TV’s reboot mania isn’t slowing down.
We’ll soon see a new season of “Will & Grace,” and that reboot’s second season already got the proverbial greenlight. We’re currently binge watching fresh episodes of “Twin Peaks,” and another round of “The X-Files” is in development.
That’s just the start.
NBC is salivating over new episodes of “30 Rock” and “The Office,” shows that have been off the air for only a few years.
Hollywood’s imagination drain is very real, but there can be an upside to it. Why not revive shows that shouldn’t have been cancelled in the first place? The following programs deserve a second chance. And here’s why.
“The Goode Family”
“Silicon Valley” creator Mike Judge brought this ingenious idea to Fox a few years back. The animated sitcom follows the Goodes, an ultra-progressive family struggling with their own noble intentions. It wasn’t great, to be honest. It proved good enough, pun partially intended. And the show’s promise remained sky high when the ax fell on it.
Judge wasn’t looking to berate the family in question. It’s just that pious liberals offer so much raw comic material, something only partially tapped in the show’s short run. What a shame to watch it fold before it got the chance to grow.
“Firefly”
This one comes with a caveat. Creator Joss Whedon’s space fantasy remains the ultimate case of a great show gone too soon. The feature film “Serenity” kept the story alive, but it didn’t make enough cash to sustain any momentum.
Given our current geek culture obsessions, that wouldn’t happen today.
And yet there’s a problem lurking in any potential reboot. Whedon’s anti-Trump obsession may bleed over into any new project he tackles. That could turn a wonderful second chance into yet more “resistance” TV.
“Freaks and Geeks”
This reboot would be equally tricky, but gratifying if given a chance. The original show, created by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, offered an unflinching look at teens circa the early ’80s. The show helped bring Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, Jason Segel and James Franco to our attention.
It got canceled before all 18 episodes could be aired. Now, it’s a cult classic adored by millions. And for good reason.
Any reboot would involve a massive casting change. But when would the story be set? Would the original stars return in some capacity? And could it remind us again what it’s like to be young, confused and full of self-doubt?
“Hannibal”
This NBC show didn’t feel like any broadcast series before … or since. The production design echoed an elite FX series. The somber tone? Maybe HBO could muster something so creepy. Maybe.
And star Mads Mikkelsen? You could legitimately argue he delivered a better Hannibal Lecter than Anthony Hopkins. Sacrilege? Watch a few episodes and check back in.
The show struggled to reach the three season mark before NBC sliced it from the schedule. Efforts to keep it alive failed. That’s a shame, but it’s not too late to right that wrong.
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