More often than not, when a TV show is given the reboot treatment, the results (like many remakes) are oftenless-than-stellar; it can be quite a 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 Brownwas an adored sitcom with a rebootthat failed to resonate with viewers and its revival was canceled after one season.Melrose Placewas 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 Peaksmade a returnand garnered widespread critical acclaim after the original was canceled 25 years prior, while thenew “Fab Five” guys fromQueer Eyeare 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.
Updated on August 12th, 2023, byTed Bajer:This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
15One Day at a Time
The 1975 CBS seriesOne Day at a Timestarred Bonnie Franklin as a divorced mother raising two teenage daughters, portrayed by Mackenzie 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 includingthe great Rita Moreno,Justina Machado, and Isabella Gomez.One Day at a Timegarnered 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 Networkfor a final fourth, cut short by COVID.
14Battlestar Galactica
The sci-fi television seriesBattlestar Galacticadebuted 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 Galacticaadopts the premise of the original and focuses on the crew of theGalacticaunder 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. Its success has led to NBC (and Peacock)adapting yet another reboot.
13The Conners
Roseanne Barr co-created and starred in the mega-hit sitcomRoseanne,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 million viewers with its debut return, but was once againcanceled following Barr’s offensive comments.
ABC decided to retool the program without Barr, with a spin-off show renamedThe Conners.The comedy sitcom doesn’t appear to have slowed down despite the controversy, as it is currently in its fourth successful season.Saloncommended the spin-off,writing, “The Connersis much more like the originalRoseannethan 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.”
12Hawaii Five-O
10 Seasons
“Book ‘em, Danno!” The 1968 police procedural dramaHawaii Five-Ofamously 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-Oreceived the modern reboot treatment in 2010.
It returned with 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 Clubpraised 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."
11Fuller House
The beloved hit sitcomFull Houseran 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 Bunchof the 1990s”and its cancellation after seven seasons upset fans of the feel-good show, featuring thelate, great Bob Saget.
21 years later, the Tanners found new life when it was revived by the streaming giant Netflix asFuller House, this time focused 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 andFuller Houseran for five seasons.
Related:These Are Bob Saget’s Best Moments on Full House
10The Wonder Years
The coming-of-age citation comedy sitcomThe Wonder Yearswas 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 Yearswent 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 revealed thatthe 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 theremake ofThe Wonder Years, andThe Hollywood Reporterwrote 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.”
9Twin Peaks: The Return
Mark Frost and David Lynch created the 1990 mystery-horror serial dramaTwin 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 reignTwin Peaksis frequently listed as alandmark 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 Returnonce 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.
8Doctor Who
13 Seasons
Doctor Whois thelongest-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.
Manyoutstanding and gifted actorshave 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 before the latest regeneration. 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.”
7Queer Eye
A reboot of Bravo’s eponymous series, 2018’s Netflix reality showQueer Eyefeatures a new andendearing “Fab Five”: Antoni Porowski, a wine and food expert; Karamo Brown, culture expert; Jonathan Van Ness, a 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 of 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 Eyeis 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.
8 Seasons and counting
Futuramahas a storied history. And it’sjust been rebooted again! Having been recreated in several iterations and re-released on several different platforms,Futuramamight be one of the most popular shows that has been canceled and brought back the greatest number of times. It was originally released on Fox, where it lasted for four seasons.
The show was then brought back in the form of four straight-to-DVD movies that were often played on daytime television. After that, Comedy Central picked up the series for another set of seasons until the show ended yet again in 2013. Now Disney+ has just revived the retro-futuristic adult cartoon, bringing it back to viewers for yet another lifetime. Only time will tell how long this one will last.
