More often than not, when a TV show is given the reboot treatment, the results (like many remakes) are often less-than stellar; it can be quite the challenge to capture the magic of the original program. Despite already having a built-in fanbase, it can be difficult to stay true to viewers while also providing a fresh and unique take on the content. When crafted right, these remakes or reboots have the ability to captivate and inspire a new generation of audiences, bringing glory to the original once more. Whether these adaptations aim to correct a mistake of the first installment or completely re-imagine the concept of the show, remakes are becoming a popular trend on both the big and small screens.
Revisiting past programs does not automatically mean that they’ll be home-runs with audiences; Murphy Brown was an adored sitcom with a reboot that failed to resonate with viewers and its revival was canceled after one season. Melrose Place was a juicy ‘90s soap opera that captivated fans, but its lackluster re-imagining just didn’t hit the same note. These minor failures haven’t hindered the resurgence in popularity of remakes and reboots. Twin Peaks made a return and garnered widespread critical acclaim after the original was canceled 25 years prior, while the new “Fab Five” guys fromQueer Eye are inspiring and entertaining a new generation of fans. It’s obviously possible to do a good reboot or remake, so let’s look at the best reboots of canceled TV shows.
9 Fuller House
The beloved hit sitcom Full House ran from 1987 to 1995, introducing the world to the Olsen twins, John Stamos’ swoon-worthy Uncle Jesse, and famous phrases like “You got it dude” and “Cut it out!” The ABC series followed widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists the help of his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three daughters. The show was known as “The Brady Bunch of the 1990s” and its cancellation after seven seasons upset fans of the feel-good show, featuring the late, great Bob Saget. 21 years later, the Tanners found new life when it was revived by the streaming giant Netflix as Fuller House, this time centering on an all grown-up D.J. as she navigates being a widow herself, and raising her three children with her sister Stephanie and best friend Kimmy Gibbler. To the delight of audiences, most of the original series ensemble reprised their roles and appeared in the reboot. Despite a lackluster response from critics, fans couldn’t get enough of the nostalgia fueled show and Fuller House ran for five seasons.
8 One Day at a Time
Sony Pictures Television
The 1975 CBS series One Day at a Time starred Bonnie Franklin as a divorced mother raising two teenage daughters, portrayed by Mackenize Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli. The successful series was based on co-creator Whitney Blake’s own life as a single mother, and ran for nine seasons and over 200 episodes. When Netflix decided to reboot the popular show in 2017, they had it revolve around a Cuban-American family living in Los Angeles and details a single mother who is an Army veteran coping with PTSD. The remake focuses on important issues like mental health, racism, homophobia, and immigration, and features an ensemble cast including the great Rita Moreno, Justina Machado, and Isabella Gomez. One Day at a Time garnered critical acclaim upon its release, with specific praise for its cast and writing; Newsday wrote, “There’s also a deep emotional core here which refuses to be devalued by the typical (or tired) beat of a multi-camera sitcom.” The show was canceled after three seasons before being picked up by Pop network for a final fourth, cut short by COVID..
7 Battlestar Galactica
NBCUniversal
The sci-fi television series Battlestar Galactica debuted on ABC in 1978, following a group of surviving humans after a war with the Cylons who flee in the titular ship in search of a new home. Though it was a ratings success for the network, the show was canceled due to its expensive production costs and gradual decline in viewership. The gone-too-soon series was first re-imagined with a three-hour miniseries in 2003 before being picked by the Sci-Fi Channel the following year for a full-fledged TV remake. Battlestar Galactica adopts the premise of the original, and focuses on the crew of the Galactica under the leadership of Colonial Fleet officer Commander Bill Adama (Edward James Olmos) and President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell). The sci-fi show ran for four seasons, receiving the Peabody Award and the Television Critics Association’s Program of the Year Award, and is considered one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time. It’s success has led to NBC (and Peacock) adapting yet another reboot.
6 The Conners
Roseanne Barr co-created and starred in the mega hit sitcom Roseanne, which centers on the American working-class Conner family as they thrive and survive in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. During its initial nine-season run, the series was a knockout with viewers, and its engaging leads like Barr and John Goodman went on to win Golden Globe Awards for their performances. The show was briefly (and successfully) revived in 2018, attracting over 18 millions viewers with its debut return, but was once again canceled following Barr’s offensive comments about Obama administration official Valerie Jarrett. ABC decided to retool the program without Barr, with a spin-off show renamed The Conners. The comedy sitcom doesn’t appear to have slowed down despite the controversy, as it is currently in its fourth successful season. Salon commended the spin-off, writing, “The Conners is much more like the original Roseanne than the revival in spirit, in that the series interacts with hot button issues like race, class, gender identity and sexual orientation with empathy and realism.”
5 Hawaii Five-O
CBS Television Distribution
“Book ‘em, Danno!” The 1968 police procedural drama Hawaii Five-O famously focuses on Detective Captain Stephen “Steve” McGarrett, who leads the special state police task force in Hawaii that was based on an actual unit that existed under martial law following World War II. When the show completed its run after 12 seasons in 1980, it was the longest-running police drama in American television history. Hawaii Five-O received the modern reboot treatment in 2010 when it returned to the small screen, starring Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan as the constantly bickering and always exciting partners McGarrett and Danny “Danno” Williams. The adaptation is full of thrilling action, hilarious hijinks and endearing character bonds that both fans and critics genuinely appreciated and enjoyed watching. AV Club praised the reboot’s debut: “Everything any TV viewer could want in a time-waster. No one’s going to mistake it for profound television, but it accomplishes something almost more rare: It becomes exquisitely paced, indelibly fun television."
4 The Wonder Years
ABC
The coming-of-age citation comedy sitcom The Wonder Years was a cherished television series that starred Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, a teenager growing up in a suburban middle class family in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The original comedy ran for six seasons, winning Emmy Awards and the Peabody Award in 1989. The Wonder Years went on to become a classic among fans and critics and a reboot debuted in 2021, this time centering on the Black middle-class Williams family in Montgomery, Alabama in the late 1960s. Crew members have revealed that the new show will tackle major events from 1968, including the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and racial tensions during the time. Fans and critics flocked to the remake of The Wonder Years, and The Hollywood Reporter wrote that “the series manages to invoke nostalgia for bygone days while also remaining relatively clear-eyed about the challenges of that period…and it accomplishes this while delivering cozy appeal of the best family sitcoms.”
3 Twin Peaks: The Return
Mark Frost and David Lynch created the 1990 mystery-horror serial drama Twin Peaks, which stars Kyle MacLachlan as an idiosyncratic FBI agent who arrives in the fictional titular town to investigate the murder of a homecoming queen. The series ran for two seasons before being unceremoniously canceled, yet despite its short-lived reign Twin Peaks is frequently listed as a landmark turning point in television drama. Following a hiatus of over 25 years, the series returned in 2017 for a third season on Showtime with MacLachlan, Frost and Lynch all returning for the revival. Twin Peaks: The Return once again follows FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper as he remains trapped in the Black Lodge and prepares to return to the world. The season was heralded by critics, with praise for its unconventional structure and narrative, powerful performances, and stunning visuals.
2 Doctor Who
BBC
Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi series in television history, having made its BBC debut in 1963 depicting the adventures of a Time Lord known as the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. After 26 seasons, the original show said goodbye to audiences in 1989, and an attempt to revive it in the 1990s proved to be a failure. It wasn’t until the program was relaunched by Russell T. Davies in 2005 that fans were properly reintroduced to the adored sci-fi classic. Many outstanding and gifted actors have portrayed the famous Doctor, such as David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi. The series is currently going strong, and Jodie Whittaker has starred as the Thirteenth Doctor since 2017, having become the first woman to play the character in the franchise. On Whittaker nabbing the monumental role, showrunner Chris Chibnall said, “I always knew I wanted the Thirteenth Doctor to be a woman and we’re thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for The Doctor simply blew us all away.”
1 Queer Eye
A reboot of Bravo’s eponymous series, 2018’s Netflix reality show Queer Eye features a new and endearing “Fab Five”: Antoni Porowski, a wine and food expert; Karamo Brown, culture expert; Jonathan Van Ness, grooming expert; Bobby Berk, design expert; and Tan France, fashion expert. Like the original series, each episode sees the “Fab Five” helping out an individual by applying their expertise to improve the contestant’s lifestyle and overall self-confidence. The Emmy-winning program has been praised for its strong representation amongst the LGBTQ+ community and has received consistently positive reviews from critics, with its most recent fifth season currently holding a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 100%. Queer Eye is a feel-good show that motivates and inspires viewers to better themselves, and has proven to be just as if not more successful than the original Bravo program. Rolling Stone raved about the new “Fab Five”, writing, “The Queer Eye reboot is even better than it should have been. These Georgia boys are more than just makeover consultants: They are healers and sages for our time.”
