Are you facing an imminently lethal scenario with only a paper clip, vacuum cleaner tube, and three bottle caps in your inventory and no apparent way out? If only they hadn’t cancelled MacGyver back in 1992, then you’d know how to escape with your organs intact! But wait: CBS is bringing the show back this week, furthering the adventures of legendarily resourceful secret agent Angus MacGyver, who solves problems with whatever’s laying around. So with the resurrection of Mac, this week’s gallery looks at 24 other shows we want to see rebooted.
Deadwood
HBO says a Deadwood movie is currently in the works, but we’ll believe it when we see it. Still, there are plenty of stories from the Black Hills of South Dakota that would make for a worthwhile reboot. What happens after the gold rush, when the West has been won but remains plenty wild? The rise of the railroads — or the unsolved murder of the real-life Al Swearengen — both offer tons of rich storytelling possibilities.
Max Headroom Max Headroom was set “20 minutes into the future,” but the show itself was years ahead of its time. Envisioning a dystopian society in which corporations are king and infotainment dulls the senses, it sailed over the heads of a disinterested viewing public in 1987-88, even with Matt Frewer adding comic relief and cool special effects as the titular computerized talking head. All these years later, the sociopolitical climate seems ripe for a (literal) Max reboot, and the show’s cult audience could give the right cable net a niche prestige hit.
Toxic Crusaders
With a reboot of the gleefully profane Toxic Avenger in the works, why not throw in an incongruous animated spin-off featuring Toxie and friends battling polluting nogoodniks? But the show doesn’t have to be just for the kiddie set: As TV continues to lower the bar on violence and sex, a Tromaville-style comedy feels more at home on the small screen than ever before.
The Mole
Conceived during the pre-9/11 bum rush of reality TV and hosted with beautiful deadpan snark by Anderson Cooper, The Mole was a globe-trotting game show of contestants competing and drawing alliances despite one of them being a secret saboteur. Considering society is now more paranoid than ever and Cooper is still slumming it at CNN, it’s time to bring this show of suspicious intrigue back and give Cooper some prestige work.
Muppet Babies ABC screwed up the mean-spirited Muppets reboot, so let’s try again with a new Babies spin-off featuring their irreverent ode to pure imagination. Clearance issues have prevented Babies from hitting the home market since the original show used tons of outside media to furnish Kermit and friends’ wild daydreams, but with the Muppets now owned by Disney, a new show could draw from the well of Marvel, Pixar, and more. How else will kids learn about the Star War?
Buck Rogers We’ve already seen a successful reboot of Battlestar Galactica, so why not give Buck Rogers a shot? Anchored by Gil Gerard in the title role, the series was something of a cross between Star Trek and Star Wars, a space swashbuckler that, in later episodes, tackled headier themes, but was mostly content to offer lighthearted adventure. With all of the TV sci-fi these days exploring serious issues, it’d be a nice reprieve just to have some fun.
The Charmings
It was often an objectively awful viewing experience, but this little-remembered ABC sitcom had a premise that was still just daffy enough to work (for 20 episodes, anyway): magically transport Snow White, Prince Charming, and their kids to modern-day Burbank with a dwarf and a wicked stepmother in tow. The gags were lame and the laugh track was worse, but with the right cast and some sharp writing, it could be an intentionally funny variation on Once Upon a Time. Our only regret is that Paul Winfield’s no longer around to play the magic mirror.
RoboCop RoboCop: Prime Directives was an underbudgeted Canadian take on OCP’s finest, returning to the dark, satirical violence of Paul Verhoeven’s original film. Give this franchise some decent money to continue exploring themes of man vs. machine, without being bleak and morose. There is, after all, inherent comedy to RoboCop‘s premise — just don’t make it as lame as the third one.
The Six Million Dollar Man
Let’s flip this classic on its head and reimagine The Six Million Dollar Man as The Six Billion Dollar Bionic Woman. Yes, there have been made-for-television movies and The Bionic Woman spin-off, and The Six Million Dollar movie is in the works — but how about we just sandwich together all this superpowered, action-packed potential into the whopper of all top-secret-agent whoppers. With today’s production values and in the right hands, this reboot could be the crème de la crème of episodic reconstructed-cyborg television.
The Incredible Hulk
Before the recent hugeness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was this sci-fi drama series — based on the comic book — about the one and only Incredible Hulk. Sure, Bruce’s name was changed to David because TV execs at the time were uncomfortable with a name that sounded what they considered too “gay,” and the Franken-Hyde hero was restricted to roaming planet Earth as a means of making the show more realistic, but for many, the Bixby/Ferrigno combo was the first introduction of the beast. So why not revisit the show using Bruce’s real name and perhaps tying into the MCU? Though many of us wouldn’t be angry with seeing the classic, more “realistic” version brought back to life with all the emotional drama and monstrous action we fell in love with. And you wouldn’t like us when we’re angry….
The Greatest American Hero
Yes, this was a superhero show, and yes, we already have plenty of those. But The Greatest American Hero, a comic drama about an unremarkable high school teacher named Ralph Hinkley who is bequeathed a powerful suit by aliens, was ahead of its time in the way that it subverted typical genre conventions. For one, Ralph (played by William Katt) absolutely hates wearing the suit. Not only that, he’s lost the instruction manual, so quite often he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. Originally cancelled after three seasons, this show would be a welcome tongue-in-cheek entry in today’s superhero-saturated landscape.
The Love Boat
“Love, exciting and new?” Well, not really so much anymore. It’s pretty old at this point. The 10-year run of the original Love Boat aired its last episode in February 1987 (we’re not going to count the ’90s reboot The Next Wave). But with the many ways that love and sex in our culture has changed over the decades, we think a reboot could be just what the Captain ordered. It could serve not only as the effectively light seafaring drama it once was, but as a means of introducing lifestyles of people to TV who were never given such representation in the ’70s and ’80s.
Fraggle Rock
An international sensation in the 1980s, Fraggle Rock was magical musical whimsy at it’s best. Jim Henson’s creation followed the Fraggles in a complex network of caves playing games, dancing, and singing their cares away. And Henson knows the world could use a dose of fun in the shape of a giant talking Trash Heap right about now.
Fantasy Island
With Mr. Rourke as our host and Tattoo’s proclamations of “de plane,” we were allowed to escape weekly to Fantasy Island. Our fantasy reboot would allow a whole new generation of C-list celebrities to enjoy a bevy of soap opera romances and adventures.
Manimal
OK, we admit it. The only real reason to bring this 1983 ex-gem back is because its ridiculously bizarre premise (guy can shape-shift into any animal of his choosing) is still good for a laugh. The show was created by Glen A. Larson, the brains behind such classics as Magnum P.I., Knight Rider, The Fall Guy, Trauma Center, Battlestar Galactica, and Quincy, M.E.. But Manimal? What was Larson thinking? Next thing you know, we’ll be watching shows about surviving the zombie apocalypse or something.
Golden Girls
“Picture it: Sicily, 1922. It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times —it was Sicily 1922.” Wait, no it wasn’t, it was Miami in the late ’80s/early ’90s. And it was actually the funniest of times: Golden Girls still airs in syndication and has been the subject of viral videos, memes, and parody stage shows worldwide. Yes, it may be impossible to match the brilliant wit, charm, and humor of the classic, but dagnabbit, it wouldn’t hurt to settle down with a plate of delicious Sperheoven Krispies and give it our best St. Olafian try!
Misfits of Science
When Misfits of Science made its way onto the NBC schedule in the mid-’80s, TV production values weren’t anywhere near what they are today — and trying to pull off a dramedy about a group of well-meaning people with paranormal abilities like shrinking, shooting lightning, and mind control was probably doomed to end in hokey failure. More recently, shows like Heroes and Alphas have offered a darker, soapier twist on the concept, but they lacked Misfits‘ sweetly optimistic charm. What’s original cast member Courteney Cox doing these days? Someone call her agent.
Mission: Impossible
We know that the Mission: Impossible franchise is alive and well on the big screen, but a concurrent return to its TV roots would be fun, and there are a couple of ways it could be done. Ever wondered how and why Jim Phelps suddenly turned to the dark side in the first film? The revived TV series could explore that. On the other hand, the show could also operate in a similar way to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., focusing on a separate Ethan Hunt–less team on smaller-scale missions. Either way, a TV MI would mean good times and plenty of intrigue.
Murder, She Wrote
Jessica Fletcher, a middle-aged widow who happens to be both a successful writer and real-life murder-mystery solver could easily enthrall audiences of today. Though Angela Lansbury is virtually irreplaceable, with a bold new star, the right production team, and a contemporary setting, an updated Murder, She Wrote could be mandatory viewing on a Sunday night.
The Twilight Zone/Night Gallery Given America’s ongoing love affair with science fiction and with horror coming off a banner year so far, the time is right for another stab at the anthology series. As filmed entertainment continues to fragment across the internet and our attention spans get more erratic, a weekly show featuring the best of new sci-fi and scary stories would be a welcome treat.
Lassie
At 17 seasons, Lassie was one of the longest-running prime-time series in the U.S. So call us crazy, but we think Lassie is ripe for another nighttime run. Lassie was not only the “perfect mother” for Jeff, Timmy, and the entire Martin family, but her caring, nurturing, and responsible behavior was a wholesome treat Americans could count on. Morality, environmentalism, and conservation took center stage, as did the show’s championing of inclusiveness. In this reboot, imagine the adventures of a girl and her dog shaping a whole new view of girlhood. The possibilities are endless.
Real People
Ahead of its time, and totally predicting the viral video world we now live in, Real People not just brought us everyday people doing not-so-everyday things, but also revealed the personalities behind the stories, which is often lacking in our workaday keyboard cat world. Plus, we’re pretty sure Fred Willard’s available to host.
Voyagers!
It was Jon Erik Hexum’s best known role before we lost him too soon, but Voyagers! had a fun premise that is just waiting for a new hunky hero and plucky kid sidekick to team up and leap into a new century of time-travelling fun.
Dragnet
Yeah, we know ABC resurrected Dragnet a decade ago, but given the continued popularity of the police procedural, it could be ripe for a reboot. Practically every cop show these days is knee-deep in DNA analysis and computer-based sleuthing, so a return to the just-the-facts-ma’am, gumshoe style of the original series could be a breath of fresh air.
