FRIDAY OPEN THREAD: How Do You Feel About Literally All The Reboots On TV Right Now?

It feels like all our faves are being rebooted lately. Charmed and Roswell are both back on TV like it’s 1999. One Day at a Time and S.W.A.T. are re-imagined versions of 70s shows. Netflix brought Full House, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Carmen Sandiego back from the depths of my childhood. Hell, there are even a million spinoffs floating around, like Grown-ish, Legacies, and Good Trouble, with fresh takes on old universes. Whirrings of L Word, Party of Five, and Buffy remakes are making waves. And just yesterday, we learned The Baby-Sitter’s Club is coming back!

I always get nervous when things like this get announced; I was especially wary for Charmed, because I loved that original series, and when it was mentioned that the original Halliwell sisters weren’t really on board for the new version…I just wasn’t sure how it would all go. But it’s one of the most (excuse the word choice) charming new shows on television this season. It’s more racially diverse and gayer than the original, and it’s different enough that it feels like it both pays homage to the original and also created a distinctly new show.

I know sometimes the first instinct when a reboot or remake is announced is panic, but the truth is, there’s room in this world for as many good or bad versions of shows and movies as they can make. A new version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer isn’t going to change the fact that the original helped shape me into who I am today. So while I do wish there were slightly less in volume (just because I’m ready for new stories!!) it can be nice to imagine what some of our faves would be like if they were re-made today. Like if there was a new adult version of Ghostwriter, or a re-imagining of Punky Brewster as a quirky, queer teenager.

What shows did you love when you were younger that you want to be rebooted? How would you make it better? Or gayer? Or what show would you bring back from the dead that was cancelled too soon? What reboots are you loving or hating? What are your hopes, dreams and fears for the new L Word? I want to talk about it all!

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Valerie Anne

Valerie Anne (she/they) a TV-loving, video-game-playing nerd who loves reading, watching, and writing about stories in all forms. While having a penchant for sci-fi, Valerie will watch anything that promises a good story, and especially if that good story is queer.

Valerie has written 626 articles for us.

66 Comments

  2. I feel like this is the kind of question I love, but I can’t think of any examples.

    Bad Girls was my coming out catalyst and this week I found out that Maureen Chadwick, who was a writer/producer, is a transphobe, so that’s kind of ruined Bad Girls for me.

  3. I would be V E R Y interested in a reboot of State of Grace (2001), a criminally underrated show about a Jewish girl and a Catholic girl who are best friends in the mid-1960s, played by Alia Shawkat and Mae Whitman, but make it about the two of them as queer adults in the late 70s/early 80s, played by Alia Shawkat and Mae Whitman. (Side note, that show was so poignant and super topical when it came out and I need to rewatch it.)

    In terms of “everything is reboots,” I am definitely getting a little tired of the lack of original content, but I am 100% here for making everything gayer and more diverse. I’m trying to just take each one as it comes so I don’t give in to reboot fatigue and miss something really outstanding.

    There are some things that just don’t need to be rebooted, though. Or if they are, it should be with new people in charge because the original creator is, how should I put this, a douchecanoe. (Can you guess who I’m talking about? You probably can.) Unnecessary reboots, things that miss the point completely (*cough* Heathers *cough*), and just plain bad reboots are so disappointing, even more than just a bad show can be. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used the “I don’t want these” Arrested Development gif or the one of Rick Grimes yelling “I didn’t ask for this!” in relation to a reboot that is not going to add anything positive or new and is clearly just phoning it in to milk the cash cow.

    but real talk, the new Carmen Sandiego is amazing. Some shows really get it right.

    • and I love that the new Sabrina because it’s an entirely new take on the original, going back to the source material/comics instead of just recreating the show.

  4. A non-racist, non-sexist, gayer version of The Dukes of Hazard.

    11 year old me had *~*feelings*~* about Daisy Duke! I just loved her long brown hair blowing around her face, her tight jeans and cutoffs, and her ability to rebuild an engine in the dark and outsmart all the bad guys with her charm and smarts. I’m not sure I can say she helped my awakening because it wasn’t until I was at least 20 that I realized that my obsession with curvy women in tight jeans isn’t actually typical heterosexual behavior. But she certainly awakened some *~*feelings*~* (ahem).

    Adult me is embarrassed and appalled that I used to love such a blatantly racist and sexist show.

    But I think the concept is still great – 3 hot siblings with a fast car fighting for justice against a corrupt small town mayor and sheriff? Yes please.

    • Same but for Once Upon A Time.

      Basically a remake of anything where there is obvious subtext, but make it canonically queer.

  6. Clothing / underwear thread?

    I just bought bras that fit my tomboy femme aesthetic and it’s amazing! This may be the first time ever that I’ve been happy about wearing a bra.

    I walked into Target this week looking for replacement earmuffs (there were none) and I walked out with 4 new cute tomboy femme appropriate bras! It’s so amazing to wear undergarments that I actually feel comfortable in!

    It inspired me to get rid of ALL of my bras with lace and frills, plus the few non-frilly bras that I’d worn until they were too disintegrated to actually do their job.

  7. I’m not rlly watching the reboots on rn but as a side note my wonderful father is currently driving me to a farm in TN so that i can reboot my LIFE (temporarily)

    and so far my life reboot involves 8 hrs of being in a car in places where the only radio stations are
    1. religious, and
    2. “adult hits”, whatever that means

    two hrs left in the car just twooo hours left

    crazy that people go on road trips for fun. why? why. why

  9. im not even sure i can properly appreciate most of the reboots cause im still catching up on the originals! i adore one day at a time and she-ra and love those so much i dont feel moved to really check out the originals and im v excited about boomerang, its one of my favorite movies, and i trust lena waithe so im v excited about the series. otherwise, it just depends. im not a huge fan of reboots because, like you said, i want new stories! but if the reboots are gayer and more diverse/maybe even just turn the original on its head, then im usually pretty okay with it. ill tell you what im not okay HOW CAN YOU REDO THE LION KING i love everybody in that movie but i refuse to go see it. and thats fine! it isnt for me and i can respect that a lot of people, especially kids, are gonna love it and im glad for them. so reboots arent my favorite, but i watch the same like ten shows over and over again so i may not even be the target audience haha

    • i’m just really confused about the Lion King remake — like, I enjoyed the live-action Jungle Book well enough, but the Lion King clips I’ve seen look like a SHOT FOR SHOT re-do of the cartoon and just………why?!?!

    • 2019 is turning out to be the year of Disney remakes via live-action – Dumbo, The Lion King, Aladdin. I’m just glad they didn’t decide to kill us all by remaking a live-action version of Bambi or The Fox and the Hound. The amount of tears that would be shed could drown cities.

    • Yeah, I watched the original ODAAT, and you’re not really missing out on much, although it really was ground-breaking at the time. A SINGLE DIVORCED MOTHER raising her two daughters her own????

      Other than the massive crush I had on Valerie Bertinelli, but if I were a young woman now, Isabella Gomez would be so. much. better. as a crush object.

  10. I’m kinda tired of reboots and remakes. I love the originals as they are and I want to see some new storytelling on the big and small screens. Having said that, I’d be okay with a Xena reboot if it had the same cast and Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship was out and proud.

  11. I am horribly bad at watching new TV and haven’t seen the L Word or most of the shows you’ve mentioned. Although I did (do) love Buffy, I just can’t get into TV shows about teenagers. I’m just a cranky middle aged woman.

    I do think they should gay up more existing shows though. Like I get so frustrated that one of the main characters on NCIS:NOLA is a lesbian, but they only give personal character stuff to the main character played by Scott Bakula and the new lady (the awesome Necar Zadegan). The one time they did have another character for Tammy to be interested in, she was a bad girl and ended up going into Witness Protection. Criminally under-used!

    • Yeah I recently asked my dad how the lesbian on that show was doing and he said “oh yeah I forgot she was a lesbian” so. Not great.

  13. Not remotely a reboot but I didn’t know where else to comment: Series2 of Derry Girls starts this coming Tuesday in the UK! If anyone can access Channel 4/All 4 that’s where it’ll be.. also there was a great one-off prog called ”100 vaginas” ( trigger warnings re a truckload of stuff) , it was really interesting and diverse with age/colour/etc

  14. I generally don’t like reboots and I feel that Hollywood isn’t that creative when it comes to remakes, sequels, ect. but I think if the reboot goes a completely different way then the original was then that’s different and it’s possible I might give it a chance.

  15. My fear for the L Word is the are going to fuck it up like they did with the original. Kill people for no reason, the transphobia, the biphobia, and all the Jenny hate. I want to see a more accurate picture of L.A., which includes Asians(including central and west Asians), Latinx something the original messed up. Like having a Indian an Iranian woman playing Latinx is just wrong. Plus, I am pretty sure an lgbtq poc/non-white would know or run in to at least one other lgbtq person from their own community. I know I do. A good example is the original 90210 got the city a bit wrong, and had and older Luke Perry(hope he’s doing better) playing a teen. But, the reboot got it wrong even more as 40-45% of the city is Iranian, including at the time(the reboot was on tv) the mayor of the city. Clueless got this right in the 90s and Shas of Sunset is essentially 90210 the reality show. And Beverly Hills neighbors WeHo.

    If I had to see a show rebooted or come back, it would be the regular Rugrats, not the ones where they were in middle school. It was great to see positive rep and diverse families. Like Angelica’s mom the boss and power lady, Phil and Lil fucking around with gender, a single dad getting remarried in later seasons, Suzie and her family, plus I got to see Passover and later on Chanukah episodes on tv and little Jew me was and still is excited to see those episodes.

    How is everyone’s week going? I spent the weekend out of town for a family wedding. It was good at bad at the same time. I had to interact with relatives who are supports of 45. One told me she won over me, to which I replied, if thinking like a white woman is winning then sure. Went over her head. Yet it was kind of nice just being with family and among a group of mostly Jews if that makes sense. I also got to drink some fancy whisky, gin, and wine all with beautiful costal views. Rest of the week has been drab and my mind is a mess. Any one know if one can go to couples therapy for queer friendships? Or is that not a thing?

    View from the weekend. It was a beautiful locale on the California coast and very well thought out.

    Thank you for viewing and reading my post. Hope you have a safe and positive weekend!

    • Karen and Georgia of My Favorite Murder go to friend/business partner therapy so I feel like queer friend therapy should be a thing, too!

      • I will have to ask around, and also ask if my friend would be down, cause I think it would be good for both of us.

      • Gosh, Murderinos galore this month! Isabella Gomez came out as one a couple of weeks back on twitter.

  16. Not big on reboots. The only reason I’m going to watch The L Word reboot is because of Alice and Shane.

    I’d prefer reunion specials instead.

      • 1. Xena. Gabrielle goes on a quest to bring Xena back from the dead, they are married by Sappho, and continue saving the day and being soulmates. Appearances by Ares, Aphrodite, with cameos from ghost Joxer and ghost Autolycus.

        2. Buffy.

        3. The Nanny.

  17. How about a reboot of The Facts of Life where Jo and Blair get the boarding school romance they (and we) deserved?

  18. I want any of the military scifi of the 90’s/2000’s rebooted & actually queer. I want a queer Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica, or a queer Sam from Stargate SG-1, or a queer Beka (and Rommie and Trance) from Andromeda. Or all-gay sequels of any of those.

    • Meh, I love SF, and I would much rather have some original stuff on TV. I am super tired of the mega-franchises.

      (sorry, I know this thread is about reboots we’d love, and yes, a queer Starbuck would be awesome)

  19. I pretty much just want more She-Ra. I’ve heard that four seasons are already fully produced… I want them FASTER! (Not complaining at all; I know there are good reasons for not dumping a bunch of seasons in a row. I’m just excited and impatient!) I’m rewatching season one for at least the third time at the moment.

    Y’all, today has been weird. Adulting successes in numerous capacities, but also major apartment complex frustrations. I’m trying to quell the impulse to bump my planned move from May to like, immediately, but I know that’s rash and I’m mostly just hangry. Still, though. Why are apartment complexes so bad???

    • Firstly, huge mood in regards to She-Ra. That show is everything.

      Also, “apartment complexes” is a Dickensian name if I’ve ever seen one. Everything feels so unnecessarily complicated and arbitrary. In my old building, we weren’t allowed to change our own lightbulbs, and the landlord literally took 3 months to come do it.

      Hope you’ve quelled your hangriness, though!

  20. I was watching Honest Trailers – The Oscars (2019) by Screen Junkies and one of the funniest things is that you can find a version of A Star Is Born for almost every generation: 1937, 1954, 1976 and 2018 (Plus two unofficial versions from India, made in 2013 and 2014). And this says a lot about the lack of new ideas in Hollywood.

    And the success of the last version kinda works against you if you’re tired of this trend.

    Having said this, I want some gay version, or maybe an honest version “really” based on the books, of The Color Purple and Fried Green Tomatoes. Hollywood could put a lot of money on these, the movies will flop and the remake trend will be over, but at least I will get what I want.

    • Ooh, Fried Green Tomatoes! Contemporary casting choices, anyone?

      Kristin Stewart as Idgie? I think Ellen Page could pull off Ruth. However, I don’t know about their chemistry with each other. It might be great – but unfortunately, while I love Ellen, I have yet to see her show a real romantic spark in any of her movie roles. Daisy Ridley? If she can do the right kind of accent.

      • Oooh, good question! I Iike KStew as Idgie with Vanessa Bayer as Ruth. Assuming Vanessa Bayer can pull off a drama – but their chemistry in that Tostinos SNL ad was off the charts and Vanessa Bayer’s got that soft face that I think is essential for Ruth.

        Jennifer Lawrence would also be good – she’s got a soft face and impressive acting chops.

        Daisy Ridley can do that mix of outer vulnerability and inner steel but she might be too angular looking.

        Oh oh oh – Felicity Jones! If she can do the accent.

        • I thought of JLaw as well, heh. Yeah, I think she’d be great.

          Vanessa Bayer is inspired! She’d be totally great too.

    • Can we do Color Purple contem casting choices too?

      Janelle Monae as Celie. Who’d be Shug?

      • I see Janelle much more as a Shug than a Celie, to be honest. I mean, she’s great at acting, but she can sing and she’s absolutely gorgeous. Celie is supposed to be a little more “plain”.

  21. Some of them I loathe because they just don’t have the spark and feel like some studio head deciding Nostalgia Bucks are a safe bet “let’s cash it”. Missing all the reasons why our generation(s) have nostalgia for that show, what drew us in, the spark and the spirit is just missing.

    Charmed did a smart thing with their reboot they didn’t try to tepidly recapture the magic, they went for new magic. Now Sabrina isn’t a true reboot it’s adaptation of a comic book run and Kiernan Shipka doesn’t stand out as the main character the way Melissa Joan Hart did and as cool as everything looks the show isn’t fun empowering witchcraft. I’m watching it for aesthetics and Michelle Gomez chewing scenery.
    NuRoswell is abomination do not speak of it to me.

    But um yeah if the new “Buffy” doesn’t try to recapture the magic and goes for a new magic like Charmed I think it could maybe turn out okay. What I really want is a Slayer Academy tho.

    I never really want reboots of TV show that I loved as a kid because I don’t have any trust that it won’t be worse.
    But I’d love a lesbian led reboot of Perry Mason, fuck Dr.Bull and the bloated grubbing manchild it rode it on.

    I feel that Firefly was cancelled too soon but adult me sees faults in it that make me not want to resurrect it. Not in this political climate where a racist felt safe enough to publish that the Klan needs to ride again.

    Y’all I’m going to make a king cake and I’m hoping my math and other adjustments are correct. If you don’t know what king cake is or atleast not the New Orleans kinda the best description I can give is if you made a slightly stiffer less sweet cinnamon roll, twisted it and then closed it into a circle.

    It’s not that I haven’t worked with yeasted dough before, did braids, or twists with em cuz I have but with bread the tap test works but my experience with enriched sweet dough is minimal(made cinnamon rolls once) and I dunno if the tap test will work and I’ve never adjusted a yeasted dough recipe this much. I’ve rescued a bread before when it became apparent I forgot an ingredient or something, but that’s different.

    Send me good vibes? Ask Hestia for her intercession or St. Honore maybe?

  22. Ok, unrelated to reboots, but yesterday a girl in my class mentioned that she named her car Carmilla, and I was like “OH like the webseries??!” and she was like ………what’s a webseries?

  23. I looked at a list of reboots recently and I think I’m watching four? ODAAT, Boomerang, Charmed and S.W.A.T..

    The only one that’s tied to the original is Boomerang and, frankly, I think it’s a weaker show because of it (Jacqueline would not have allowed her son to be friends with Marcus and Angela’s daughter…she just wouldn’t).

    But the good thing about them is that they’re all more diverse than their predecessors…and they feel like reimagined versions of the originals.

  24. I’d be into a queer lady reboot of Remington Steele. I think the basic premise could still sadly work too, a woman entrepreneur who makes up a “dude” to get more respect from/access to (sexist) clients/colleagues/etc.

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