There is nothing inherently wrong with creating a different take on a beloved property. Artistic interpretation should be encouraged, and this show obviously tried to embrace that approach. However, there is such a thing as taking things in the wrong direction.
The original RUGRATS was in many ways ahead of its time, depicting an average American family with a number of untraditional elements. This remake backtracked on all of that, specifically the character depictions. One example of this would be Grandpa Lou. In the 90s television show, he was a grizzled war vet who still had a loving and gentle relationship with the children. In the 2020s they changed him into a flower child. Many of the children who watch the show have caregivers just like the original Lou, and they deserve representation too. That being said, his change was certainly not the worst example.
Betty & Howard DeVille were the loving coparents of the twins in the original installment, and they were also unique in that Betty was a loud, proud, and outspokenly independent feminist while Howard was the more quiet and timid one of the two. Sure, a lot of this dynamic was played for laughs, but there are still things that can be learned from it. In 2021, the writers reintroduced Betty as a single homosexual mother, and Howard is nowhere to be seen. Not only did this change eliminate a lesser represented depiction of many real couples, but it could additionally be viewed as problematic to imply that just because Betty was like that, she could not have possibly been straight.
This show had an opportunity to introduce new, diverse characters. Instead, they changed the preexisting ones into stereotypes. I am certainly not one to be upset about diversity in modern entertainment, but there are good and bad ways of doing it. Sometimes forcing it can have the adverse effect.
Now, that all being said, this is still a children's show. The themes of imagination and adventure are still present. However, in its clear attempts to elicit nostalgia with the show's original fans, it failed miserably.
