Everyone has a favorite show they wish never went off the air, and it appears that Hollywood is trying to appeal to these desires.
Cable along with popular streaming platforms has rebooted and revived a variety of shows from the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” to “The Wonder Years” in the past decade. Though not all series see the same success they once had, it is clear that a trend has been set.
This pattern raises a debatable question sparked by tvline, “What determines whether or not a show should be rebooted?”
Many shows that revived well usually consisted of some of the original cast, a sense of nostalgia, proper character development and new characters that complimented the plot.
“The show never forgot its roots,” Collider suggested when discussing The Flash (2014). “John Wesley Shipp, who played Allen in the original CBS series, plays Allen’s dad in the reboot.”
Other shows that followed this model include “That ‘90s Show,” “Fuller House” and “One Day at a Time.”
Popular ways of introducing new characters seem to be continuing the family legacy or making them more appealing to Gen Z viewers.
A strong example of this is seen in That ‘90s Show (2023), a revival of That ‘70s Show (1998). Despite the show taking place in the 90s, more representation is seen in this new decade. The show brings in a Black character named Gwen Runck and a Queer Asian character, Ozzie.
Elon Tullock, a freshman biology student, enjoys the constant reboot of many childhood favorites but is concerned the trend comes from Hollywood running out of new creative ideas.
“With how open society is about race, I believe they want to add diversity into the series and films to grab a wide range of viewers,” Tullock said.
The Wonder Years (2021) implements this idea of diversity. The reboot cast is an all-dark-skinned Black family. Despite its vast difference from the original 1987 drama series, the show did well and was renewed for season 2.
Freshman biology student Kamily Flores Vargas disagrees with the idea that Hollywood is losing its creativity and in fact, thinks it is boosting its creativity transforming the 20th-century shows into 21st-century society.
“I actually like the way they are continuing the stories of characters we grew up loving such as iCarly,” Flores Vargas said. “If it’s not broken don’t fix it.”
The conversation only deepens when mentioning characters who in real life have passed away. It makes the idea of rebooting that particular show even more controversial.
Freshman biology student Camille Pruitt referenced the new “Uncle Phil” in the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reboot just is not the same.
“I do, and it hits home when shows are brought back with characters that were played by actors who died. Personally, I think Bel-Air should’ve omitted Uncle Phil’s character because the original Phillip Banks was my favorite TV dad,” Pruitt said.
Nonetheless, it is plain that the comeback of certain shows is becoming a movement in the entertainment industry. However, the authenticity of these reboots is up to viewers to decide which affects the longevity of these series.
