form of anthology series, with standalone episodes showcasing “lost” moments in Regular Show. This theory also compliments Regular Show’s finale, which saw Pops looking back on his time at the park via a meta videotape titled “Regular Show.” However, this hasn’t yet been confirmed, so hopefully there will be more news soon about the Regular Show series' exciting future.

Sources: ComicBook.com, Deadline, Netflix, Variety