When “Happily Ever After” Isn’t Enough: Hollywood’s Obsession with Extending Shows
Do you remember the shows you used to rush home from school to watch—the whole ritual of dropping your bag, rushing to the television, switching to your favorite channel practically out of muscle memory, and catching the episode just in the nick of time?
In recent years, companies have been trying to recapture that excitement by rebooting or reviving these beloved shows, hoping to win back longtime fans as well as introduce the classics to a new generation. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, reboots usually start fresh with a new cast or storyline, while revivals pick up where the original show and characters left off. While some manage to create shows that live up to the original, many fall short, stripping away the heart of what made the show so iconic to begin with. This rising trend sparks concern about whether these are even necessary if they can’t uphold the original spirit and risk damaging the legacy.
There’s a fifty-fifty chance that a reboot would successfully reimagine the original show for new generations or completely miss the spark that made the original so special. It usually starts a series over with new actors and modernized plots to appeal to younger audiences. However, even with the same name, a reboot can feel completely different, as most focus too much on modernizing the storyline, neglecting key elements like character dynamics and emotional depth.
Several classic 2D animated shows have been rebooted with highly saturated 3D animations and colors to appeal to modern audiences, changing not only the visual style but the tone and characters as well. Popular shows like Dora & Friends, PJ Masks, Ben 10, and The Magic School Bus demonstrate how reboots can feel very different from the original versions, which is something fans have been criticizing. They point out how the updated color schemes, animation, characters, and plot stray too far from what they loved about the originals.
Revivals, in contrast, typically pick up where the original series left off, maintaining the same characters, feel, and storyline. This allows fans to reconnect with familiar characters and plotlines without adding any drastic changes to the show’s identity. However, in many cases, the only way to bring a show back to life is to alter its previously resolved ending, reintroducing challenges that were thought to be resolved and creating some sort of conflict to sustain the additional episodes. Fans end up watching their favorite characters lose the progress they made in the past and go back to square one, which often takes away the satisfaction that they had from watching the original ending. Take the revival of Gilmore Girls, for example, which continues the original’s story with the complete opposite of where the main character left off: from successfully pursuing her career, fans see her at her lowest, portrayed as lost and struggling, and reversing the progress she had made in the past seasons. On the other hand, the Phineas and Ferb revival was praised for starring the same cast and signature cartoon style—seamlessly continuing the show with fresh adventures and modern elements—and epitomizing what a revival should be. This goes to show how revivals can either make or break a show, either staying true to the original or altering its ending at the risk of losing fans.
Ultimately, whether through reboots or revivals, many shows struggle to recreate the magic that made the originals so special. As reboots try to modernize beloved shows, they may also lose the creativity that made the first runs memorable. Similarly, revivals aim to pick up where the originals left off, but too often disrupt the carefully crafted endings that fans loved. The nostalgia may draw audiences in, but without the same heart, charm, and storytelling, the excitement we once felt rushing home to watch those shows can’t truly be revived.
