Hey, Hollywood: If you must reboot shows, at least do the right ones
TV’s been dominated by reboots lately. This past week alone, it’s been announced that “Murphy Brown,” “Charmed” and “Roswell” will all get a second chance at life.
The worst part isn’t even their obvious lameness — it’s that all the wrong shows are being resurrected!
So, Hollywood, if you are intent on rehashing the past, here are seven shows that actually warrant comebacks.
“Firefly”
Joss Whedon’s space Western “Firefly” aired for just one short season on Fox in 2002, but it attracted such a passionate cult following that the story continued in the 2005 movie “Serenity”. If any TV character deserves a comeback years after his original appearance, it’s Nathan Fillion’s misbehaving Mal Reynolds.
“Lost”
Before “Game of Thrones” took over the world, there was “Lost,” the original puzzle-box show for the masses. Most fans aren’t happy with the ending, so why not revisit it? And creator Damon Lindelof — once the subject of widespread ire for his “Lost” finale — has redeemed himself in the ensuing years with HBO’s “The Leftovers.”
“Knight Rider”
This cheesy romp ran from 1982 to 1986, starring David Hasselhoff as a crime fighter assisted by a talking car. Car technology has evolved since the ’80s, but the popularity of crime-solving shows has remained high. That’s why “Knight Rider” is perfect for a reboot. It’s had several film spinoffs and, supposedly, a TV version is coming from Justin Lin (the third, fifth and sixth installments of the “The Fast and the Furious” series), but there’s been no further news since 2016 . Put the pedal to the metal, Lin!
“1-800-Missing”
Airing on Lifetime fromfrien 2003 to 2006, “1-800-Missing” (later changed to just “Missing”) was based on “The Princess Diaries” author Meg Cabot’s novels about a teen psychic. It strayed far from the source material but a new version could hew closer to the (delightful) books. And teen shows are in the spotlight right now, thanks to innovative series such as “Riverdale” and “13 Reasons Why.”
“Wings”
This NBC sitcom originally aired from 1990 to 1997 and centered on a family operating a small airline. It wasn’t filled with twists and turns and laughs, but it was entertaining in a comforting way. We could use that right about now — plus, air travel has changed enough since the ’90s for a new version to be intriguing.
“Xena: Warrior Princess”
Cult favorite “Xena” ran from 1995 to 2001. It remains a pop culture staple to this day, having inspired a host of books, video games and fan conventions. A reboot was in the works at NBC but stalled in 2017. Perhaps a streaming platform could resurrect it.
“Friends”
Yes, this is controversial. But “Friends” is so iconic, and New York City has evolved since the ’90s. All the gripes “Friends” fans have about the pals’ preposterously large apartments, unrealistically empty go-to coffee shop and even questionable romantic pairings could be addressed in a reboot with a new cast of friends. There’s just one thing left to decide: What’s the modern-day hair equivalent of the Rachel?