Reboots are ruining our shows
photo by Lea Douglas
In the age of the 21st century and modernized television shows, we see a lot of shows from the early ‘00s, ‘90s, and ‘80s being rebooted. But, why? Hollywood continually remakes iconic shows that oftentimes shaped an era and provided great entertainment for viewers. However, these reboots and sequels often never live up to the original and often tarnish the legacy of the original. For the sake of our entertainment—reboots must be stopped.
Within the past year alone, dozens of reboots have made their way to television screens, and even more are set to air in the next few months. Over quarantine, all I’ve seen is remake, after remake, after remake and I’m tired of it. All too often, beautiful shows are ruined by Hollywood’s greed. Let the iconic shows rest in peace. Now, I understand why they do remake the shows—but that still means they should stop.
So, there are a few aspects that lead producers to remake popular shows. First, it’s a great source of revenue. I’m the first to admit that I will spend a pretty penny for a drop of nostalgia, as would many of you. These shows make us feel comfortable and nostalgic at the same time. These companies know, whether the show is good or not, viewers will tune in. People are more willing to watch shows or movies they are used to rather than starting over with a new one. Besides money, the largest reason remakes are in production is because Hollywood likes to modernize TV’s greatest hits. They often set these shows in the modern decade to make the show feel relatable to its watchers.
The 1989 hit sitcom, Saved by the Bell, was recently resurrected and remade to fit the 21st century. The reboot aired in November and has received mixed media attention. Some views described the show as funny or similar to the original, while others wished the show incorporated the original actors.
Although Saved by the Bell appears to be a moderate success, some shows haven’t received the same positive reviews. One of my favorites, Gossip Girl, which aired from 2007-2012, has begun filming a modern-age version of the series. Although the modernized reboot was set to air in 2020, the COVID-19 current pandemic delayed the show’s premiere, however, production has begun and the cast has been revealed. I, like many other Gossip Girl fans, are intrigued yet disappointed by the thought of a reboot. Many viewers believe a reboot is unnecessary, unwanted, and will ruin the accomplished legacy of the original series.
As I previously mentioned, I’m not keen on the idea of reboots. I believe they’re completely unneeded and unwanted. But I do acknowledge that television remakes have the potential to live up to the original’s standard. Gabe Holt, 9, said, “I feel that reboots are usually worse than the original, but once in a while they end up being pretty good,” and, “Rebooting a show does run the risk of destroying the hard-earned legacy of its predecessor, but I've never fully watched a reboot that was so bad that it made me hate the original.”
Although reboots may be annoying, they can also provide insight into the original show. They also provide closure to juicy cliffhangers.
“I almost always prefer the original—except in the case of Twin Peaks because the reboot answered a lot of questions from the original and was somehow better too,” Gabe added.
While remakes could be beneficial––the cons outweigh the pros. In my opinion, the world would be better off without reboots. If the show is over… let it be.