Shows That Shouldn't Be Left Alone, Not Rebooted
I'm not sure what kicked off the Reboot craze but some blame 2003's Texas Chainsaw Massacre for the ever growing list of horror movie reboots. Followed by Dallas which was more of a continuation than a reboot and Dynasty which was a reboot, and let's face it there will always be studios looking to get their grubby little hands on some cash by rebooting a film or tv show. But here are some TV shows that I think should be left alone. Here is a partial list
Blossom
Blossom
Blossom was a great show but it was also plagued with very special episodes. In fact, Maryam Bialyk says that she doesn't have very fond memories of the show. Now, maybe it's nostalgia that is getting to me but I think that this show and its very special episodes would probably have it on the chopping block today. Topical episodes may have been great in the 90s but today it might have been looked at as overly preachy and sappy.
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show ran from 1984-1992 and was a ratings powerhouse. The show was #1 from its second through its sixth seasons. Featuring a cast of 4 daughters and 1 son whose parents were an obstetrician and a lawyer, it dealt with child rearing in a humorous way. Who can forget the Gordon Catrell shirt or the time Vanessa nearly got clobbered by her mother? Or when Claire reminded Sandra when she decided that she wouldn't go to law school that She owed Claire and Cliff $79,648.22? With countless one liners and timeless situations that all parents can relate to, the faults of Bill Cosby will not erase what at the time was a groundbreaking show. It also help bolster ratings for NBC and other shows in its lineup
Everybody Hates Chris
This is the youngest show on the list but let's face it, Chris is the oldest of 3 but he has to get hand me ups from his little more popular brother. Tanya is the baby girl that's definitely manipulative and his parents are quintessential black parents. Momma knows how to keep her kids in check and Julius works so hard to provide for his family. Julius also knows that you better clean that $0.38 of chicken off of that bone. But let's face it, as a period piece of the 80s and a semi autobiographical series, I can't imagine anyone other than the current cast because they gave it such life. Terry Crews has even said Chris Rock's siblings have even thanked him for playing Julius because he did it so well. Everybody Hates Chris is perfect, even in its imperfection. Guest stars included Jimmy Walker and recurring guest star that played Rog on What's Happenin and Whats Happenin Now
In Living Color
Everybody Hates Chris
This is the youngest show on the list but let's face it, Chris is the oldest of 3 but he has to get hand me ups from his little more popular brother. Tanya is the baby girl that's definitely manipulative and his parents are quintessential black parents. Momma knows how to keep her kids in check and Julius works so hard to provide for his family. Julius also knows that you better clean that $0.38 of chicken off of that bone. But let's face it, as a period piece of the 80s and a semi autobiographical series, I can't imagine anyone other than the current cast because they gave it such life. Terry Crews has even said Chris Rock's siblings have even thanked him for playing Julius because he did it so well. Everybody Hates Chris is perfect, even in its imperfection. Guest stars included Jimmy Walker and recurring guest star that played Rog on What's Happenin and Whats Happenin Now
In Living Color
In Living Color ran for 5 seasons between 1990 and 1994. Wayans Keenan, Shawn and Marlon were all on the show at different times and Keenan left the show after creative differences. This was the time when FOX was okay with black shows until it dumped them to appeal more to white suburbanites. In the 90s so many households were tuned into this sketch show that featured Fire Marshall Bill, Homeboy Shopping Network, Men on Film, The Head Detective, and an interesting Thelma and Louise parody featuring Louise Jefferson, and Jim Carrey and Jaime Foxx playing characters Venus De Milo and Wanda. Speaking of Venus and Wanda, there is no way anyone could get away with those roles today as it would be seen as offensive to gender nonconforming and transgender individuals. It was a great sketch comedy in its time but it wouldn't pass muster today
Frasier
Frasier is regarded as one of the best spin offs of all time. Lasting 11 years as its predecessor show, even its worst written episodes are heads and shoulders above the rest and I'm including the episodes with Daphne's brothers. See, Frasier was great because we had two brothers that were alike and that was what drove their strife. Niles was created to be the kind of character Frasier would've been if he hadn't went to Boston. Contrast him with Roz, who is a one up on him when it comes to his show and Daphne and Martin Crane who are working class. The classist and diverged experience fuels a lot of the humor along with misunderstandings and its in-house Universe has pretty fun characters. Frasier is a show that can't be duplicated though it might be imitated...terribly
Six Feet Under
This show is an interesting show that deals with life in the midst of death. Everyone deals with it in their own way, Nate runs away, David runs TO, Claire takes lots of photos and Ruth wants to find herself after her husband is hit by a bus "Your Father's dead and my pot roast is ruined" shows that for them at Fisher and Sons death is not all that remarkable. Inward dialogues reveal so much to the audience and the interplay between death and life, how Nate Sr shows up to the characters, how everyone keeps their sanity as well as seeing it at its breaking point. This show gives us fleshed out characters in all their contradictive glory. David wants to be a lawyer but followed in his father's footsteps. Nate never wanted to be part of his Father's business and there she was. Claire is the one that actually goes on her own. Ruth navigates herself out of the shadow of death.
All of these points intersect as a family often does, with secrets and powerful conversations, poignant moments are real and the blurred lines between life and death. This was a show that was so real and powerful that a reboot would seem like an insult to the original especially if it were done haphazardly
Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Running for 6 years after Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff came out with Summertime, the creative team of Andy and Susan Borowitz along with Qunicy Jones regaled us with an opening theme that I would argue is on par with Dear John, telling the story of how he came to live with his Uncle and 2 Aunt Vivs, Hillary Carlton and Ashley. The Carlton dance is the most known from this show, as well as the aforementioned theme song. While the Banks family was wealthy and had a wisecracking butler that would make you think he was a protege of Benson, Fresh Prince was known for its uproarious comedy but also its social commentary. Best known scene is probably the scene where Will chews out his father in absentia and asks "Why don't he want me?"
RIP James Avery, and let's put it out there, no one can replace our Uncle Phil
On a side note, another show In The House starring LL COOL J (1995-99) was somewhat styled like Fresh Prince, that could be due to Winifred Hervey that was heavily involved in Fresh Prince. Alfonso Ribeiro played a Carlton character Dr Maxwell Stanton co-owner of Marion's gym (and as Carlton Banks prior) and Tatyana Ali also guest starred on In The House as her Fresh Prince character
Saved By The Bell
While many of the storylines might not have aged well and we found Zack Morris is trash; it is pure nostalgic reasons I believe this TNBC show that spawned all the others should be left alone. The TNBC (Teen NBC) block lasted from 1989 when SBTB was originally a Welcome Back Kotter type show called Good Morning Miss Bliss starring The Parent Trap Star Hayley Mills. Facing declining ratings the executives rebranded it around the kids and it was renamed from JFK High to Bayside High, running from 1989-1993 in the form we know now. But let's also face the fact that Zack is a manipulative prick that looks cool doing stupid stuff.
Woke audiences will not see the charm of a man that treated a girl in a wheelchair like a prop, fat shamed a girl and even narcked on a cool guy because he smoked pot, uses the friends around him like pawns in a chess game, got his friend hooked to caffeine pills and caused an accident that nearly killed his friends, lost his friend's dog in a poker game...the list goes on and on. Zack is a terrible friend and we were too blinded by "The Cool" to even be bothered by the fact that Zack Morris is Trash. Watching that show is probably the closest thing to a reboot the show will get.
It lead to a rash of teen shows on NBC like Hang Time, California Dreams and one of my favorites City Guys, one of the latter TNBC shows lasting from 1997-2001 spanning 5 seasons.
City Guys
City Guys used a mismatch enemies turned friend, bully turned friend and the Saved By The Bell tropes and recycled stories in an interesting way if you ask me. L Train, AL, Dawn Tartikoff and Christy as the resident ladies and the main duo of Chris and Jamall rounded out the cast. It showed a rich guy in Chris and Jamall as a streetwise guy at Manhattan "Manny" High. Chris got kicked out of his third or fourth private school and Jamall was a cool kat recovering his reputation from a one off joke about an Urkel club. The two became fast friends and were known to try to get out of an assignment Principal Noble always pushed them into by some sneakiness.
This improved on the Saved By The Bell formula and it was a lot more real than its parent show honestly. The chemistry between the leads and the Principal as a Mother figure to all of them with a firm hand and tough love when needed makes me want to say of this: Stay away from my childhood! Thankfully, you can find all 5 seasons on YouTube
Seinfeld
Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld did a great thing when they started linking the stories of four friends each episode and opened up hilarious possibilities and characters. Soup Nazi, Uncle Leo, Aunt Munya, all kinds of characters were quirky, well developed and filled this Universe with hilarity that seemed like a snapshot in time. Running from 1990-99, it is a show that needs to be left alone.
Some Honorable Mentions
Why? The humor is timeless, leave it alone
Cheers
Why? The bar scene has changed since 1982-1993, people didn't have personal computers and smartphones, social media et al, and the bar is different now. People don't meet at bars much for dates since dating apps are how people meet and if the setting were changed, it would be a different atmosphere.
The Wire
What do you think of my list? What shows do you think should be left well enough alone?
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