So here’s the thing, I actually find the recent trend of bringing cancelled shows back tedious, annoying and plain lazy at this point. In fact, this trend has become so annoyingly pervasive that all I could think while reading about the series finale of The Big Bang Theory is, “oh please, we’ll see them all again in five years when CBS decides it’s time to revive a show we already saw for years”.
But here’s the thing, lest you think I’m being a little hypocritical with this article, I’ve never been opposed to reboots of a show. For example, Fuller House is not merely a revival of the same Full House show or the recent Party of Five reboot that introduces an entire new family and backstory, just with a somewhat similar premise as the original show.
More specifically, I am not opposed to rebooting a show that was amazing but for any myriad of reasons, never gained an audience and was canceled way too soon. Because in my opinion, it makes sense to give a show that may have been a cult favorite but ended too quickly, a second chance at life, to make an impact.
I will also add that for some of my choices, while the original show itself may not have been particularly great, maybe owing to poor casting, poor writing, etc. the premise was interesting and so I think it could be worthwhile to have a different team of writers, actors, network, etc. revive said premise and maybe have it work better. So with that said, here’s a list of shows I think are worth rebooting.
- My So-Called Life – I mean this is a given right? The show that launched the careers of a then very young Claire Danes and Jared Leto. My So-Called Life spoke to every angst-ridden teenage girl trying to make their way through the trials and tribulations of high school. Obviously this will not work with the original cast, seeing as both Claire Danes and Jared Leto are well beyond playing teenagers. But maybe it can be written that Angela now has a teenage daughter and the show follows their lives. They can even make her a single parent and so spend the whole first season teasing whether the father is Jordan or Brian?
- Freaks & Geeks – Another sure thing. This one helped launch the career of a number of actors still actively working together – from Linda Cardellini to James Franco, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen and more. Set in 1980, the one-season series followed the lives of siblings Lindsay and Sam, as they navigated their way through high school, with the former wanting to shed her “good girl” image and Sam dealing with the perils of Freshman year. This was all happening against the backdrop of society transitioning out of the 70’s into the decadent 80’s. It’s crazy to think that with the show airing in 1999, to match its original 19/20-year time difference, it would need to be set today in 1999, with characters dealing with the transition from the 90’s to the 2000’s. Considering how much the world has changed (and yet stayed the same) in the last twenty years, it could make for an interesting show.
- Life As We Know It – Based on the British novel Doing It by Melvin Burgees, Life As We Know It followed a group of high school friends dealing with their various romantic relationships, friendships and family struggles. It was a funny and lighthearted show that touched on very real teenage issues in a way that felt less condescending and more honest. With a strong cast, great writers and an existing solid source material in Doing It, I think this show could have another life on say FreeForm or perhaps even Netflix.
- Alcatraz – So this show, which debuted in Fall, 2012 on Fox was kind of not that good. The actors did not have strong acting chemistry and the plot felt a bit thin at times, as if the writers weren’t exactly sure where they wanted to go with it. A big no-no in my opinion for a mystery show because it makes it very easy for the story to quickly go off the rails. However, the premise was an interesting one, which is why I checked out the show in the first place. Cliff’s notes version is as follows – in 1963, all the prisoners and guards at the infamous Alcatraz prison mysteriously vanished and the government of course covered it up. Decades later, in present day, these prisoners start re-appearing having not aged at all and of course still violent criminals. And so it’s up to a secret agency to recapture them. With some great action sequences and an attractive cast, maybe throw in some humor in the writing, I think this show could work.
- Jack & Bobby – Before there was The Office (U.S. version), Modern Family and American Vandal, all comedies, the faux docuseries television format was used in this heartwarming, coming of age series that tells the story of the early life of future U.S. President, Bobby McCallister. Comparisons to real life President John F. Kennedy and younger brother Robert Kennedy were inescapable but the creators were adamant that the story was fictional. In these particularly contentious political times, I do think a series that weaves the past to the present under the cloak of politics, could be very interesting.
- Twisted – So here’s the thing, I like a good mystery/thriller. Seriously, you should see my more recent list of book purchases. So much like Alcatraz, while this show wasn’t particularly good, the premise was very interesting and so I would love to see it brought back by a more skilled group of writers. The original show got bogged down in silly teenage romantic drama and completely lost the plot on the mystery, which was a huge mistake. Cliffs notes – a teenager is released from juvenile detention, after spending years for allegedly having murdered his aunt at age 12. He tries to reconnect with his two best friends and survive the trials of high school, with everyone looking at him as a murderer. His first days back, he attends a party at a popular high school girl’s house who later ends up dead and everyone thinks he did it.
- The Family – The Family premiered on ABC the same season that Quantico did. ABC executives quickly renewed Quantico for a second season and left The Family on the bubble for a while, before canceling it. I think that was a mistake. This show had it all – intrigue, deception, family corruption, political corruption, mystery, etc. And all delivered by a very strong cast. This is a show that definitely deserved a chance to build an audience.
- Point Pleasant – Before there was Stranger Things and mysterious Eleven showed up in a small, sleepy town, there was Point Pleasant, where mysterious Christina, rescued from the ocean, shows up in a small, sleepy town and supernatural craziness ensued. I think this is definitely a show that could work with a different cast, on the CW network. With the right lead, a hot and charming love interest that the young teenage viewers can fall for, it could work.
- Still Star Crossed – Considering this show only premiered in Spring, 2017, this is less a reboot and more a, “it’d be nice if another network picks it up”. Perhaps a bit too ambitious for Shonda Rimes, the series, which is based on the book by the same name, follows the story of the cousins of Romeo and Juliet, Rosaline and Benovolio, in the aftermath of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. The two are betrothed to each other for political reasons; a union neither wants, plus the additional complication of Rosaline being in love with someone else. The show was a perfect mix of love triangles, deception, lies, mysteries, forbidden love, enemies turned into lovers, etc. You know, all the good stuff.
- Grosse Pointe – Taking it all the way back to 2000 with this. I’m willing to bet most have never even heard of this show, and if I’m being honest, I only found out about it a few years ago. I’m sure some probably think I’m referring to Grosse Pointe Blank, which starred John Cusack and Minnie Driver. Amazing as that film is though, I am referring to the short-lived Darren Star (he of BH 90210 and Sex & The City fame) created dramedy. Grosse Pointe was a satire about the off-camera antics of five actors starring on a fictional high school drama, called; you guessed it, Grosse Pointe. Being that Star was the creative mind behind BH 90210 (the show that revolutionized the television high school drama. See my post about it here), you can see why he would have thought this show up. I definitely think the show’s premise is one that would work very well today on a platform like Netflix.
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