New Earthworm Jim TV series by Interplay currently in development

Those who grew up gaming in the 1990s may remember a quirky little series called Earthworm Jim. The series somewhat followed in the footsteps of other platformers like Sonic the Hedgehog, but it separated itself from those games with its incredibly fluid, zany animation and its “anything goes” approach to level design. Having said that, the series essentially died off by the end of the decade, and subsequent attempts to bring the off-the-wall superhero back have not panned out, at least so far. That has not stopped Interplay Entertainment, the owner of the Earthworm Jim rights, from trying. The company recently confirmed that it has a TV series based on the IP in the works.

Interplay Entertainment has entered a partnership with APA to create the series, which will see Jim fighting off threats across the galaxy. The TV series will spice up the Earthworm Jim universe with new characters, and it will feature planets that each sport its own “race of anthropomorphic animals.” Throughout the show, Jim will try and “find his true home among the stars: a near-mythical planet called Earth.” This new series functions as part of an effort by Interplay “to develop new TV and film projects based on their video game properties via their newly formed TV and film studio division.”

Questionable timing

Ultimately, the decision to start a new Earthworm Jim TV series seems like a strange one, as the franchise has remained absent from the public consciousness for two decades. Although Interplay has an Earthworm Jim 4 game in development, which makes a TV show more justifiable, the company currently only plans to release the new installment on the Intellivision Amico. The console has neither a release date nor a guarantee of success. With this in mind, it feels like the wrong time to release a TV adaptation. Although, for all we know, it could end up being a fairly solid show on its own.