Summary
TV franchises often attempt to make a comeback years after the end of their original shows,but this can have disastrous effects, failing to bring back the initial popularity. A franchise revival can fall flat for many reasons and occurs most often when the initial source material is so popular that living up to its legacy is practically impossible. Instead of striking out with new stories, actors, and themes, the shows are a poor imitation of a franchise that gained success because of its originality. When a reboot is truly terrible, it’s canceled after just one season.
Fewer and fewer shows based on original IP are being funded or finding a foothold among the behemoth of streaming.
Reboots have gained traction in television thanks to the second wave of success lesser-known series have found after being added to streaming services. Shows likeSuitsandWhite Collarare getting revivalsthat producers hope will spark a whole new slew of seasons, as theoriginal shows are practically more popular than they were while they aired.While this is great for the actors and creators, and work needs to be recognized, the revival represents a big problem in Hollywood. Fewer and fewer shows based on original IP are being funded or finding a foothold among the behemoth of streaming.
7 TV Show Remakes & Reboots Better Than The Movies They’re Based On
TV shows based on films are more common than audiences may realize, and frequently deliver on the premises of their source material better.
10Heroes (2006–2010)
Spun off as Heroes Reborn (2015)
Discussions aboutHeroesand its failed continuation,Heroes Reborn, are more prevalent than ever as there’s a new reboot in the work.Heroes Rebornonly ran for one season and has been deemed a miniseries retroactively since it didn’t get picked up for another round of episodes. Whilea few of the original characters fromHeroesmade an appearance,the show failed to get the audience invested in the new characters from the beginning. Additionally, the show strays from some of the most compelling aspects ofHeroes.
For the next installment of theHeroesuniverse to work, it must expand upon the original stories as well as dive into original territory. If yet anotherHeroesreboot fails, the series will continue fading into obscurity, which is a shame considering how strong the first two seasons ofHeroesare. However,the show was destined to fail after being struck by the 2007-2008 writer’s strike,which sent its story off course for the remainder of the series.Heroes Reborndidn’t solve this, but the new show must rewrite its history.
9How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014)
Spun off as How I Met Your Father (2022–2023)
It’s fair to say thatHow I Met Your Motherhad its problems, as the series has faced criticism in the past few years about its sexism, racism, and homophobia. However, it’s difficult to find a sitcom from the 2000s without these problems. When theHow I Met Your Fatherrevival was announced, it didn’t make much sense. Centering a female perspective was intriguing, butHow I Met Your Motherran for nine seasons and explored every possible pitfall and blockade standing in the way of the characters finding their true loves.
The chemistry between the friend group was essential toHow I Met Your Motherand something thatHow I Met Your Fatherseverely lacked.
There are much bettershows for people who missHow I Met Your Motherthat tackle similar themes of life and love as well as have an amazing group dynamic. The chemistry between the friend group was essential toHow I Met Your Motherand something thatHow I Met Your Fatherseverely lacked. Canceled quickly,How I Met Your Fatherput the potential forHow I Met Your Mother’s continuation to rest,as many new sitcoms are better spiritual successors to the hit show.
How I Met Your Father
Cast
Unrelated to but set in the same universe as How I Met Your Mother, How I Met Your Father gives the audience a chance to see the original premise playing out with a new cast. In 2055, Sophie (Hilary Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the year 2021, where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options. The show follows the exact framing device as How I Met Your Mother, with future Sophie speaking to her son, whom the audience has yet to see.
8Gossip Girl (2007–2012)
Rebooted as Gossip Girl (2021–2023)
The raw, messy, and melodramatic nature of the originalGossip Girlmade critics and parents react harshly against it,but it’s also what makes its atmosphere impossible to recapture. When the reboot of the show was announced, many viewers of the first show were skeptical but excited. Modernizing the juxtaposition of wealth and class of the firstGossip Girl, adding the influx of technology since the end of the 2007 version, and allowing for more explicit depictions of mature content all spelled success for the show. However, the writing and performances left much to be desired.
Comparing the quality of the shows is difficult, astheGossip Girlreboot had a huge number of resources at its disposal alongside a much larger budget.However, even though the revival was objectively more aesthetically attractive and technically impressive, it felt cold and distant from the audience. Even when the main characters of the initial version were behaving terribly to each other, they still felt accessible, and it was fun to watch them self-destruct. The same can’t be said for the reboot.
Gossip Girl
Set among Manhattan’s elite, this drama series follows wealthy teenagers whose scandalous lives are exposed by an anonymous blogger. The show delves into themes of betrayal, ambition, and the complexities of high-society friendships, as the characters navigate interpersonal conflicts and personal aspirations.
7Full House (1987–1995)
Spun off as Fuller House (2016–2020)
Full House’s visual style has become synonymous with sitcoms of its period, and it empathetically dealt with important lessons for young audiences coming of age while it aired.
Though a five-season run is a solid success story for most TV shows,Fuller House’s source material,Full House, ran for eight and made an enormous cultural impact.Full Housewas never described as boundary-pushing or particularly innovative. However,it was popular because it understood its audienceand what they wanted from the story very well.Full House’s visual style has become synonymous with sitcoms of its period, and it empathetically dealt with important lessons for young audiences coming of age while it aired.
Fuller Houseseason 1 has the worst reviews overall, but the series did slowly improve throughout its run. However, its biggest issue was that it felt like an extension ofFull Housewith more stilted dialogue and was missing its emotional core. Due to the long run ofFull House,few storylines hadn’t already been touched upon and done better in the original series.Though it found a bit of success while airing, it won’t have the longevity theFull Househas today.
Fuller House
Set years after the events of the original television series, Fuller House returns to the Tanner home where it all started, now following a grown-up D.J. Tanner-Fuller. Along with her three daughters, sister, and best friend, the group lives together in their childhood home in San Francisco, California with D.J. and Stephanie’s father, Danny. The makeshift family works together to raise their family members and explores similar themes present in the first series.
6Sabrina The Teenage Witch (1996–2003)
Rebooted as Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018–2020)
Kiernan Shipka made her name playingSally Draper onMad Men, butChilling Adventures of Sabrinagave her the opportunity to be the protagonist of her own series. However, the sharp contrast in tone from the source material,Sabrina the Teenage Witch, was off-putting to many viewers.Sabrina the Teenage Witchwas a light-hearted take on witchcraft and the supernatural through the lens of a traditional high school settingand coming-of-age narrative. Nothing aboutChilling Adventures of Sabrinais reminiscent of a typical teen drama.
Delving deeply into the occult and the horror genre,Chilling Adventures of Sabrinaattempted to be more tonally similar to a series likeBuffy The Vampire Slayerrather than its predecessor. There’s nothing wrong with this shift, and it was a valiant attempt on the part of the writers and creators to distinguish the series. However,it wasn’t what audiences were expecting and would’ve been better served as an original serieswithout ties to the first show.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Based on the Archie comic series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a Netflix supernatural horror series that follows Sabrina Spellman, a young half-witch, half-human that is coming into her powers in her teenage years. To protect her friends, family, and the world itself, Sabrina will have to harness her powers and ignore the calls from her darker side to embrace her evil potential fully and instead use her powers for good. Despite the series cancellation in 2020, the show’s story was continued in The Occult World of Sabrina, a comic book serial.you may buy the seasons for just $9.99 for Prime Day.
5Charlie’s Angels (1976–1981)
Rebooted as Charlie’s Angels (2011)
TheCharlie’s AngelsTV series already had a strong follow-up to the movies made in 2000 and 2003 with Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz. However,when a piece of IP is as popular asCharlie’s Angels, it’s difficult for production companies to avoid over-using themdue to the promise of potential profit. Though the 2019 movie was poorly received as well, the 2011 show is possibly the worst iteration of the classic story.
Had the first show and early 2000s movies not been such big hits, the 2011Charlie’s Angelscould’ve buried the entire narrative in a mismanaged and ill-advised series.
The series was canceled almost immediately during the run of season 1,and it left out of the conversation when discussing the legacy of theCharlie’s Angelsfranchise. Many of the critical reviews were biting, bordering on brutal. However, it’s easy to see why when watching the show today. Had the first show and early 2000s movies not been such big hits, the 2011Charlie’s Angelscould’ve buried the entire narrative in a mismanaged and ill-advised series. While it’s unlikely that producers will leave the story alone, hopefully, the 2011 series serves as a cautionary tale.
Charlie’s Angels
Charlie’s Angels is a failed TV reboot of the popular ’70s crime show of the same name. Airing in 2011, Charlie’s Angels lasted for a total of eight episodes, only seven of which were aired. Due to low ratings, ABC decided to cancel the series after airing the fourth episode.
4The Odd Couple (1970–1975)
Rebooted as The Odd Couple (2015–2017)
The first show version ofThe Odd Couplefrom 1970 was a continuation of the franchise itself, as it began with the movie in 1968.When both the movie and the show came out, divorce was a much more taboo subjectand was rarely touched upon in mass media. This outlook on divorce is strongly contrasted today, which immediately put the 2015 show at a disadvantage. Starring Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon as the titular pair, the men are still emotionally impacted by their divorces, but the series did little to modernize the premise.
By 2015, the sitcom formula was growing tired,and there were great examples of shows pushing the boundaries of the well-trodden formulaic approach. Unfortunately, the 2015The Odd Coupleleaned into this antiquated type of storytelling and failed to connect with younger audiences. Additionally, the show was simply not funny in many cases, as the essential conflict between the messy Oscar (Perry) and the neat Felix (Lennon) can only be played out so many times.
3Friends (1994–2004)
Spun off as Joey (2004–2006)
Without the chemistry of the original actors, the show was a sad shadow of the original work.
Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) was one of the core characters on the hit sitcomFriendsand was consistently one of the most popular actors. His popularity stemmed from his comedic timing, but by the end of its ten seasons,Friendswas cemented as one of the most well-loved sitcoms of all time.It’s successfully maintained this level of popularity to this day. However, after ten seasons, it’s not surprising that fans were a little burnt out from the formula ofFriends, leading its spinoff to flop.
Joeyfollowed its titular character, leaving New York City and moving to Los Angelesto become a movie star. Joey always had acting aspirations, but this move was counterintuitive considering how New York was a large part ofFriends' plot. Additionally, without the chemistry of the original actors, the show was a sad shadow of the original work. It was especially disappointing because there wereso fewFriendscameos onJoeydespite the deep connection between the characters onFriends.
Joey
Joey is a spin-off of the hit sitcom Friends, which followed Matt LeBlanc’s beloved character, Joey Tribbiani, as he navigated the next stage of his life. In the series, Joey moved to Hollywood to pursue his acting career. Joey aired for two seasons from 2004-2006.
2Charmed (1998–2006)
Rebooted as Charmed (2018–2022)
Though the firstCharmedwas never a critical hit, it was enormously popular with audiences and translated the subjects of magic and witchcraft into the modern day.The 1998Charmedcapitalized on the societal interest in supernatural and occult themes,with series likeBuffy The Vampire Slayertreading similar, if more complex, territory. While there’s still a significant target audience for these types of shows, the reboot that came out in 2018 never found its footing.
WatchCharmedon Netflix.
Charmedaired on The CW for four seasons, which was a remarkable feat considering it never reached the heights of cultural discussion as the original. The best parts of the show were the necessary updates to the initial premise.Increased diversity and discussions of feminism and gender discrimination were at the forefrontof the show’s topics. Unfortunately, many of the criticisms lodged against the show were rooted in bias rather than a genuine critique of the writing and structure. The reboot will likely be forgotten about much faster than the initial series.
1The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)
Rebooted as The Twilight Zone (2019–2020)
It’s not the fault of Jordan Peele that the recent iteration of the horror-sci-fi anthology series,The Twilight Zone, didn’t reach the heights of the original. Peele is a modern visionary in horror and understands the issues plaguing the larger culture that is best suited to discussions onscreen. However,trying to recapture the magic of the 1959 series was always going to be a fine line to walk.The Twilight Zoneis one of the most influential pieces of science fiction in both film and television.
This action sparked the Cold War, which informed many of the topics explored inThe Twilight Zone, as well as the discrimination and whistleblowing of the McCarthy era.
It came out at a time when anxiety about technological development was at an all-time high in the wake of the detonation of the first nuclear bomb. This action sparked the Cold War, which informed many of the topics explored inThe Twilight Zone, as well as the discrimination and whistleblowing of the McCarthy era. While there’s no shortage of anxiety permeating the culture today,other shows, likeBlack Mirror, have already updated the themes ofThe Twilight Zone,making the 2019 iteration redundant.
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an anthology series that debuted in 1959, featuring a collection of standalone episodes encompassing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and horror. Known for its macabre or unexpected twists, each story is distinct, exploring various speculative themes and human experiences.
