‘Beavis and Butt-head’ are back

By Frank Lovece

Newsday

Mike Judge has made his mark with two very different animated series — “Beavis and Butt-head,” MTV’s self-satirizing ode to adolescent stupidity, and “King of the Hill,” Fox’s long-running paragon of down-home values.

Even without them, Judge, 49, would be remembered for writing and directing the live-action “Office Space” (1999), a box-office flop whose rueful observations on workplace life have made it a massive home-video hit and a cultural touchstone.

Thursday night at 10 p.m., MTV brings “Beavis and Butt-head” back for a new generation. But the soft-spoken Judge assures us they’re still the same old “high” schoolers.

Q. It’s been 14 years since “Beavis and Butt-head” went off the air. Why revive the series now?

A. For me, it started with (MTV Networks President) Van Toffler calling and saying he wanted to bring the show back, which he had wanted to do before. They do market research occasionally and they’ll find that there’s a high awareness and a lot of people still like it.

Q. Daria Morgendorffer was a breakout character spun off into her own very popular, much-beloved show. Any chance Daria will visit the series locale of Highland, Texas, for a guest appearance?

A. I’ve been getting asked that so much that I think I’m going to have to make that happen. I really liked that character.