We live in an age where legacy sequels, reboots, and remakes rule the world of mass entertainment. The nostalgia for classic movies andTV showsdrives people’s interest in recontextualizations and refreshers, thus motivating network executives to hunt for reprisals of long-finished TV shows. While this hurts the chances of unique new mainstream TV, it could be good for some shows, like thesci-fi TV shows that should be remadebecause they were canceled too soon.
Some greatTV show franchises failed to make a comebackbecause the time had simply passed for them to return. Many great classic shows were either too much a product of their time to justify being remade today, or ended too perfectly to rationalize rebooting them. Moreover, as demonstrated bygreat TV shows that started to declineafter a while, forcefully adding more content to a concluded franchise has a high chance of not living up to the standards set by it when it originally aired.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Cast
From the creative minds of Dan Goor and Michael Schur comes Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a police comedy series set in the NYPD’s fictional 99th precinct. Headed by the comedically serious Captain Raymond Holt and protagonist Jake Peralta, the detectives of the 99 deal with burglaries, drug deals, and oddities in New York City, occasionally steering into real-world issues surrounding police perception and social concerns in the 2010s and earlier. Each detective has their own unique personality that makes them stand out, creating endearing dynamics that helped the show thrive for eight seasons.
While workplace sitcoms are still in demand, as proven by the critical and commercial success thatAbbott Elementaryhas received, a police precinct may not be the ideal workplace for a comedy show in today’s political climate. Set in the fictional 99th precinct of the NYPD in Brooklyn,Brooklyn Nine-Ninefollows a group of police detectives as they befriend each other, protect each other like family, and grow together.
Brooklyn 99 Ending Explained: What Happens To Everyone Next
The ending of Brooklyn 99 is full of twists and turns, double-crosses and betrayals. What exactly happened in the hit sitcom’s series finale?
While finding a place for comedy in the form of hilarious shenanigans, some involving police work, some strictly in their personal lives, the characters provided us with reasons to laugh with them for eight years. However, the lightheartedness regarding police work, including grievous crimes, while well-intentioned,can seem frivolous in today’s political climate. Episodes that deal with difficult subject matter like workplace sexual harassment and racism in the police force are done brilliantly. However, as the final season proved, addressing the rising concerns about cops in America is probably done best without the lens of comedy.
House
House is a medical mystery drama in which the villain is typically a difficult-to-diagnose medical malady. It follows Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a world-renowned disabled diagnostician with a notorious substance abuse issue. With his team of world-class doctors, House has built a reputation as one of the most brilliant doctors in the world - an especially impressive feat when taking into account that he rarely actually sees his patients.
Hugh Laurie’s Dr. Gregory House, like his inspiration Sherlock Holmes, solves patient diagnoses like mysteries. His jaded worldview and his sarcastic demeanor often makes him a darkly witty presence, and it’s entertaining to watch him solve diagnoses step by step. However,rewatchingHousereveals some harsh realities, particularly that the show glorifies abusive, manipulative, and toxic behavior through its main character’s charisma. While Dr. House regularly gets called out for his behavior by his coworkers, friend, and boss, he doesn’t really change, and his triumphs make his attitude seem like a necessary evil.
The sixth season ofHouseshows the titular character confronting his addiction head-on, but he remains just as insufferable until the end of the final season, undermining the potential for representing meaningful change, thus glorifying his toxicity.
The show became so beloved because Dr. House’s sarcastic sense of humor and depraved charisma gives him a certain charm, but at the end of the day, the show is a product of its time.The glorification of toxicity was a major problem with the show already, and a reboot would either involve changing House’s personality, thus making a new show altogether, or trying to make the original tone work in today’s TV scene, which won’t work.
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory: This sitcom follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with each other and the people around them. Centered on physicists Sheldon and Leonard, the series humorously explores friendship, romance, and the quirks of life among an eclectic group of academics.
WhileThe Big Bang Theoryfound widespread appeal and adoration because it was nerdy and funny, the show fails to hold up today. While the premise promises an exploration of nerd and geek culture through the lens of comedy, eventually,the nerds are the butts of the jokes themselves. The representation of people is also rather stereotypical, from the offensive portrayal of Indian culture through the character of Raj, to the clichéd depiction of autism through the main character, Sheldon.
The only way to make another show of its kind would be to revamp the brand of humor, change the characters involved, and take a more inclusive approach towards writing.
While the heartwarming moments of bonding and the innumerable pop culture references are why we love the show, it simply wouldn’t hold up today. The misogynistic character choices, and the portrayal of geeks as either creeps or socially inept seem dated, despite the show ending a little more than five years ago. WhileThe Big Bang Theorywasn’t canceled, the only way to make another show of its kind would be to revamp the brand of humor, change the characters involved, and take a more inclusive approach towards writing.
Twin Peaks
Conceived by Mark Frost and David Lynch in 1990, Twin Peaks is a supernatural mystery-drama series that brings FBI Agent Dale Cooper to the quiet town of Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of a young woman named Laura Palmer. As Dale continues his investigation of her death, he learns that Laura’s life wasn’t as she advertised it, and the town itself is hiding far more secrets than they let on. The show received a revival for a third and final season two decades later to resolve the cliffhanger left at the end of the second season.
Whether it’s asci-fi TV show with a mystery elementor a mystery show with a sci-fi element is a debate that will rage on forever, but what’s undisputed is thatTwin Peaksshouldn’t be touched. It was David Lynch’s brainchild, and as tempting as the idea must be for networks looking to capitalize on the popularity of his titles right now, it would be disrespectful to the maestro.
EvenTwin Peaks: The Return, which happens 25 years after the original run of the show in the early ’90s, was a continuation, and was co-written by Lynch himself. The unique blend of surrealism and twisted mystery that Lynch made year after year while building his impressive filmography could never be replicated by someone else.Without the trademark Lynchian traits,Twin Peaksjust wouldn’t beTwin Peaks, and just out of reverence for Lynch, it should also be left untouched.
Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones is a Netflix-based Superhero television show based in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series was created by Melissa Rosenberg and stars Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, and Mike Colter. It follows the life of Jessica Jones as she is forced to give up being a superhero and instead decides to use her powers to aid in being a private investigator.
Some of Netflix’s Marvel characters are set toreturn withDaredevil: Born Againreleasing in a little over a week. That could mean all the scrapped projects from Netflix’s time with the Marvel properties could be rebooted in the years to come, but this isn’t necessarily a good thing. While shows likeIron FistandThe Defenderswere disappointing, and the new MCU era could revamp them and renew people’s interest in them, I’m not sure if the same can be said aboutJessica Jones.
We love Ms. Jonesbecause she’s a complex female character with layers to her characterization. Her PTSD, her alcoholism, her self-destructive urge to distance people, and her general lack of optimism about the world – the Netflix show handles sensitive subject matter and the titular character’s complicated persona delicately. However,the MCU’s track record with female characters doesn’t make aJessica Jonesreboot seem promising. Wanda was a grieving mother, but she became a villain who then killed herself. She deserved a better arc, and so does Jessica Jones.
Sherlock
In this incarnation of Sherlock from creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman assume the roles of Sherlock and Watson as they establish their partnership and begin solving strange mysteries throughout the U.K. and beyond. Set in a more 2010’s modern setting, Sherlock’s eccentric and complex nature is accentuated as he solves seemingly supernatural crimes with unparalleled intellect while struggling to connect with others on a human level. Meanwhile, Watson blogs the stories summarizing their cases while building a strained but caring friendship with his new partner.
While he’s much more famous for his portrayal of Alan Turing, Benedict Cumberbatch’s breakthrough in the film and TV industry was as Stephen Hawking in the 2004 TV movieHawking. However, he’d have to wait 6 more years to become a household name for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. While it features what’s undoubtedly the most iconic version of the character today,Sherlockis far too niche to work as a reboot. Holmes gets re-imagined every decade anyway, anda new show afterElementaryended in 2019 would be a better idea than aSherlockreboot.
I’m Actually Relieved That The BBC’s Sherlock Might Never Be Revived
As much as I love the BBC’s Sherlock, the latest update on its future makes me feel relieved that a fifth season or movie might never happen.
The only way I’ll watch more of that version of Sherlock Holmes is if Cumberbatch plays him, and has Martin Freeman by his side as Dr. Watson. And if that’s possible, they can just continue the existing show. Reviving this exact version of Holmes is also a fool’s errand after the mess that was Season 4. FromBenedict Cumberbatch’sSherlockSeason 5 update, continuation seems unlikely anyway. We still have at least 10 amazing episodes to revisit every time we miss him, which is very often, and we should be content with that.
Killing Eve
Killing Eve is a black comedy thriller series starring Sandra Oh as British intelligence officer Eve Polastri who is assigned to track and capture a dangerous assassin named Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer. Bored with her life, Eve finds herself hired by an undercover MI6 division tasked with tracking down Villanelle - who, after just a brief time studying and following her, she becomes obsessed with her. However, the obsession becomes mutual as soon the two enter a game of cat and mouse that deviates them from their missions as they venture to learn more about one another.
RebootingKilling Evewould mean the first season, brilliantly written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, wouldn’t be canon again. That is perhapsone of the greatest seasons of television ever, and a redo would simply not capture the electric atmosphere again. Waller-Bridge’s interpretation of Villanelle and Eve, and how their obsession with each other affects them, is unparalleled.
Villanelle’s ending was so dissatisfying for viewers, that writer Luke Jennings, whose books the character is based on, decided to write another book,Killing Eve: Resurrection, in late 2023 (viaThe Guardian).
The final season, and especially the ending, which disappointingly upholds the bury-your-gays TV trope which the show had seemingly subverted, is one of the biggest letdowns of all time. So, I would love a rewrite of the later seasons, but if that’s only possible through a reboot that throws the first season out as well, I’m not a fan of the idea. Villanelle is one of thefemale TV characters who deserved a better ending, and I’m satisfied just denying her ending happened than watching a reboot of the amazing pilot season.
Friends
Friends is a television sitcom that debuted in 1994, revolving around six young New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood. The series highlights their friendship as they support each other through personal and professional challenges, encapsulating the ups and downs of life in a comedic and relatable manner.
When it first started in ‘94,Friendswas unique and refreshing. Apart from Seinfeld, which was much more of a personal project, most successful sitcoms were more focused on family back then. The concept of finding a family via friendship as the premise for a long-running sitcom made it new and exciting. However, its iconic status and cultural footprint today meansthere are too many ripoffs that have tried to recreate the winning formula. In such a scene saturated with re-imaginations of that concept, a reboot simply wouldn’t work.
The 10-season run of the show has ensured we can’t imagine anyone else playing those characters.
Friendsis most definitely a product of its time. It serves as a comforting time capsule into the ’90s, but most of its humor hasn’t aged well. I’d love nothing more to watch Chandler Bing be sarcastic one more time, but he wouldn’t be Chandler without Matthew Perry, and nor would the other characters without their actors. The 10-season run of the show has ensured we can’t imagine anyone else playing those characters, so not only is a reboot not necessary, it will always be competing with its precursor. So,Friendsshould just be left as it is.
There Is Now Too Much Lore
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender, released in 2005, follows a young boy in a war-torn world of elemental magic as he reawakens to embark on a challenging mystical quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar and restore peace to the world.
WhileAvatar: The Last Airbenderwasn’t made as an adaptation of any existing source material when it first came out, it has since inspired graphic novels, movies, and animated and live-action shows. As the live-action adaptations demonstrate,re-imagining the original events ofAvatar: The Last Airbenderis simply a bad idea. Every moment in the original show contributes meaningfully to the overarching story, the lore of the world, the characterization, and the commentary.
RebootingAvatar: The Last Airbendermakes no sense because there’s no need for a reboot. I don’t see why the show would need to be recreated if not to change the art style or the storyline, and both are essential to the vibe, and the precious characters would get ruined. The art doesn’t look dated to me, and the unique blend of anime and American animation styles is forever associated with the simple yet layered narrative of the show. I look forward to seeing more ofZuko inAvatar: Seven Havens, but I hope the show never gets rebooted.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
It’s one of the greatest TV shows ever made, perhaps, the greatest one of all time. UnlikeGame of Thrones, it ended with a perfect conclusion, too. Then it got a spinoff show that is at the same level, and a sequel movie, equally good, which tied all loose ends. So, the story ofBreaking Badis just perfect as it is. I agree withBryan Cranston about a possible Walter White return– the show is over, and there is no reason to force a return. The show ended exactly as it should have, and a reboot would sully its legacy.
Breaking Bad’s Future Addressed By Creator As Spinoff Question Lingers After Better Call Saul
Creator Vince Gilligan candidly addresses whether more Breaking Bad spinoffs will happen following the conclusion of Better Call Saul last year.
Just becauseBreaking Bad,El Camino, andBetter Call Saulare all so good, doesn’t mean their success can be repeated, or even should be.Breaking Badhas aged well, has the most satisfying character arcs for all its major characters, doesn’t glorify toxicity, and is a well-contained complete story. Moreover,the actors are too iconic as the characters, and a recast would be jarring too. There’s no reason to tell the story again, and for anyone who wants more, I can only suggest a rewatch – you’ll find new details, and will enjoy it just as much again.
