TV Reboots and Revivals: A Full Guide to What’s Coming

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TV Reboots and Revivals: A Full Guide to What's Coming

It looks like you can go home again! Over the past few years, television has been overtaken by returning shows long (and not-so-long) after cancellation. From sitcoms and game shows to dramas and cartoons, the list of TV reboots and revivals is a long one. While some series, including Frasier and True Blood have only been announced, others have already begun airing like Saved by the Bell’s spinoff by the same name on Peacock. Waiting to Exhale and Conan the Barbarian are both films being made into TV shows, while Gilmore Girls was transformed into four seasons for its Netflix revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which featured the original cast. Eleven years after taking their final bow on Will & Grace, the show’s fab four, Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mulally, reprised their roles for three more seasons starting in 2017. Reboots and revivals are a mixed bag, however, when it comes to fan loyalty and actor approval. When Charmed was recast with Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock and Sarah Jeffery in 2018, the show’s original stars weren’t totally supportive. "Charmed belongs to the 4 of us, our vast amount of writers, crews and predominantly the fans,” Holly Marie Combs, who played Piper Halliwell for eight seasons, tweeted in January 2018. “I will never understand what is fierce, funny, or feminist in creating a show that basically says the original actresses are too old to do a job they did 12 years ago. I hope the new show is far better than the marketing so the true legacy does remain.” [jwplayer tV7N8JYT-zhNYySv2] Gossip Girl’s revival, which was announced in July 2019, on the other hand, seemed to have the majority of the former cast’s blessing. “I think it’s exciting! Why shouldn’t it live on?” Ed Westwick, who played Chuck Bass on the original CW series, told Distractify in April 2020. “It will be different and that’s cool. I look back on those years with growing fondness each time. Man, what a ride. Lucky guy.” Following in Trading Spaces' footsteps, which returned in 2018 after a 10-year break, Chip and Joanna Gaines rebooted their hit home improvement series, Fixer Upper, while launching their own network, Magnolia Network, in 2021. “This has been a labor of love, and we can’t wait for you to watch—stay tuned!” Joanna teased via Instagram in December 2020. Reality shows including The Hills and Jersey Shore got the makeover treatment with fresh seasons as well. Plus, The Real World is coming back after a two-year hiatus. Scroll through Us Weekly’s list below of all the beloved shows coming back — and which ones are already available to binge. [podcast_block]

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'Everybody Still Hates Chris'

In August 2022, a reimagined animated version of Chris Rock's Everybody Hates Chris series received a straight-to-series order for Paramount+ and Comedy Central. The comedian will return as the narrator and executive producer for the show, which is inspired by his childhood in New York.

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'Criminal Minds'

Days after star Joe Mantegna teased the possibility via Twitter, Paramount+ confirmed that a 10-episode revival of the long-running crime drama was ordered. In addition to Mantegna, cast members Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Paget Brewster and Kirsten Vangsness are all confirmed to return to the Behavioral Analysis Unit for the follow-up series.

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‘Quantum Leap’

NBC ordered a spinoff of Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell’s 1990s-era science fiction TV series. The new pilot is set in the present day — 30 years after Bakula’s Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished — with a new team seeking further information about its implications.

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‘L.A. Law’

ABC is workshopping a pilot sequel starring Blair Underwood’s L.A. Law character, according to an October 2021 report from Deadline. The show is set to focus on a new crop of attorneys working alongside the Quantico alum’s character of Jonathan Rollins at the California-based firm.

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Party Down

In March 2021, Starz announced a revival of the cult hit, which aired from 2009 to 2010, is in development. The show will be produced by the original creators, Rob Thomas, John Enbom, Paul Rudd and Dan Etheridge.

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Frasier

Paramount+ announced the return of Frasier on February 24. “Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot, both producing shows and performing in several, I’d like to congratulate Paramount+ on its entry into the streaming world,” star Kelsey Grammer said in a statement, confirming his return. “I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr. Frasier Crane.”

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The Real World

In February 2021, Paramount+ announced that the Real World franchise will return when the streaming service launches in March. The first installment will be a reunion of the original cast of The Real World: New York, including Becky Blasband, Andre Comeau, Heather B. Gardener, Julie Gentry, Norman Korpi, Eric Niles and Kevin Powell.

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Fixer Upper

Chip and Joanna Gaines starred on the HGTV series for five seasons before announcing in September 2017 the end of its initial. The final episode aired in April 2018. The couple decided to reboot the series as a part of their Magnolia Network launch in January 2021, calling it Fixer Upper: Welcome Home.

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iCarly

Paramount+ streaming service (currently CBS All Access) ordered a revival of iCarly, TVLine reported in December 2020. The series initially aired on Nickelodeon from 2007 to 2012. Original stars Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress are poised to return.

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True Blood

Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is set to be an executive producer on a reboot of HBO's True Blood, TVLine reported in December 2020. Original showrunner and creator Alan Ball is also set to produce. True Blood aired on HBO from 2008 to 2014 for seven seasons.

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Waiting to Exhale

In November 2020, it was announced that the 1995 film starring Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine will be rebooted into a TV series. Empire cocreator Lee Daniels is set to produce the project, while Attica Locke and Tembi Locke were recruited to pen the script. The film and its forthcoming show are based on Terry McMillan’s 1992 novel of the same name. 

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Dexter

Michael C. Hall and original executive producer Clyde Phillipps are set to return for a 10-episode revival on Showtime, the network announced in October 2020. The original series aired from 2006 to 2013.

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Conan the Barbarian

Netflix is developing a live-action series based on Conan, the character created by writer Robert E. Howard, Deadline reported in October 2020. The sword-wielding character was previously brought to life by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Conan the Barbarian films and Jason Momoa in the 2011 reboot film.

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Proud Family

In February 2020, Disney+ announced the return of Proud Family, the animated series that aired on the Disney Channel from 2001 to 2005. Original creators Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar will helm the revival, titled The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. Stars Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, Soleil Moon Frye, Cedric the Entertainer and more are set to return.

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Punk'd

Chance the Rapper is set to host the reboot of the MTV hit, which will premiere on Quibi after its April 2020 launch. The original series, created and hosted by Ashton Kutcher, aired from 2003 to 2007. It was then briefly brought back with celebrity hosts in 2012.

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Ghostwriter

AppleTV+ will debut a reboot of the '90s children's series Ghostwriter. However, instead of the two lines and a circle that represented the Ghostwriter in the original, the new series will follow four kids whose neighborhood bookstore is being haunted by a ghost who starts releasing fictional characters into the real world. Season 2 will drop on October 9. 

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Saved by the Bell

Original cast members Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez will return for a new Saved by the Bell TV series on NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock. The Mindy Project writer Tracey Wigfield will helm the project.

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Battlestar Galactica

Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail is launching a reboot of the space saga, to air on Peacock.

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Punky Brewster

In a revival of the 1984 series, Soleil Moon Frye will return a grown-up version of her former character. The new episodes will air on Peacock.

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Nash Bridges

The San Francisco-based detective show starring Don Johnson is set to return to USA Network, according to TVLine. Johnson himself is expected to star in the special, which also featured Cheech Marin, James Gammon and Jodi Lyn O’Keefe during its 5-year run from 1996 to 2001.

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Gossip Girl

In July 2019, it was announced that the CW favorite was coming back to streaming service HBO Max, which ordered 10 episodes of the reboot. The update boasts four of the show’s original producers, but the story line will take place eight years in the future to follow a whole new generation of posh private school kids growing up in New York City.

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Making the Band

In July 2019, Sean “Diddy” Combs announced that he will be bringing back his hit series, which originally aired for 12 seasons from 2000 to 2009. It launched the careers of Danity Kane, O-Town and Day26. The revival is set to premiere in 2020 on MTV.

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Mad About You

Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt will return for a revival of the '90s series, following married couple Paul and Jamie Buchman as their kids are growing up and leaving. "We thought, 'That's a really rich place to dig for comedy and emotional drama," he told Us of the revival, which debuts on Spectrum TV in November 2019.

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Charmed

In fall 2018, The CW launched a new version of the 1998 classic, which ran for eight seasons on The WB. With the original starring Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, Rose McGown and Holly Marie Combs, the reboot brings together Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffrey and Madeleine Mantock.

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Sabrina

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina debuted in October 2018 on Netflix, based on the comic books. While it includes many of the same characters from the 1996 sitcom, including Sabrina Spellman, Harvey Kinkle and her aunts Zelda and Hilda Spellman, the drama completely different and a much darker story.

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Bewitched

Black-ish creator Kenya Barris is currently working on a reboot of Betwitched on ABC, with an interracial family. The original series ran from 1964 to 1972 on ABC.

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The Hills

It’s been eight years since the original series aired on MTV but in 2019, a revival of The Hills, titled New Beginnings, debuted. Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari did not return but Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Audrina Patridge, Justin Brescia, Jason Wahler, Frankie Delgado, Stephanie Pratt and Whitney Port all star.

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Murphy Brown

Candice Bergen, the original Murphy Brown, will returned to CBS for one season of the revival.

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Star Trek

The 1966 NBC series was rebooted by CBS in 2017. Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery is currently airing on CBS All Access.

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Raven's Home

Ten years after the Disney Channel original, That’s So Raven, wrapped, Raven-Symone launched a new series with most of the original cast.

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Will & Grace

NBC’s sitcom returned with the Fab Four — Karen (Megan Mulally), Jack (Sean Hayes), Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing) returned in September 2017 after being off the air for 11 years.

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Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

Originally titled Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Netflix picked up a “reimagining” of the series that ended in 2007. The new Fab Five, Antoni Porowski (food & wine), Bobby Berk (interior design), Karamo Brown (culture), Jonathan Van Ness (grooming) and Tan France (fashion) star.

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The X-Files

Fox brought back the beloved crime series, and many characters from the original, for two more seasons in 2016.

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Party of Five

The reboot of Party of Five will feature siblings whose parents get deported to Mexico. The original series ran from 1994 to 2000; the new series will debut in January 2020.

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Roswell

A reboot of The WB drama that ran from 1999 to 2002 debuted on The CW in 2018, titled Roswell: New Mexico.

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MacGyver

The original beloved series aired from 1985 to 1992. In 2016, CBS brought the show back with Lucas Till as the star. 

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Roseanne

The original ending was forgotten when Roseanne returned to ABC on March 27. The entire original cast returned for the show, which was later canceled due to Roseanne Barr's racist comments. A spinoff of the revival, The Conners, premiered in Fall 2018.

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Ducktales

The original series ended in 1990 so the show was recreated by Disney XD. 

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American Idol

Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan judge the new ABC series that debuted in March 2018. The original ran on Fox until 2016. 

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Fuller House

More of a continuation than a reboot, Netflix’s Fuller House follows the kids of Full House (minus Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s Michelle Tanner) in their new lives as parents and adults. 

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Dynasty

Currently airing on The CW, Dynasty is a diverse reboot of the ‘80s drama that follows two wealthy families whose lives overlap and get very messy, very quick.

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Jersey Shore

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation brought most of the original gang — sans Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola — together to show that as parents, they can still have fun (and GTL, duh!).

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Gilmore Girls

A Year in the Life was a four 90-minute episode revival on Netflix, showing where the women and the men in their lives ended up. Viewers also found out those last four words!

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Trading Spaces

The home design show ran from 2000 to 2008 on TLC and many of the original designers returned for a revival in 2018.

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Fear Factor

Joe Rogan, the host from the competition series from 2001 to 2006, didn’t return for the MTV reboot. Ludacris led the new season that kicked off in 2017.