It’s the holiday season and that means it is also the season for holiday specials. This year, the Rugrats revival on Paramount+ is getting into the holiday spirit with an all-new holiday special of its own. On Thursday, December 2nd, the all-new, half-hour special episode titled “Traditions” will air on Paramount+ and will air a week later on Friday, December 10th on Nickelodeon. The multi-denomination episode will celebrate a number of holiday traditions as Tommy’s first Chanukah falls on Christmas Eve, prompting the Pickles family to juggle their family traditions to make sure each feels important while also celebrating Las Posadas with Betty and her family.
The special episode will feature several guest stars, including Raini Rodriguez as Gabi, Swoosie Kurtz as Minka, Henry Winkler as Boris, and Tata Vega as Tia Esperanza. The episode will also explain the various ways the holidays are celebrated and explore how those from different cultures can come together to create their own new, unique holiday traditions.
Ahead of this special holiday episode of Rugrats, ComicBook.com sat down with the voice of Tommy Pickles, E.G. Daily to chat about “Traditions”, what makes the episode so special, bringing Rugrats to a new generation, and her own favorite holiday traditions. Read on for our interview with Daily.
The special holiday episode of Rugrats, “Traditions”, premieres Thursday, December 2nd on Paramount+. The episode will also air Friday, December 10th at 7:30 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon.
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This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
About “Traditions”
ComicBook.com: Tell me a little bit about this holiday special, “Traditions.” What can people expect from it?
E.G. Daily: Oh, it’s so awesome. Well, they can expect what they always expect with a Rugrats episode, which it’s going to be super cozy. You’re going to see the kids’ point of view about funny things, the way they see it. You’re also going to see some special guest stars on this particular episode, Swoosie Kurtz and Henry Winkler and some others. The biggest thing of all is you’re going to get to see all the different Rugrats characters in all the different ways they celebrate their holidays, which is so sweet. You’re really going to learn a lot about everybody else’s culture and how they ring out the holidays. We really embrace that on Rugrats, so that’s what you’ll see.
Celebrating traditions and cultures
I remember the other Rugrats special from the ’90s, “A Rugrats Chanukah”. I remember how heartwarming and informative that episode was, and it’s still super special all these years later. Why do you, as a performer, feel it was important to do this new special that incorporates all these other traditions as well?
Well, I think it’s really crazy, we’ve had a crazy last almost two years in the world and there’s been a lot of separation and a lot of isolation from family members and loved one. Also, it just created some negative energy between people. I think what’s important is that at the end of the day, politics and personal choices about decisions, about things, is really stuff at the end of the day that at the end of the day doesn’t matter, that what matters is family and loved ones and friends and celebrating and a beautiful meal. That’s what Rugrats brings.
Rugrats brings that all these characters will come together and they will celebrate each other. There’s no separation and there’s no better or less than, worse than. Everybody is just all about family and love and familiarity. What better than this episode, which is “Traditions”, it’s going to celebrate all of the different traditions and cultures.
Guest stars
You mentioned there is some great, fantastic guest stars in this episode, Raini Rodriguez is back as Gabi. Swoosie Kurtz as Minka, Henry Winkler as Boris, just name a few of them. What is it like for you to be a part of not only this really special and inclusive episode, but to also get to have your work out there with some of these really great talents in this special episode?
I mean, first of all, we never know really until the last second who’s popping in, because Rugrats, the team and Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, they’re so good about like, “We’re going to surprise you with this guest person and we’re going to surprise you with bringing back this other person.” I think we’re being just as surprised as you guys are. When we show up and we find out, it’s just as awesome. Henry Winkler, I’ve worked with before and he’s just the most incredible person. To find out that he’s going to be in our Rugrats, it just feels so great and so classic that we get to work with people like The Fonz, who gets play in our iconic Rugrats and he’s so iconic. I just feel super lucky.
Again, I never know, just like you, what they’re going to do next. We’re always like, “What’s happening now, guys?” or, “Who’s coming in now? What’s the script about now?” They’re just so brilliant, it’s so brilliant. I’m happy to be part of it, and I like the surprises.
New generations
Now, you’ve been the voice of Tommy Pickles since the beginning and have been a huge part of the Rugrats experience for so many people, myself included. Now we have kids of our own who are experiencing Rugrats. What’s it been like for you to bring Tommy and the whole Rugrats crew to this whole new generation, as well as back into the lives of people like me who were there the first time around.
Well, it’s funny because I was having babies when I was doing Rugrats. I was actually in labor during a Rugrats episode. It’s on tape somewhere. Then that night I had a baby. My babies were literally born into Rugrats. They were in my body during Rugrats and they were just outside the studio being nursed in between sessions. It’s so cool that my kids got to grow up. Then now, of course, now that Rugrats is rebooted, all those babies and kids that were growing up during Rugrats are now millennials and they’re parents of them their own, so they get to introduce their kids to this whole show that they were grown up on. The only difference is they’re bringing today’s contemporary stuff, subject matters like vloggers and cell and dating apps. They get to have fun with Rugrats with today’s times things and their kids get to jump in and go, “Oh my gosh, this is such a cool show.” Then on top of that, we have this great CGI animation, so they get to see it in this vibrant, gritty, tactile way. I just think, overall, it’s just so awesome. The way they’re bringing everything back, it’s just awesome.
Hoping everyone tunes in
That’s a once in a lifetime amazing experience, that’s so cool.
Yeah, it’s so awesome. Yeah, and this new episode, “Traditions”, it’s going to be so great so I hope everybody tunes in. It’s really so welcoming right now after all the craziness we’ve been through, to be back with our family and this Rugrats family and getting to see all the yummy holiday stuff through all the different cultures. It’s going to be so great.
Favorite tradition
With this Rugrats special being called “Traditions”, I have to ask, and I’m a huge holidays person so I have to ask, do you have a favorite holiday tradition of your own?
I particularly like having menorah candles. I always tell my kids, we celebrate anything fun and beautiful and anything that embraces everyone. I particularly like lighting holiday candles. I actually have a menorah that’s all the Rugrats characters. It’s so cute.
Celebrating everything
But I know I just love everything about Christmas and the lights and the magic of it. Like I said, I celebrate everything fun, beautiful and all-inclusive, just like the Rugrats are.
