TV show reboots in media are everywhere these days—and for good reason: they’re easy. Existing shows are tried and true. And studios are more willing to put their money into something they know already has an audience rather than taking a risk and cultivating new ones. But movie and TV reboots are often profitable, too. You can blame it on a longing for childhood and simpler times or just an appreciation for familiar stories and characters, but our culture craves nostalgia.
Nevertheless, TV reboots haven’t always been met with open arms. Many diehard fans love the original show so much that it’s almost blasphemy to try to recreate the magic. And sometimes studios give us reboots that nobody asked for. Then again, some reboots knock it out of the park, staying within the world of the original series while creating new and exciting stories that appeal to current audiences (I’m looking at you, Strange New Worlds!).
Bearing that in mind, and since studios are going to continue making them anyway, here are eight TV shows we’d actually like to see rebooted.
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Hear me out, Buffyverse. Buffy the Vampire Slayer had some of the strongest female TV characters of its time. They could hold their own against literal monsters! So imagine an even more diverse and complex set of characters that have to battle the demons of modern society.
I’m not saying we have a new Buffy, per se. But why not reboot Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a legacy series instead? How great would it be to have a group of newly activated slayers (or Potentials) working together rather than just focusing on a single chosen one? That might be the supportive girl power a Buffy reboot needs.
The original series’ actors could have cameos or supporting roles as their characters—maybe as mentors of some sort. Plus, there’s already a plethora of Buffy-related material in novel and comic book format that the writers could pull from.
Believe it or not, there almost was a Buffy reboot semi-recently. Back in 2018, a reboot was in the works with Monica Owusu-Breen (Lost, Fringe) attached as showrunner and Joss Whedon executive producing. But after Whedon’s abusive misconduct came to light, the reboot was put on hold indefinitely. Here’s to hoping we eventually get more in the Buffyverse.
2. Sliders
Sliders is one of those defunct sci-fi series with infinite reboot potential. The very premise of the show—sliding between parallel universes—allows for the exploration of both new and previously seen Earths and timelines.
Imagine if they explored a universe where the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the majority of the human population. Or a future where AI has completely altered technology and life as we know it. The premise has the possibility to capture our cultural zeitgeist. If it had a big enough budget, a Sliders reboot could even be on par with franchises like Star Trek, opening up the possibility of additional iterations and spinoffs.
As much as I enjoy the original cast, especially Jerry O’Connell, I think a Sliders reboot would probably do well with a completely different cast taking over the original roles of Quinn, Professor Arturo, Wade, and Rembrandt. Although Sliders is somewhat of a cult classic (at least as far as ’90s TV goes), with the changes it faced in cast members, networks, and creative direction, it could do with a clean slate.
3. Pushing Daisies
In an era where true crime documentaries and dark comedies reign supreme, the quirky charm of Pushing Daisies would definitely find a devoted audience once again. While it only lasted two seasons, the series accumulated a diehard fanbase that’s been itching for a reboot for over a decade. In 2015, the show even won Esquire’s TV Reboot Tournament after series creator Bryan Fuller consistently tweeted about the competition.
Speaking of Fuller, if ever there was a reason to reboot a show, it’s Bryan Fuller. He’s been the showrunner of other fan favorites like Heroes, Hannibal, American Gods, and Star Trek: Discovery. All of his shows have fantastical elements with a morbid edge, but Pushing Daisies has the benefit of being more comedy than drama.
If a reboot of Pushing Daisies was in the cards, with Bryan Fuller at the helm, it very well could succeed. This is a case where it would make the most sense to bring back the original cast since not too much time has passed. And it sounds like they’d be willing. Kristin Chenoweth has even suggested turning Pushing Daisies into a Broadway show. It’s certainly wacky and maximalist enough to translate from screen to stage.
4. Lost
From its complex characters with rich backstories to its captivating mysteries that kept viewers theorizing for years, Lost had a lot going for it. The show left a permanent mark on television history. And watching it was an event that seemingly everyone and their mother partook in—much like Game of Thrones was later.
Yet, many fans and critics alike believe the show jumped the shark mid-way through, leading to too many inconsistencies and convoluted side stories. And as much as I, and many other fans, loved Lost initially, it definitely had one of the most controversial and hated series endings in television history.
Although the ending of the series had all the characters “move on” into the afterlife together, maybe it wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Maybe a Lost reboot focuses on something threatening the heart of the island, and some of them have to go back… again. Or there could be another catastrophe that brings new people to the island.
In either case, because the show had such a multi-layered storyline with loose ends that were never tied up, there’s an opportunity to delve deeper into the island’s mythology. I’d specifically like to see more on the Dharma Initiative and see a reboot fix the bits of the show that made no sense.
5. The OC
The OC was one of the most popular teen dramas of the aughts—and maybe of all time. It rocketed Ben McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, and Adam Brody all to fame. And it put a spotlight on the beachside cities south of Los Angeles, proving that you don’t need to live in Hollywood to have Hollywood money.
Although we did get a reality show spinoff of The OC in the form of Laguna Beach, there’s never been a reboot of the original series. Talks of one have been tossed around by the media and even series creators, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, but after the Gossip Girl reboot flopped after two seasons, it’s probably unlikely to happen.
Still, a reboot of The OC could be fun. There were a lot of real-world, harsh realities dealt with on the show that could be beneficial for a new generation to watch. If they redid the series entirely with new actors, maybe they could rectify the mistake of killing off Marissa. Kidding, kinda. Or they could do what other shows like That 70s Show have done and make it focus on their kids.
But given the current cultural landscape, they should probably focus on another view of “the OC.” One that’s more of a diverse representation of the people who actually live in the sprawling metro area of Orange County. Even Newport Beach is nearly 20 percent Asian or Hispanic now.
6. Selfie
Selfie was one of those original ideas that was just way ahead of its time. A reimagination of My Fair Lady (which was a reimagination of Pygmalion), where the main character needs help navigating friendships in the real world and not just the social media world? Iconic.
But Selfie came out in 2014, only 10 years after the creation of Facebook, eight years after Twitter, and four years after Instagram made its debut. Even the word “selfie” hadn’t been around long. Now, another 10 years later, the landscape of social media has changed pretty drastically. Young people aren’t even on Facebook; Twitter is now X, and Instagram just regurgitates TikTok videos in the form of reels.
Selfie is ripe for a reboot, especially considering it barely lasted for a full season. It’d be amazing to have Karen Gillan and John Cho reprise their roles as Eliza Dooley and Henry Higgs. Although, they both are now infinitely more popular than they were when the show came out.
Still, there’s so much cultural satire that could be done with a show like Selfie. Maybe Eliza used to work for a social media company and now works in pharmaceuticals, and she only has friends who are other social media creators and influencers. It could be a fish-out-of-water thing. And maybe midway through the series, she gets fired when they discover she has an OnlyFans. This reboot writes itself, people!
7. Friends
OK, I’m probably going to get a lot of hate for this, but why not a Friends reboot? The Friends: The Reunion special was a big hit, even in the UK. And Friends continues to be a well-loved and popular property since its inclusion on streaming services and syndication, despite being “off air” for 20 years.
The original Friends was a slice of ’90s and early ’00s life for 20-somethings, but it’s kind of goofy and outdated on a rewatch. I know it’s a comfort show for some people, but why not recreate that experience for Gen Z or Gen Alpha with a reboot version? Now that Matthew Perry is gone, there’s never going to be a full reboot with all of the original actors. So why not let a new generation be Joey, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Ross, and Phoebe? This could also be a great opportunity for the show to relate to a broader audience by spotlighting what early adulthood is like for people of color.
Granted, they’d have to redo a lot of other things for a modern audience, too. It probably wouldn’t be a sitcom with a live audience since younger generations don’t watch network TV. So, recreating Friends for streaming would be an interesting challenge. But maybe they could all be obsessed with the ’90s/Y2K aesthetic, so at least some of the original props, sets, and costumes could be reused.
8. Family Matters
Family Matters was one of my favorite TV shows growing up. And its impact was far-reaching. You couldn’t enter a classroom in the ’90s without someone doing an impression of Steve Urkel saying, “Did I do that?”
It was an incredibly wholesome show with so many funny moments and memorable characters—especially Jaleel White’s Urkel. Although he was the annoying neighbor to start with, Steve quickly became the star, as did his alter-ego (and later clone), Stefan.
Family Matters had a reunion in 2017, and the cast even expressed support for a reboot back then. But what would that look like? Like Friends, Family Matters was shot in front of a live studio audience as a sitcom. But the sitcom format is a dying breed, so it would have to be reimagined for streaming.
My pick for a Family Matters reboot would focus on the family that Steve and Laura have built together. I think it would be so cute if they had two kids, a boy and a girl, but the girl is a huge nerd like Steve was. The series could even use it as an opportunity to promote STEM careers for girls, as Steve was a genius inventor in the original show. Did someone say #GirlDad?
