Reboots are all the rage now, and here’s a quick rundown of every network show that is getting the treatment!
“Everything old is new again” surely applies to TV these days. It’s like you can’t flip a channel or put on a streamer without a new take on an old show, some of which went off the air not that long ago. Paramount+ just canceled the revival of Fraiser and some old cable shows like White Collar may get the sequel treatment soon.
For network shows, it looks like reboots won’t be dying anytime soon. Networks rely on name recognition for a TV show and often help if the original actors or creators take part in it. Some shows may seem to not need a reboot, while others are shows fans would love to see coming back.
As of now, here’s a rundown on every major network show being prepped for a reboot or revival, and the chances the list will only grow as studios keep mining the past for new TV audiences.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This is the latest announced reboot and it’s a huge one. One of the most beloved cult shows of all time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed TV when it debuted on the old WB in 1997 and later moved to UPN. It set a tone for great drama, mixing horror and humor with a terrific touch on teenage life.
There’s been buzz now and then about a reboot, but it looks to be coming in a huge way to Hulu. Not only will Sarah Michelle Gellar reprise her role as Buffy Summers but the show is written by Nora and Lila Zuckerman, the creators of Peacock’s hit Poker Face. To top it off, the pilot will be directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao, a longtime Buffy fan.
It’s still early as the plotline is likely an older Buffy mentoring a new generation of Slayers. There’s no word yet if other original cast members will pop in, but the idea of returning to the Hellmouth makes this a reboot that fans are more than eager to see.
Prison Break
Debuting in 2005, Prison Break was one of Fox’s more unlikely hits. The first season is masterful, following Michael (Wentworth Miller) as he gets himself placed into prison to break out his brother (Dominic Purcell), who was wrongly convicted of killing the Vice-President’s brother. The first season culminated in the pair and others escaping, and the following seasons turned into a wild conspiracy tale.
The show ran four seasons, a 2009 TV movie and then a limited series reboot on Hulu in 2017. Now, yet another sequel is coming to Hulu with Mayans MC showrunner Elgin James writing and will executive-produce alongside Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring and the original series’ executive producers Dawn Olmstead, Marty Adelstein and Neal Moritz.
It does sound like this won’t be a direct sequel, as several of the original actors have already said they’re done with it. That makes it more likely this is a brand new story set in the same universe focusing on a more advanced breakout. If it’s half as crazy as the original show was, viewers are in for a nutty ride.
Little House on the Prairie
Here’s an old-school TV show being planned for a reboot. Little House on the Prairie ran on NBC from 1974 to 1983 with a few TV movies following. Starring Michael Landon, the series was based on the beloved novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, focusing on a family living in the late 1800s American Midwest.
Netflix is planning a new take on the show, created by Rebecca Sonnenshine and Trip Friendly, whose father, Ed, was the original producer of the NBC version. It looks to be closer to the original novels.
The show has already run into some controversy as outspoken conservative talk show host Megyn Kelly took issue with a reboot. That had original star Melissa Gilbert responding on how groundbreaking the show is.
That controversy may add more attention to this reboot even as Netflix hopes to make it as fun and warm-hearted as the original was.
Grimm
A surprise reboot announcement, Peacock is planning a new version of Grimm. The 2011-2017 series focused on Nick Burkhardt, a cop who discovers he’s the latest in a long line of monster hunters who see the supernatural around him and fight off evil threats.
The show was a cult favorite and that it ended less than eight years ago makes it unusual to already get a sequel. It does have the involvement of the original series creators David Greenwalt, Lynn Kouf and Jim Kouf.
The premise is under wraps, with the possibility that it will continue Nick’s story with much of the original cast returning. It could also be a fresher take as a new Grimm takes up the lead in hunting these monsters. We still don’t know if it’ll be a full series or a movie but this tale looks to still have some future left for it.
Baywatch
One would think Fox has enough lifeguard drama with Rescue: Hi-Surf. But it looks like the network is planning a revival of Baywatch. The 1989-2002 show (which started on NBC before moving to syndication) was at one point the most watched TV show on Earth and a bevy of famous names like David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra and a young Jason Momoa.
Original show creators Michael Berk, Greg Bonann and Doug Schwartz are involved with Lara Olsen as the head writer/showrunner. There’s no word on whether any of the show’s original stars would return or not as this is more likely to use the same name with a new cast of characters.
This would be a bad move for Rescue: Hi-Surf, as Fox may not need two lifeguard shows, and Baywatch has a lot more name recognition. Watch out for more news on this return of an iconic TV series.
Friday Night Lights
Some will argue that a reboot of Friday Night Lights isn’t just unneeded but also sheer blasphemy. The 2006-2011 NBC drama remains one of the most acclaimed shows of its time, loved by critics and its cult audience and one of the most realistic takes on high school life ever put on screen.
Nevertheless, a reboot for Peacock is underway from original creators executive producers Jason Katims, Peter Berg and Brian Grazer.
The new show will be a sequel focusing on a Texas town that rallies around its local football team as it recovers from a tornado. Taylor Kitsch has confirmed he’s been approached to reprise his role as bad boy QB Tim Riggins. This is still in the early stages, and while some may be wary of rebooting such a beloved show, it’s possible that the original creators can put a new spin on it and make FNL even better for a new generation.
The Office
It’s been a wait, but it looks like Peacock is finally going ahead with a reboot of the still-classic sitcom. While it’s had versions in scores of countries, the one most familiar to American audiences is the 2005-2013 show that made stars of Steve Carrell, John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, and more.
While a few spinoffs have occurred, there’s been little word on the main show being rebooted. But it’s happening with a nice premise: The same documentary crew that filmed the first season is looking for a new subject. They stumble upon a dying newspaper in a small Midwestern town and use that as the focus.
Deadline is reporting a large ensemble cast taking shape with a lot of fresh faces. That makes it unlikely we’ll see some of the original actors pop in, yet it’ll keep the same mockumentary formula. That makes this a fresher take on one of the best comedies of the 2000s and many are excited to see it.
Heroes
Heroes often tops lists of shows that were amazing in their first seasons only to slump badly in the second. When it debuted in 2006, viewers went wild for this tale of regular people gaining superpowers, captivated by its mythology and the breakout roles for Zachary Quinto, Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, and more.
However, the show slumped in both quality and ratings in its later seasons and was canceled in 2010. A 2015 limited series reboot called Heroes Reborn failed to revive it. Now, creator Tim Kring is pushing a new series titled Eclipsed.
The new plotline has a new solar eclipse creating a new wave of superpowered people who deal with a world that treats them with derision. Kring is promising a mix of new characters and “familiar villains” although nothing is yet confirmed.
This is still in the planning stages, yet just maybe Heroes can overcome the odds, win back the adulation it got in its first year, and once more sore as a TV hit.
Scrubs
Another show so beloved that a reboot faces an instant backlash. ABC is currently planning a new version of Scrubs, the 2001-2010 medical comedy that launched the careers of Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and Donald Faison. It comes from original creator Bill Lawrence, who’s promising a mix of those original stars and new doctors.
It would make sense to have the original trio now as mentors to the staff. The comedy would be obvious as the three try not to be the same as their own tough mentors, only to have interns who are just as troublesome as they once were.
Lawrence has spoken against the backlash, urging fans to at least give this new take a chance. That might be good advice, as the series may be able to recapture the magic of its first seasons and become a surprise success for ABC.
One Tree Hill
A huge hit on the WB and later The CW, One Tree Hill captivated a generation of young adults. The exploits of high schoolers in a small town got more soap opera as it went and a time jump moved the characters into adulthood. It’s good nine-season run capped off a fine TV drama.
Netflix is planning a sequel series spearheaded by original stars Sophia Bush and Hillarie Burton. They’ll reprise their characters of Brooke and Peyton, back in One Tree Hill and raising their own teen daughters. We’re not sure yet which original cast members may return (it’s unlikely Bush’s ex-husband Chad Michael Murray will come back), yet the actresses seem intent on making this return to OTH even better for fans old and new.
Bewitched
Wrapping it up with a new take on a true TV classic, Judalina Neira is planning a reboot of the iconic 1964-72 sitcom. Elizabeth Montgomery played Samantha who reveals to her husband she’s a witch. The pair live in the suburbs, where Samantha’s powers and magical hijinks provide much of the comedy.
The show has lived on in reruns and a big-screen movie in 2005 starring Nicole Kidman. There have been a few reboot attempts, but Neira’s take is set to be an hourlong dramedy that mixes the supernatural antics with a more serious edge.
That’s an unusual direction, yet with the right cast, this new Bewitched may end up casting a spell on viewers soon.
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