These days, it seems like every Hollywood blockbuster is a big budget reboot of an idea that has been seen before. Just look at the most recent Spiderman franchise. The Andrew Garfield version of the web-slinging superhero arrived only eight years after Tobey Maguire did it, which is not a long time for a re-tread. Then you’ve got RoboCop, Alice in Wonderland, Godzilla, King Kong, Total Recall, and a host of others.
This doesn’t even include the plethora of rebooted TV shows. Ironside, Charlie’s Angels, Knight Rider, Bionic Woman, Wonder Woman, Dragnet, and more have all been brought back to the small screen (willingly or not). So the question is, what keeps audiences coming back to recycled ideas? And, are there any great TV classic that might actually make for fantastic reboots, with the right team on board?
This guide to some of the most tantalizing TV show reboot ideas will have you wondering why they haven’t opted for these sure-fire winners.
Remington Steele
Remington Steele ran for a good five years back in the 1980s. It is the TV show that really catapulted Pierce Brosnan into the spotlight and got him noticed as a candidate for the coolest spy on earth. It featured charismatic con artists, witty wisecracks, and a whole load of tricky crimes. Surprisingly, it even had a distinctly feminist side.
The plot of the show focused on female detective Laura Holt, who tracks down legendary conman Remington Steele and offers him a job. People don’t want a girl detective solving their crimes, so she allows him to be the face of the business, while actually doing all the real work behind the scenes.
It is this female-centric tale that would likely resonate with viewers today, particularly in light of the US election and other events around the world. Many women could identify with Holt; the hard working detective who isn’t being given her dues. The humor of the original would have to be present as well, though, as it was the jokes (and the hint of flirty fun) that kept Remington Steele light and fresh.
Dark Shadows
The less said about the questionable Tim Burton remake, the better. Instead, let’s think about how cool a Dark Shadows reboot could be if it were in the right hands. The strength of this rather odd gothic drama lies in the fact that it wasn’t that weird at all, not at heart. Yes, the family was made up of witches, werewolves, and vampires, but they were dealing with the same everyday problems as everybody else.
The desiccated Collins family were distinctly human and fans have continued to flock to the original show. It is now considered to be a cult classic. However, a TV reboot could capture imaginations if it was carefully structured. One of the most repeated complaints about the movie reboot was that it was too freewheeling.
It didn’t seem to have its plot locked down and perhaps this is because it was trying to work with hundreds of hours of historical scripts. A good reboot would need to be brought back to basics, with strong characterization and a focus on the human aspects of these lovable beasts.
The Twilight Zone
The 1950s and 1960s was an era of unparalleled exploration for television. There were some truly weird and wonderful shows around. The Twilight Zone was one of them and it is currently inspiring a revival of science fiction telly. The always amazing Black Mirror has been compared to this classic on a number of occasions.
For all of these reasons, it is a great time to bring The Twilight Zone back. We’re living in a world where
Donald Trump is President and virtual reality has become a commercial possibility. Many of the eerie and spooky things that it explored really aren’t that unrealistic anymore, which is why it is ripe for revival.
A number of TV fans have proposed that, if it were to be rebooted, the best idea would be to get a collection of fantasy and horror creators together to make it. People like Guillermo Del Toro, Charlie Brooker, George R. R. Martin, J. J Abrams, and Ben Wheatley. That way, it could remain as an anthology and continue to freak out telly watchers for years to come.
The Wild Wild West
Once again, let’s just conveniently forget all about that movie reboot. Yes, the one with Will Smith. It’ll be easier on all of us. The original television show was so much cooler. It was half steampunk and half science fiction, with a little bit of southern gothic thrown in for good measure. In fact, more than one episode was based on an Edgar Allen Poe tale.
It starred Robert Conrad and Ross Martin as James West and Artemus Gordon; two Secret Service bodyguards appointed to protect the President. The magical thing about The Wild Wild West is that, even though it is set in the past, the main characters have access to all kinds of crazy weapons and high-tech devices.
Think of it as Inspector Gadget set entirely in the Old West. It has fantastical villains, wonderful dialogue, and a great relationship between the two leads. It would make for a popular modern reboot because we’re already reviving our obsession with the cowboys and Indians epic. WestWorld is one of the most popular shows on TV right now and it owes a lot to the sci-fi hijinks of The Wild Wild West.
Moonlighting
You have probably heard of Moonlighting because it was the first big role for Bruce Willis (back when he had all of his hair). He starred alongside Cybill Shepherd and, while it was quite a short-lived show, it became a huge hit. Moonlighting blended mystery, wit, drama, and romance and brought them all together to form a zany, quirky delight.
The plot is a little silly, but it has nothing on some of the shows that are released nowadays, so it is unlikely to put modern viewers off. It focuses on former model Maddie Hayes, who becomes bankrupt and ends up running a detective agency (yes, really). Bruce Willis plays David Addison, a detective who really isn’t very happy about this.
Nobody does bummed out quite like Willis and it is hilarious to watch the two try and solve absurd crimes together in the early days. Inevitably, a romance develops and the two are forced to find a balance between professional rivalry and their passion for one another. Admittedly, the battle of the sex tropes might be a bit old fashioned for a contemporary audience, but the right leads could drag Moonlighting out of the eighties and into the 21st century.
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