Classic Cartoon Network Series Revived 20 Years After Its Premiere

A classic early-2000s series is being revived, but there is no word yet on whether it will air on Cartoon Network in the U.S. as before. Over the last month, several reports have confirmed that Totally Spies! is returning, with new episodes expected to premiere in 2023, according to a report by Animation Magazine. Fans are buys celebrating the news on social media, though they don’t know yet where they will be able to watch it in the U.S.

Totally Spies aired from 2001 to 2008 on Cartoon Network in the U.S., but it was primarily a French production. It was French cartoonist and animator Thomas Astruc who first announced the revival on Twitter last month. His report was later confirmed by the French news outlet 20 Minutes, which added that the new season would be titled Totally Spies! Woohp World. Another report by Kid Screen said that the revival will air on Gulli in France and Discovery Kids in Latin America, but it is unclear if and where it will air in the U.S.

I don't know if it's already well know, all over internet or what but I've just learned that… THERE'S A NEW SEASON OF TOTALLY SPIES IN THE MAKING!

Here we gooo!
Here we gooooooo! pic.twitter.com/bNzPSbYOl5

— Thomas Astruc ⏚ (@Thomas_Astruc) January 9, 2022

Totally Spies was about three teenage girls living in Beverly Hills, California, and moonlighting as international super spies. The show incorporated tropes from spy thrillers like James Bond, but also included stylistic elements from Japanese animation as well as the central idea of a “girl group.” Other inspirations cited included Clueless, Charlie’s Angels and The Avengers.

The series was created by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel, and produced mainly by French animators. In the U.S., it first premiered on ABC Family – now known as FreeForm – but found more success after it moved to Cartoon Network. It aired around the world and in French and English, with a total of 156 episodes.

The three main characters were Sam (Jennifer Hale), Clover (Andrea Baker) and Alex (Katie Leigh), along with boss Jerry (Jess Harnell and Adrian Truss). The three girls worked for an agency called the World Organization of Human Protection (WOOHP). They balanced their world-saving missions with the usual trials and tribulations of high school, including bullies, boy trouble and anxiety about their futures.

Totally Spies did get a spinoff series calledThe Amazing Spiez!, which focused on four new teenage characters working for WOOHP under Jerry’s direction. The spinoff actually had more success overseas, and the second season never even aired in its entirety in the U.S. Meanwhile, a few Totally Spies comic book adaptations were released in Sweden and Brazil, while a few young adult novels were released in France.

Right now in the U.S., you can stream the six existing seasons of Totally Spies on Amazon Prime Video. News on the revival is still scarce, but right now the plan is for it to premiere overseas in 2023. Hopefully, a deal to air it in the U.S. will come soon.