by Mae Mansour (’24) | October 7, 2022
Over the past few years, many retired shows and films have reemerged on screens with new generations and storylines. These reboots tend to be more reliable for success, as they aren’t risky investments like other, newer programs. By reviving characters and plotlines, reboots often provide needed closure or update and explore different stories within the same franchise.
However, creating a successful reboot is somewhat difficult, as it must meet the expectations created by the original in order to maintain fans’ support. A successful reboot must provide viewers with a sense of nostalgia associated with their memories of the original.
Every now and then, there is a reboot that surprises viewers by being almost as good as the original. You may have heard of Cobra Kai, Fuller House, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Jurassic World, or Topgun: Maverick, all recent and popular reboots of old television shows and movies. Each one of these reboots has popularized the original show or film.
For example, Cobra Kai continues the franchise of Karate Kid by extending the storyline into the next generation. The characters and actors from the original even make appearances in this reboot, thrilling fans. Cobra Kai, which has run for three seasons so far, has been very successful, and its creators are preparing to release a fourth season.
In addition, Gilmore Girls, which ended in 2007, was relaunched as the 2016 show Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The reboot is a one-season series that updates fans on the lives of main characters Rory and Lorelei Gilmore.
Another recent reboot is Fuller House, a show based off of the 1987 sitcom Full House, and it follows the original characters 21 years later. As the children that grew up watching Full House have aged out of the show, they have enjoyed seeing their favorite characters at their own ages once again.
Other recent reboots include One Day At a Time and Saved by the Bell, both sitcoms based on original shows of the same name. DuckTales followed the same path, reappearing in 2017 after the initial 1987 series. Twin Peaks: The Return was also released in 2017, succeeding the 1990 show Twin Peaks. The Jurassic World movies are also reboots, taking inspiration from the 1993 release Jurassic Park.
These successful reboots have expanded the universes of their originals, and their loyal fan bases have ensured that the production companies generate substantial profits. The growing popularity of reboots ensures that we will see many more in the future. So if a widely loved show ends, there’s always a silver lining: there may be a reboot.