Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling reunited viewers with Rocko and the notable citizens of O-Town in a TV special that connects directly to the last episode of the main series, but what’s next for the beloved Nicktoon? Created by Joe Murray, Rocko’s Modern Life aired from 1993 to 1996, and became pretty popular among kids and adults as well, thanks to its not-so-subtle adult humor and satirical social commentary.
Back in 2015, Nickelodeon announced plans to revive some of its old properties, including Rocko’s Modern Life. After years of zero to no updates on the development of the project, it was announced in May 2019 that Netflix had acquired the distribution rights to the TV special Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling. The time has come and fans of Rocko and company can now enjoy his return to the (digital) screens, but what does the future hold now that the revival is out?
On the final episode of the series, titled “Future Schlock”, Rocko, Heffer, Spunky, and Filburt were launched into space after Filburt’s children crashed a rocket ship on Rocko’s house. Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling follows their return to Earth after 20 years and their adaptation to the modern, digital world, with a dose of fan service by bringing a bunch of well-known background characters in either small or cameo roles, and a lot of fun details hidden everywhere. Neither Joe Murray, Nickelodeon, or Netflix have shared plans to bring more of Rocko’s Modern Life in the near future, so this special can be considered as the ending of the series.
Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling doesn’t really leave any loose ends, with the main characters adapting to the (even more) modern world at their own pace and in their own ways, but it does leave a slightly open door when it comes to Rocko: where is he going to work now? Out of the three friends, Rocko was the only one with a stable job and now is the one left unemployed as his former workplace, Kind-of-a-Lot-O-Comics, is now an instant-print kiosk. If the creative team behind Rocko’s Modern Life decided to continue with the show, that’s something they could explore.
Other Nickelodeon properties getting revivals/reboots of some kind, such as Hey Arnold! and Invader Zim, also got TV specials and nothing more than that (at least for now), with Are You Afraid of the Dark? getting a miniseries revival while the future of the film adaptation remains a mystery. It’s unlikely Rocko’s Modern Life will continue after Static Cling, but having it on Netflix gives fans the chance to revisit it as many times they want, and that’s a big advantage that others didn’t have.