For each pointless reboot of a beloved film, there appear to be simply as many pointless reboots of a beloved TV collection. Whereas some would show to be a welcome enchancment on what got here earlier than, there are much more (together with some profitable ones) that we nonetheless really feel we might have accomplished with out, given our continued enjoyment of what got here earlier than. We had nearly too many examples to select from whereas compiling this of TV exhibits that didn’t should be rebooted.
Knight Rider (1982-1986)
Regardless of its tacky moments, Knight Rider was probably the greatest ’80s sci-fi TV exhibits, boasting one in every of David Hasselhoff’s finest performances within the position of Michael Knight – a authorities agent whose companion in combating crime is an indestructible automobile powered by a sentient synthetic intelligence referred to as KITT (voice by William Daniels). In 2008, NBC aired a tender reboot, set in the identical world however following a brand new protagonist (Justin Bruening as Mick Traceur) and a brand new KITT (voiced by Val Kilmer), which lacked the charisma, the enjoyable, and far semblance of a mind, resulting in its untimely cancellation.
Charmed (1998-2006)
Probably the greatest Shannen Doherty TV exhibits was Charmed, which starred her, Holly Marie Combs, and Alyssa Milano as three sisters who uncover they’re descended from witches. After The WB turned The CW, regardless of no actual demand, the community developed a reimagining starring Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock, and Sarah Jeffery that managed to final 4 seasons, regardless of criticism for its one-dimensional characters and uninspired plotlines.
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
Creator and narrator Rod Serling’s landmark horror anthology TV present, The Twilight Zone has been resurrected quite a few occasions. Nonetheless, neither the late ’80s revival, nor the early 2000s model with Forest Whitaker, and even producer and narrator Jordan Peele’s iteration achieved the identical acclaim as because the chilling and thought-provoking traditional.
Full Home (1987-1995)
What made Full Home profitable regardless of its unimpressive essential status was a wholesome dose of wholesomeness amidst its generic household comedy antics. Netflix’s revival, Fuller Home – which recycled the plot however made DJ (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and Kimmy (Andrea Barber) the leads – had an honest five-season run, regardless of being criticized for a similar issues, along with relying totally on nostalgia.
The Bionic Lady (1976-1978)
Even with Battlestar Galactica producer David Eick concerned, NBC’s 2007 reboot of The Bionic Lady didn’t handle to be higher, sooner, or stronger, particularly within the scores. One would hope its cancellation after eight episodes teaches executives to keep away from rebooting the collection that star Lindsey Wagner’s unique sci-fi collection was spun-off from The Six Million Greenback Man.
Jersey Shore (2009-2012)
For some time, it appeared like the complete world was speaking concerning the solid of Jersey Shore, even when many of the discussions surrounding their boisterous conduct and debaucherous shenanigans had been mocking and disdainful. Years after it appeared just like the world had lastly forgotten about this uproarious actuality present, MTV debuted Jersey Shore Household Trip in 2018.
That ’70s Present (1998-2006)
A That ’70s Present spin-off was first tried in 2002 with That ’80s Present, which had little to no connection to the unique, doubtlessly costing it an extended life and higher reception. At the very least Netflix’s That ’90s Present – which sees Crimson (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty’s (Debra Jo Rupp) residence overrun with a brand new batch of teenagers, together with their granddaughter – can say it earned an honest following however not sufficient to final greater than two seasons.
Gossip Woman (2007-2012)
If there was any cause to convey again Gossip Woman, it might need been to right the extensively disappointing collection finale reveal that Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) was the eponymous blogger the complete time. As an alternative, Max’s short-lived retread of the hit CW drama, operating between 2021 and 2023, launched an entire new solid and tried to clean up the fabric with the overcooked theme of teenagers’ relationship with social media.
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000)
The CW’s 90210 was developed as a continuation of producer Aaron Spelling’s primetime cleaning soap opera and even featured just a few returning Beverly Hills, 90210 solid members to maintain its promise. Nonetheless, regardless of the fan service, the 2008-2013 collection basically recycled the plot of the unique with a brand new ensemble of handsome youths.
Roseanne (1988-1997)
Whereas the collection finale of Roseanne could have left some viewers disillusioned, we surprise if that was actually any cause to strive once more with a contemporary revival. To not point out, the sitcom’s 2018 reboot took a tough flip in its premiere run when its star, Roseanne Barr, was fired for a controversial tweet, main ABC to kill off her character and rebrand the present as The Conners.
Charlie’s Angels (1976-1981)
Initially starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith, Charlie’s Angels would discover success within the early 2000s on the massive display with two feature-length diversifications starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu. Nonetheless, ABC’s collection reboot from 2011 with Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachael Taylor obtained common disdain and lasted solely eight episodes.
That is So Raven (2003-2007)
Years after launching her profession on The Cosby Present, Raven-Symoné turned the star of her personal sitcom, That is So Raven, as a teen who can sometimes see the longer term. Nonetheless, nobody might predicted that, in 2017, Disney Channel would come out with Raven’s House – following the grownup Raven Baxter as a single guardian – which was a shocking success regardless of its pointless existence.
MacGyver (1985-1992)
CBS would produce an extended listing of reboots of its hottest crime dramas from yesteryear, together with MacGyver, which might final an honest 5 seasons from 2016 to 2021. Nonetheless, most would agree that the trendy model with Lucas Until as a youthful Mac doesn’t fairly maintain a candle to the enjoyable of the unique, starring Richard Dean Anderson as an unimaginably resourceful undercover agent.
Saved By The Bell (1989-1992)
Peacock’s 2020 revival of NBC’s hit coming-of-age sitcom, Saved By the Bell, whereas definitely pointless, was fairly properly obtained throughout the quick time it lasted. Whereas The School Years might have been higher, although, what actually overstayed its welcome was The New Class, which changed the complete solid, save Dennis Haskins as Mr. Belding and Dustin Diamond as Screech.
V (1984-1985)
The V franchise – an alien invasion story instructed over the course of two miniseries and one conventional collection that lasted a season on NBC – could be reinterpreted for contemporary audiences on ABC in 2009. In fact, by then, the extraterrestrial guests’ true, malevolent intentions had been no secret, leaving little room for suspense within the reboot.
Magnificence And The Beast (1987-1990)
The traditional French fairy story by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Magnificence and the Beast, was reimagined as a romantic modern drama within the late Eighties starring Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton, the previous of which received a Golden Globe for his efficiency. The CW’s 2012 iteration with Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan would final whereas however didn’t seize the identical magic as developer Ron Koslow’s imaginative and prescient and, to not point out, didn’t trouble to make the male lead notably “beastly.”
Roswell (1999-2002)
Based mostly on Melinda Metz’s e book collection, The WB’s Roswell follows three younger human/alien hybrids with particular items dwelling within the eponymous New Mexico city the place an alleged UFO crash befell. A reimagining of the story, Roswell, New Mexico, ran for 4 seasons on The CW and was admired for its commentary on immigration, solely to be overshadowed by criticism for being a retread of what got here earlier than.
Dallas (1978-1991)
In its prime, there have been few collection almost as standard as Dallas, which is legendary for having some of the iconic cliffhangers in TV historical past by leaving viewers obsessive about the thriller of who shot J.R. Ewing for a summer time. We can not fairly say the identical about TNT’s revival, which was canceled after 40 episodes in 2014.
Magnum P.I. (1980-1988)
The Jay Hernandez-led reboot of Magnum P.I. lasted a formidable 5 seasons (initially on CBS earlier than transferring to NBC). Nonetheless, even critics and audiences who loved it agree it was largely a watered-down carbon copy of Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson’s ’80s traditional starring Tom Selleck because the titular Hawaii-based personal investigator.
Melrose Place (1992-1999)
The 2009 reboot of Melrose Place, which adopted the dramatic lives of the eponymous L.A. condo advanced’s residents, solely lasted 18 episodes. We think about this is perhaps as a result of it premiered in such shut proximity to a different CW drama primarily based on a success ’90s present about younger individuals with issues: the 90210 reboot.
The place In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1991-1996)
Beginning off as an academic laptop recreation within the mid-Eighties, The place within the World is Carmen Sandiego? was later tailored into a success recreation present and an animated collection that includes Rita Moreno because the titular thief. With all due respect to the builders of Netflix’s animated reboot, Carmen Sandiego, and Gina Rodriguez, who’s nice within the title position, we can not assist however really feel that the property was already previous its prime by this level.
24 (2001-2010)
The distinctive, real-time narrative construction of 24 and Kiefer Sutherland’s partaking efficiency as Jack Bauer stored the drama going for eight seasons earlier than bringing the reckless counter-terrorism agent again for the 2014 miniseries, 24: Dwell One other Day. Simply two years later, Fox tried to proceed the collection as 24: Legacy, led by Corey Hawkins in a brand new position, which solely lasted “12 hours.”
DuckTales (1987-1990)
Maybe we are able to perceive eager to introduce Huey, Dewey, and Louie to a brand new era of viewers with a reboot of DuckTales, which aired on Disney XD from 2017 to 2021. Nonetheless, we nonetheless desire their triplets’ unique adventures with Uncle Scrooge, particularly for its superior animation model.
Fantasy Island (1977-1984)
If we had a fantasy we wish to see come true, it could be that every one reboots of Fantasy Island – set on a paradisiacal getaway the place goals magically come true – didn’t exist. Neither the 1998 collection reimagining with Malcolm McDowell, nor Fox’s sequel collection with Roselyn Sánchez as Elena Roarke, or, particularly, Blumhouse’s darker characteristic adaptation managed to enchant critics and followers of the ABC unique with Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize’s Tattoo.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
We might really be prepared to name Woman Meets World, which ran from 2014 to 2017, the perfect present that Disney Channel produced in years. But, if you actually give it some thought, the sequel to Boy Meets World is generally a reiteration of plenty of the identical classes we already discovered within the unique TGIF sitcom.
Heroes (2006-2010)
Regardless of a robust begin and a comparatively loyal following for a lot of its run, NBC’s Heroes would shortly start to lose steam as critics famous a gentle decline in high quality over time. The 2015 reboot Heroes: Reborn didn’t do a lot to assist resurrect the franchise because it was not very properly obtained and didn’t final a couple of season.
The Odd Couple (1970-1975)
Impressed by the movie primarily based on Neil Simon’s hilarious play, The Odd Couple, Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson’s sitcom adaptation with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall labored fairly properly. Nonetheless, after sufficient mismatched roommate/pal tales, CBS’ reboot with Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon, regardless of lasting three seasons, felt a bit stale.
Dynasty (1981-1989)
Maybe probably the most profitable of The CW’s string of primetime cleaning soap opera reboots was a reimagining of Esther and Richard Alan Shapiro’s Dyanasty. Lasting 5 seasons and that includes a robust efficiency by Elizabeth Gillies as Fallon Carrington, the outdated “rich households combating to retain energy” schtick was not sufficient to win critics over.
The Magic Faculty Bus (1994-1997)
In 2017, Netflix launched The Magic Faculty Bus Rides Once more – a brand new tackle the favored, instructional animated present primarily based on a collection of books following an elementary faculty class on some epic subject journeys. SNL‘s Kate McKinnon is definitely an impressed option to voice the brand new Ms. Frizzle however even she may agree she isn’t any Lily Tomlin.
iCarly (2007-2012)
Contemplating how a lot the world of web running a blog had developed since iCarly‘s unique Nickelodeon run ended, we are able to perceive why there was curiosity in bringing it again. But, we might argue that Paramount+’s reboot, which lasted from 2021 to 2023, suffered from hinging on Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) and Freddy’s (Nathan Kress) romance following years of “will they, will not they” and the absence of Jennette McCurdy as Sam and Noah Munck’s Gibby.
The Recent Prince Of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
When a brief movie reimagining NBC’s hit sitcom The Recent Prince of Bel-Air as a severe drama dropped in 2019, we will not deny we had been intrigued. Nonetheless, we by no means anticipated star Will Smith to truly assist get a collection adaptation off the bottom, turning into Peacock’s Bel-Air, which barely provides something notably new to the coming-of-age style.
Frasier (1993-2004)
NBC’s Frasier, starring Kelsey Grammer as his position from the Cheers solid, is a main instance of tips on how to do a sitcom spin-off proper. Whereas Paramount+’s reboot would earn shocking essential acclaim, even its greatest followers may agree that we didn’t actually need greater than the 11 years we acquired of the eponymous psychiatrist’s time in Seattle, particularly with out David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves.