Reboot A Show: Give Us A Pitch!

[Kromm]

I've grown very tired of Movie to Movie reboots (and TV to Movie translations are even worse), but for some reason actual TV to TV reboots seem to be the one case where some quality is brought to the table... occasionally.

 

So pitch us a TV to TV redo/reboot, or even a continuation (as long as it seems to have a viable way to continue without simply being "more of the same").  Bonus points if your idea is actually commercially viable, although of course that's not a hard and fast rule.

[ganesh]

Sliders. No one really remembers the show and the storytelling is limitless because you slide to parallel worlds every episode. You don't need a set cast because people might join/leave whenever. If you take a look at the original S1, it's a good B action adventure anthology type sci fi show which we don't have on tv now.

[ybrik]

I loved the first two seasons of Sliders. A reboot would work well.

 

Another show I think could work as a reboot or even as an extension of the old series: The Pretender. The only thing I might change this time might be have a woman be the lead. Not necessary but could make an interesting difference. If it is a tie in with the previous series the lead could be related to either Jarrod or Ms. Parker which gives an opportunity to bring them back for guest appearance.

[Kromm]

It occurred to me that you could actually do an X-Files continuation (rather than a straight reboot). Same premise, same continuity, but with new leads and with Mulder and Scully safely tucked away in the past. In fact, I'd have the new cast work from files Mulder left behind, although I'd also have Walter Skinner on hand as well.

 

Of course they'd have to ditch those never realized plans for a third theatrical movie.  No big loss there.

[ganesh]

You could continue Quantum Leap in the same manner, if you want to hand wave and retcon a little to make Sam's daughter "discover" the project and leap in to search for Sam. You could have Al guest star at the beginning to have a link to the prior show. 

[Kromm]

I think the one that's actually been kicked around for real in Hollywood, but never happened, is a Buck Rogers reboot.  It would have to be fairly radical--going back a bit more to the original book, minus the super-racist stuff in that book (trust me, it is).

[Jeebus Cripes]

Sliders. No one really remembers the show and the storytelling is limitless because you slide to parallel worlds every episode. You don't need a set cast because people might join/leave whenever. If you take a look at the original S1, it's a good B action adventure anthology type sci fi show which we don't have on tv now.

 

I never watched Sliders because of my aversion to Jerry O'Connell, but I always thought the concept was aces. I would watch a reboot.

 

I would still like a serious attempt at telling the Camelot/King Arthur myth. Merlin was too camp for me, and the Camelot TV show on Starz dug it's own grave casting that horrible Arthur.

 

Oh, and I seriously want a continuation of Jim Henson's The Storyteller. I adored that show.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Jeebus Cripes

[The Crazed Spruce]

I would've asked for a Rockford Files reboot, but they already made one.  They just set it in Newfoundland and called it Republic of Doyle. :)

 

Kidding aside, I'd like to see a Charlie's Angels reboot.  And yeah, I know they did one a couple of seasons ago.  I mean a good one.  That one took itself way too seriously.  I'd like to see a version with a lighter tone, kind of like the movie.  (Well, the first movie, anyway.)

 

Mission: Impossible is primed for a reboot, too.  It could have one or two regular leads, with the rest of the cast rotating on an as-needed basis.

[Kromm]

I would've asked for a Rockford Files reboot, but they already made one.  They just set it in Newfoundland and called it Republic of Doyle. :)

There was an actual attempt at one a few years ago with Dermot Mulroney.  A pilot even got made. - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1582460/

 

There's STILL a movie remake attempt going, with Vince Vaughn (so it will probably be slightly over the top). - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2369425/?ref_=nv_sr_2

[janie jones]

Another show I think could work as a reboot or even as an extension of the old series: The Pretender. The only thing I might change this time might be have a woman be the lead. Not necessary but could make an interesting difference. If it is a tie in with the previous series the lead could be related to either Jarrod or Ms. Parker which gives an opportunity to bring them back for guest appearance.

I like the idea of a Pretender reboot/extension, and it's not like I have a problem with there being a female Pretender per se, but they'd probably only ever have her pretending to have sexy jobs or jobs where she be scantily clad, and that annoys me.

[blueray]

Sliders. No one really remembers the show and the storytelling is limitless because you slide to parallel worlds every episode. You don't need a set cast because people might join/leave whenever. If you take a look at the original S1, it's a good B action adventure anthology type sci fi show which we don't have on tv now.

I would watch that, but I would want the episodes to actually start where the last one ended. In the show, they would say end on an ice version of earth, then the next episode had nothing to do with that. Which was really annoying.

[ganesh]

I would watch that, but I would want the episodes to actually start where the last one ended. In the show, they would say end on an ice version of earth, then the next episode had nothing to do with that. Which was really annoying.

 

You're only thinking tv. It's like Doctor Who, which is what JRD was saying the show should be in S1. If the subsequent show isn't directly followed by the previous one, it's because in between they were sliding all over the place. Maybe they went through 3 worlds for an hour each time. With Doctor Who it's more expansive because he could have been gone for 200 years.

 

But that means you can have a bunch of fan fiction and tie in comics too. 

 

The only thing I would do is make the first season a 6 hour mini series that is fairly continuous just to get everyone settled into the concept. They sort of did that in S1, where Quinn was experimenting with the timer and had to restart it on another world. His other self warned him not to.

 

I like serialized story telling, but I don't think there's anything wrong with anthologies either. Sliders is a good way to tell "classic stories" with a contemporary angle. And they really did that in S1. There was an episode were penicillin wasn't invented yet and people were dying of colds. Or where Hoover suspended the constitution and people didn't have any copies, so no one knew their rights. That's good stuff. 

[Athena]

I would watch a reboot of Reboot. I loved the original so why not a new version for another generation. I know they said it would happen, but it's been almost a year and no news about it.

[JayKay]

Bahaha, I would watch a reboot of Reboot too. Kids know more about computers these days, so that's a plus. I wonder if the pure terror that was Hexadecimal would have to be watered-down for more sensitive millennial viewers though.

[Rick Kitchen]

Sliders. No one really remembers the show and the storytelling is limitless because you slide to parallel worlds every episode. You don't need a set cast because people might join/leave whenever. If you take a look at the original S1, it's a good B action adventure anthology type sci fi show which we don't have on tv now.

 

I love alternate world stories, and I really liked Sliders when it first came out, but then it sank into every story being about the Cro-Mags in every alternate world.  That isn't alternate world storytelling, it's a bunch of people chasing or being chased by aliens.  I stopped watching.

They've made a movie version of "The Equalizer" with Denzel Washington, but I'd like to see a TV reboot.

[Kromm]

Since the various Sherlock Holmes shows have done so well, I'd like to see another version of the Nero Wolfe books on TV.  The A&E shows were pretty good, but just due to the ages of the people involved in that--Tim Hutton is too old now--they should recast.  Well that, and Maury Chaykin is dead.

As reboots go, it's an easy one in that nothing really needs to change.  Just do the books the A&E show never got around to, and maybe some new scripts.

[Jeebus Cripes]

We need to bring back the anthology show.  Amazing Stories, Monsters or Night Gallery come to mind.

 

Absolutely. I love all that type stuff.

[Sandman87]

We need to bring back the anthology show.  Amazing Stories, Monsters or Night Gallery come to mind.

 

I'll second a reboot of Night Gallery. That was my first horror TV show. I've always been particularly fascinated by the paintings that they used to introduce the segments. I'd particularly like to see them do an adaptation of "Gonna Roll the Bones."

[ToxicUnicorn]

I would still like a serious attempt at telling the Camelot/King Arthur myth. Merlin was too camp for me, and the Camelot TV show on Starz dug it's own grave casting that horrible Arthur.

 

I remember loving The Mists of Avalon (book by Marion Zimmer Bradley) as a teenager.  It tells the Arthur tales from the women's perspective (Guinevere, Morgana, are the main characters).  That would be a new take.

 

I'll still pitch for Maria Bello's US version of Prime Suspect.  Smart lady cop wears a weird looking mannish hat.  It's like Sherlock!  Only with a gender change and a different signature artile of clothing!  What's not to love?

 

An updated Paper Chase.  Only at Harvard Business School.  The intersecting lives of five wildly different students: a wealthy black young male, a poor white kid with big dreams, an Asian immigrant with the heart of a poet, a recently fired and bitter former Wall Street golden boy, and a Latina girl who is seriously book smart but incredibly naive, all trying to get through case studies and classes taught by elite, snobby, professors.  The only person who cares is the Assistant Dean of Students, who has no power.   

 

I'd even make it a musical if that gets it done.  

Edited July 17, 2014 by ToxicUnicorn

[Jeebus Cripes]

I remember loving The Mists of Avalon (book by Marion Zimmer Bradley) as a teenager.  It tells the Arthur tales from the women's perspective (Guinevere, Morgana, are the main characters).  That would be a new take.

 

Never read the book, but the miniseries was quite good: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244353/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[Guest]

I'm torn, but perhaps a reboot of Babylon 5 as it was originally intended.

 

Between the change in actors and constant threat of cancellation a lot of things got moved around.  Plus JMS had a ton of ideas that were a decade before their time that never made it to air.

[ganesh]

Which original B5 do you mean? Because JMS' original treatment was tough. This might do better as a continuation.

[Happy Harpy]

I would like to see a reboot/remake of the 70's short-lived SF show Logan's Run. I remember fondly the original, although it is dated (especially the special effects of course). I've always thought they'd do one when Battlestar Galactica aired successfully, and dystopian future seems to be all the rage right now.

The universe is rich and offers imo many possibilities of adaptation, from an edgy one for cable (more book-oriented) to even a CW one -not allowing humans to live beyond the age of 30 being just right in the latter's bracket.

[Actionmage]

I would like a Wonder Woman reboot. Yeah, DC is trying to get it's movie side in order, but nothing says that TV Diana has to be played by the same actress as Movie Diana. Plus, the tv side can explore more character-based stuff and leave some of the "bigger" stories to the movie side.

 

For the new weekly, I'd start by basing the series on the 1986 reboot by George Perez; it'd play up her Otherness, we'd get familiar names (Steve Trevor, Etta Candy) but in different contexts, and it starts going between Themyscira/Paradise Island, D.C. and Boston (which happens to be having a moment as a hot place to have shows/movies based.) Diana's first story arc is action-y and  has world- and myth-building and lots of positive female and male relationships. Maybe even try the story arc where Diana works for a place called Taco Whiz to earn money, which has wonderful supporting characters and shows (not unlike Buffy) why superheroing and minimum wage jobs just don't go together.

 

The supporting cast is a wonderful tool to be able to explore various subplots--teen characters, pay gap, gender and class differences, expectations from heroes, the media machine, how does one campaign for Peace,Love, and Understanding in the modern world? There is so much besides just kicking bad guy butt, though there is an impressive rogue's gallery for Diana to face down, including a couple of gods. Then there's the minotaur, but he'd be a couple of seasons down the line, probably.

 

I like the idea of Logan's Run, especially on the CW! ( A Take That! and a nod to them that's paying the bills.) If they stuck closer to the book, which I really enjoy, then there's a lot that the movie didn't begin to cover. The travelling and the mountain pass and the few 'hide in plain sight' tries Jessica and Logan pulled were exciting!  Also, the book made the feral children a freaking menace to everybody and they were legit scary! Some of that please? Some survival and horror in my dystopian horror survival story. I didn't watch the tv series, so I don't know if they tried to cover book stuff. CW could maybe pair it with Reign?

 

I would also like anthology shows to come back (maybe have Clive Barker host a redo of Thriller or Night Gallery?), as well as the variety show. That way we don't have to shoehorn folks into iffy sitcoms, we can have a singer or comedian or Audra McDonald host an hour where folks come on, sing/dance/tell jokes/have skits with Audra or whomever and there's no messy continuity to follow or bible for the show to remember!  And for the way tv seems to be lately, there could be rotating hosts depending on the season! 

Edited September 4, 2014 by Actionmage

[ganesh]

Wasn't there a variety show that aired earlier in the summer?

[Just Here]

Here's a half-serious idea, so don't send me hate-PM's...

 

The People's Court... as a sitcom.

Or, in other words, Night Court updated with a reality TV angle, although in practice The People's Court is an arbitration process.  So, you could have some wacky small claims cases, with wacky plaintiffs and defendants, plus the personal lives of the rag-tag collection of on-air talent and others on the show-within-a-show. 
 
*And, it's crazy enough ("High Concept!") that a network exec might approve it.

[Guest]

If we are talking about a reality reboot, I'd go with Bands on the Run. I never understood why it only got one season.  Its basically the Great Food Truck Race only with rock bands.  They'd run from city to city and put on concerts and the band that got the most money wins.

 

I do recall that they pulled producer manipulation at the end.  The fan favored band was in second by a huge margin and they gave a huge bonus for the final concert that determined the winner.  On a reboot, since stopping producer manipulation in reality TV is unlikely, at least be subtle about it and send show people to buy tickets to keep the favorites more even.  If I recall correctly, the issue was that three bands were stereotypical rock bands and one band (the one that got screwed in the finale) was very responsible and determined to win.

[Rick Kitchen]

Reboot Rockstar.  It was so much more interesting to hear rock singers auditioning for lead singer of a rock band, than pop stars trying out for solo careers.

[Actionmage]

How about a reboot of The Doris Day Show, only instead of naming it after just one star, maybe call it The Globe  (unless there's copyright problems) and have it be about the ups/downs of lady reporters. If there is need to retool, the perfect way is to focus on a different reporter and/or a different kind of reporting, sort of like The Wire, but a little more hopeful.  It can expand to an hour or stay a half hour, but only if the stories are allowed to breathe yet not get dragged out.

 

Or if it needs to be closer to the original, "Doris" is a blogger on her family farm with her father-in law and two kids, but make the kids older teens. When the family moves to The Big City because Big Agra bought them out, the teens can have adjustment B- or C-stories  while mom has work/life balance to rejigger. Then when Mom gets a plush job at a swanky publishing house, the kids can be in college and Mom can choose to look for a steady date (or not). Then when Mom's work is swallowed by a multinational and she's able to stay employed, she can find Her Person (tm Meredith Gray) and they can work on mutual work/home balance (if the relationship is that far along enough.)

 

Modern concerns can be explored without a murder in every episode!

[AstaCharles]

I think the Greatest American Hero is getting a reboot but I'm not sure about the details . I would love to see the Night Stalker come back again and done right this time. I hated on what they did to that remake.

Also an American version of Ripping Yarns would be fun.

[Jipijapa]

I would like to see a reboot of The Rockford Files, but without Jim Rockford.  Call it Paradise Cove, and have it be about three or four private eyes who all grew up under old Jim Rockford's tutelage.  Now that he's gone to that great trailer in the sky, they are all sort of frenemies with each other, occasionally competing for clients, getting serially arrested by the LAPD for crimes they didn't commit, getting beaten up by thugs, and at the end of every episode they have a beer at the Sand Castle and reminisce about things old Jimbo once did, or the PI advice he gave them.  (Also, at least one of the PI's will have a lovingly framed black and white glossy of James Garner on his desk)

Edited February 12, 2015 by Jipijapa

[Trini]

How about a new Daria? I can't decide whether it'd be a reboot with a "new" Daria in high school, or the continued musings of adult Daria.

 

And I know it's very recent, but someone should re-do Twisted. (The wasted potential; it still burns.) This time the series would focus on the murder mystery, and I wouldn't even mind if Danny (the lead) was the actual killer. Also minimize the teen love angst.

[magicdog]

I'd watch a new Sliders;  I agree the first 2 seasons were best and the less said about the Cro Mags the better!

 

The Pretender I do miss but I hated the last two TV movies that aired.  They were supposed to wrap up all loose ends of the series proper and they screw it up by adding more twists - and then tried to add a supernatural one to it (hinted strongly that the Centre was created by a Parker ancestor who had some scrolls allegedly written by Satan!).   A female pretender sounds intriguing but IIRC, the creators of the original show insisted there weren't any in their universe.  The only pretenders that did exist to their potential were Jarrod and his brother.  They had a sister but she was saved from The Centre.

 

I definitely like the idea of reviving an All In The Family like show - except in reverse.  The "Archie" would be a Woodstock alum and baby boomer who's all about being liberal (essentially, Mike), while the "Mike Stivic" would be a Conservative or Libertarian.  The trouble is I don't trust the writers in Hollywood to be honest about a conservative character (ie. making him/her a joke who's always wrong instead of having as many valid points as the Archie character). 

 

Or perhaps alter the premise slightly:   have it set up with a young family (children are elementary school aged) and after learning their kids are being bullied and learning things they don't approve of at their local school (not to mention the food) they decide to homeschool the kids and we see the family adjusting to the changes and balancing work home and the kid's schooling.  Plus there could be various conflicts with relatives or well meaning neighbors who think they're lifestyle is nuts.  The clash of ideals can occur that way.

 

 

How about a new Daria?

 

I loved the 90s Daria and I'd have loved to have seen her adventures continue either in college or post college.  It might be interesting to see her now and see her riffing on modern issues now that she has some life experience behind her. 

 

Do animated shows count?  I have always thought there were plenty of classic shows (mostly from the HB stable) that could make it with some updating and strong writing.  Some of those include:

 

• Space Ghost - Sure, he was "Batman in Space" but with a more mature characterization and cool storylines, he could make a viable comeback.  The teaser from Batman, The Brave &The Bold stirred plenty of interest amongst fans that made people wonder if the network was gaging interest.

 

• The Herculoids - same as above - and the two shows shared a universe anyway, so perfect for a spinoff.

 

• Mission Magic - it could be fun if Rick Springfield could be lured into coming back.  Plus, there could be more sophisticated world building in the magical realm.

 

• The Impossibles - I really think these guys could hack it in the new millennium - especially if we keep their world as a mid 60s Retro Universe with music to match.  Maybe after rerecording their original songs, we could finally get the songs released in their entirety.

 

• Frankenstein Jr. - only this time Buzz Conroy and Frankie play it a bit straighter this time.  A boy & his crime fighting robot!

 

• Jonny Quest - A new slew of adventures for the original group.  Jonny and Hadji are still preteens/tweens, and we get some serious adventures not too far off the original series.

 

• Goldie Gold & Action Jack - There would have to be a lot of world rebuilding here (rather than a newspaper heiress, she'd be more likely running a high tech company), some down to earth tech (no more mansions on the space shuttle or swimming pools on a space satellite) and adding some Moonlighting - esque banter between herself and blogger/adventurer Jack Travis. 

 

Or perhaps create a "Justice League" except using the HB superheroes and give them all sorts of unique adventures.  We could have Space Ghost, Birdman, Blue Falcon (with a rebooted Dynomutt that's less of a screw up), Inch High, Private Eye, Frankenstein Jr., Mightor, Jana of the Jungle, et al and reboot some other HB characters who are used in other roles in the periphery.

 

I'd love to see a sequel series of Charmed.  It had been hoped (and lobbied for) by fans that Piper's sons, Chris and Wyatt become the next generation of Halliwell witches.   Their Charmed cousins could always visit now and again.  We could even take the series out of SF and go to Boston!  It would be set about 25-30 years from now;  the original Book of Shadows would be a digitized version the boys keep in their home which would have 3-D holographic images of various magical creatures, and they'd be dealing with the same initial issues their mothers and aunts did - trying to balance a life of magic with the non magical world.  In their case however, they'd have been raised with magic all along, unlike the sisters.  Perhaps some of the damage created in the original series could be retconned out.

[The Crazed Spruce]

I definitely like the idea of reviving an All In The Family like show - except in reverse.  The "Archie" would be a Woodstock alum and baby boomer who's all about being liberal (essentially, Mike), while the "Mike Stivic" would be a Conservative or Libertarian.  The trouble is I don't trust the writers in Hollywood to be honest about a conservative character (ie. making him/her a joke who's always wrong instead of having as many valid points as the Archie character).

You should probably check out Family Ties. :)

[Rick Kitchen]

 

I'd watch a new Sliders;  I agree the first 2 seasons were best and the less said about the Cro Mags the better!

 

This.  So much this.  I love alternate history stories, but when the Cro Mags came up every episode, I bailed.

 

How about a new version of Glee with new actors and a new school in a different location?

[magicdog]

 

You should probably check out Family Ties. :)

 

Touche. 

 

However, that show wasn't nearly as politically explosive as it could have been.  It was more of a lighthearted sitcom which despite the premise wasn't about spurring controversial storyline.  My version would be closer to the adversarial style of the original.   Besides it would be more fun to see a senior citizen who was once a part of the hippie movement to see their views being opposed by the younger generation - a reverse of what they did to their parents' previous generation.

Edited February 14, 2015 by magicdog

[ikmccall]

How about a new Daria? I can't decide whether it'd be a reboot with a "new" Daria in high school, or the continued musings of adult Daria.

 

If it was a live action version of an adult Daria, Janeane Garofalo should be cast in the title role.

[Luckylyn]

I loved Daria so much.  The idea of a live action version is intriguing.

[jhlipton]

An updated Paper Chase.  Only at Harvard Business School.  The intersecting lives of five wildly different students: a wealthy black young male, a poor white kid with big dreams, an Asian immigrant with the heart of a poet, a recently fired and bitter former Wall Street golden boy, and a Latina girl who is seriously book smart but incredibly naive, all trying to get through case studies and classes taught by elite, snobby, professors.  The only person who cares is the Assistant Dean of Students, who has no power.   

 

I'd even make it a musical if that gets it done.

 

 

I'd prefer to have these two swapped.

 

I would also like anthology shows to come back (maybe have Clive Barker host a redo of Thriller or Night Gallery?), as well as the variety show.

The word on the street is that Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting an "Ed Sullivan type" variety show -- next season (Spring 2015?) I believe.

[Jipijapa]

 

However, that show wasn't nearly as politically explosive as it could have been.

 

No, because it was actually a bit ahead of its time... because no one really imagined in the mid 1980s that there would be lots of kids like Alex Keaton who would later  grow up to be world-ruining neoconservative assholes.

 

If it had been on in the 1990s or later, it could have been taken seriously as a political statement, but in the 1980s it was just considered an amusing "turnabout" gimmick.

[magicdog]

It was a bit of a turnabout gimmick, but not exploited as much as it could have been, regardless of if it was on in the 80s or 90s. 

[Kromm]

I would like to see a reboot of The Rockford Files, but without Jim Rockford.  Call it Paradise Cove, and have it be about three or four private eyes who all grew up under old Jim Rockford's tutelage.  

Well not that it's inappropriate for this topic, because I specifically cited that all of these variants are included, but we probably should be careful with the actual phrase "reboot" and if it's not a straight out redo, say instead that it's a continuation (same cast, later in time) or a sequel (a continuation, but with a new cast)

But still post it here, of course.

How about a new version of Glee with new actors and a new school in a different location?

Please, don't give Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk any ideas.

[Kromm]

I'd love to see a sequel series of Charmed.  It had been hoped (and lobbied for) by fans that Piper's sons, Chris and Wyatt become the next generation of Halliwell witches.   

How do you get around the strong female viewer skew of the original show?  The only way I can think of is to make those sons Winchester-like and Supernatural-up the show (in other words, go for sexy hijinks and a grittier production than the original chick-bonding/sisterly one).

Edited February 14, 2015 by Kromm

[memememe76]

A more multicutural version of Golden Girls would work well now. And I think Murphy Brown's daughter is old enough to fill her mom's journalist shoes. 

 

I think ABC should resurrect their TGIF lineup. 

 

In terms of genres, I think a network like NBC do well with a weekly tv movie of the week. Maybe on Fridays. I would love it if they did tv movies starring that network's biggest stars. I actually think CW would be perfect for that. 

[shoregirl]

Didn't Murphy Brown have a son? But I agree I would watch a new version of that show or her child just starting out trying to establish themselves outside of bring her kid.

[Luckylyn]

I think I remember NBC giving tv movies on Fridays or Mondays.    There was a period where they were giving Danielle Steel movies and miniseries regularly.  They also did some fantasy miniseries like The Odyssey and Alice in Wonderland that were entertaining too.  At some point, NBC stopped making tv movies.   ABC used to have the occasional Wonderful World of Disney produced movie but I can't remember the last time they aired one.  I think the temporary Hallmark/ABC tv movie airings last year were the last time ABC regularly showed movies.  Now Hallmark Hall of fame has moved to the Hallmark channel exclusively instead of CBS or ABC.  It's a shame. TV movies seem to be only on cable these days.  There were some classic miniseries like North and South, Roots, Lace, I'll Take Manhattan etc..., that I really loved watching.    I am so happy for PBS Masterpiece which still gives movies and miniseries annually as well as importing series from the UK.   I really wish broadcast networks got back into showing tv movies and miniseries at least during the summer.  I don't understand why they stopped when the miniseries used to be a regular thing in the past.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Luckylyn

[Rick Kitchen]

Series like "Agent Carter" and "Galahad" have sort of replaced miniseries.  They're limited run series, like they do in the UK.

[Luckylyn]

Limited series is just code for backdoor pilot.  I'm not a fan of the limited series concept because it ends up leading to stories that would be a great miniseries into mediocre series instead like Under the Dome.  Some stories are better in a limited time frame and won't work for multiple seasons.   I say this admitting that wouldn't mind more Agent Carter but that's the except for me.  I loved Galavant but hated the clearly hoping for a second season cliffhanger.  It would have been better with an ending like a proper miniseries.

[Luckylyn]

I used to like the Not Quite Human tv movies where Alan Thicke creates an android son. Robin Lively played the daughter.  I remember that he wanted to get recognition for his invention but also wanted to keep it a secret that his son wasn't human.   I wonder if a tv series could work with that concept.  I suppose it would be hard to explain for the scientist to suddenly have a teenage son no one had ever heard of before.  Fake an adoption?

[truthaboutluv]

And I know it's very recent, but someone should re-do Twisted. (The wasted potential; it still burns.) This time the series would focus on the murder mystery, and I wouldn't even mind if Danny (the lead) was the actual killer. Also minimize the teen love angst.

 

 

This was the show I immediately thought of when I saw this topic. It still pains me when I think about how badly the writers screwed up what was such a cool premise and on the perfect network where they wouldn't be expected to have huge numbers like with the big three networks. But the problem from the beginning was that none of the writers/creators of the show were known for mystery type shows. They were all more in the teen angst/rom com type realm and man did it show. So I would definitely love to see what writers who are good at mystery writing could do with that premise because it really was a cool one. 

 

Another show I would be interested in seeing rebooted (you'll see I have a thing for good mysteries) is Alcatraz. This ran for a few episodes on FOX where no one really watched and then it was dumped on Friday to air out the remaining episodes of the original 13 filmed. The premise involved a conspiracy that the night when Alacatraz was supposed to shut down, it didn't really just shut down and instead all the prisoners seemingly vanished into thin air. And almost 30 years later, some of the criminals were back, not having aged at all from when they were in Alcatraz. I think with a better cast, better chemistry with the lead actress and supporting cast, this could really work.