Just like fans of television shows get nostalgic, so do those who make TV. With a built-in fan-base likely to tune in to check out a remake, even if it's just to find something they don't like, why not reimagine a past favorite?
Some stories are timeless. The premise can be adapted to fit current times while keeping what made the original so memorable. That's especially true for anthology series, and there are a couple definitely coming to television screens this year. The existence of these reboots will also give viewers a chance to rediscover or watch for the first time the original series via a streaming platform.
There are quite a few popular children's favorites being rebooted as well. Some have set premiere dates, while others are only in production. Whether it's an educational series or spooky campfire tales, those who enjoyed Nickelodeon shows in the 90s and either want to see a new generation enjoy remakes or check them out themselves are in luck.
In other cases, it's fun to see how the show is changed with time and a twist on the concept. That could mean a gender switch for a main character, an update on a concept, or even taking an animated series and making it a live-action one.
Here are 5 TV Reboots And Remakes Coming In 2019 (And 15 Possibilities).
Possibility: Party Of Five
Freeform has ordered a 10-episode reboot of Party of Five. It's a modern take on the original series, which followed five siblings after they lost their parents in a car accident caused by a drinking driver.
In the new series, the five Buendías children struggle after their parents are deported to Mexico.
"This new iteration of Party of Five isn’t a retread of the original; it's a whole new look at kids trying to parent each other in the wake of circumstances beyond their control, yet learning a similar lesson: that families persist no matter how great the obstacles," original creators and executive producers Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser said in a press release.
The reboot was ordered to series in February 2019.
Possibility: The Baby-Sitters Club
Netflix is reimagining The Baby-Sitters Club. The book series by Ann M. Martin was published between 1986 and 2000. There was a 13-episode series in 1990 and later a movie in 1995.
Now, there's going to be a new take on the lives of babysitters Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Schafer in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.
"There has never been a more opportune time to tell an aspirational story about empowering young female entrepreneurs," Melissa Cobb, vice president of Kids & Family at Netflix said in a statement. "Our ambition is to contemporize the storylines and adventures of this iconic group of girlfriends to reflect modern-day issues."
Netflix ordered 10 episodes in February 2019.
Possibility: Nancy Drew
The CW has ordered a pilot based on the Nancy Drew series created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer and published under the pseudonym, Carolyn Keene. The series follows an amateur sleuth.
There have been several films and television series based on the character, as well as a few attempts to reboot the book series for TV in recent years.
According to Deadline, this new take will see Kennedy McMann as Nancy Drew, who stays home after graduating high school due to a family tragedy. She begins investigating a crime. Both she and her high school nemesis, George (Leah Lewis), are suspects, and they work together to solve the crime.
If ordered to series, this reboot could be part of The CW's 2019-2020 season.
Coming: The Twilight Zone
CBS All Access is rebooting the popular series The Twilight Zone with Jordan Peele as its host.
Rod Serling's sci-fi series, which premiered on October 2, 1959, on CBS, took its viewers to another dimension until 1964. New viewers have discovered the original series as Syfy airs New Year's Eve marathons every year. It is also available to stream on CBS All Access.
"The original The Twilight Zone bridged science-fiction, horror, and fantasy together to explore human nature and provide social commentary in a way that audiences had never seen before," Julie McNamara, Executive Vice President of Original Content at CBS All Access said in a statement.
Now, it's time for a modern reimagining of that world.
The first two episodes will premiere on Monday, April 1. New episodes will then be released on Thursdays, starting April 11.
Possibility: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
One of the new series coming to the Disney+ streaming service is a 10-episode reboot of High School Musical. The concept was first introduced in a Disney movie in 2006 and was followed by two sequels. The first film followed two students from different cliques who fell for each other while working on a musical.
The reboot will take place at East High, as students prepare for the opening of "High School Musical." There will be new songs as well as "acoustic 'rehearsal-room' reinterpretations" numbers from the film, according to Deadline.
"The challenge we handed the creative team was Herculean," Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide said in a statement: "How do you recapture the joy and the magic of the original High School Musical movie … and simultaneously reimagine it completely?"
Possibility: Daria & Jodie
MTV announced in June 2018 that it is launching MTV Studios, the focus of which will include rebooting some of its original series, like Daria.
The grown-up animated series aired from 1997 to 2001. It followed the titular character as a teenager in high school up until she was accepted into college.
"The iconic animated franchise is reinvented through the eyes of heroine Daria Morgendorffer and one of her closest friends, Jodie Landon," according to the reboot's description in the press release. "These two smart young women take on the world, with their signature satirical voice while deconstructing popular culture, social classes, gender, and race."
Daria & Jodie is the working title of the reboot from writer Grace Edwards.
Possibility: Penny Dreadful
Showtime is taking a new look at Penny Dreadful with Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. John Logan is returning as creator, writer, and executive producer. According to the press release, the series "is a bold new vision that will employ all new characters and storylines."
The reboot will move from Victorian-era London to 1938 Los Angeles. "Rooted in the conflict between characters connected to the deity Santa Muerte and others allied with the [lord of the Underworld]," the series "will explore an exciting mix of the supernatural and the combustible reality of that period, creating new occult myths and moral dilemmas within a genuine historical backdrop."
The original series aired from 2014 to 2016 and offered a new look at some notable literary characters.
Production on the reboot will begin in 2019.
Coming: 90210
FOX is reimagining Beverly Hills, 90210 with its original cast — and the twist means it's not a revival.
Original cast Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling will all return. The press release revealed the twist: they are starring as "heightened versions of themselves in a brand-new serialized drama — with a healthy dose of irreverence — that is inspired by their real lives and relationships."
The premise of the series is one of the cast suggesting they reboot the original series.
Beverly Hills, 90210 aired for 10 seasons on FOX, beginning with its premiere on October 4, 1990.
The six-episode event series, 90210, will air in the summer of 2019.
Possibility: The Lost Boys
The CW is planning a reboot of The Lost Boys. The network has ordered a pilot, starring Tyler Posey, Kiele Sanchez, Medalion Rahimi, and Dakota Shapiro, according to Deadline.
The series takes place in Santa Carla, and despite all the sun, it's home to vampires. One such vampire is the boyfriend of the love interest of one of the main characters. Posey's character is one of two brothers who relocate there with their mother after their father's ing.
The concept was first explored in the 1987 film starring Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Jason Patric, Dianne Wiest, and Jami Gertz.
If picked up to series, this Lost Boys pilot could be part of the 2019-2020 season for the CW, so it's possible it could be on television screens this year.
Possibility: Lincoln
NBC is looking to reboot The Bone Collector. Jeffery Deaver's novel was first seen on-screen in the 1999 film. It follows tetraplegic forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme, played by Denzel Washington.
Russell Hornsby is set to possibly star in the reboot, Lincoln, though The Hollywood Reporter notes that it's in second position to his Fox series Proven Innocent.
The pilot follows the titular NYPD detective, who is hurt while trying to stop a dangerous criminal who has taken multiple lives. He gets back to work when The Bone Collector comes back into play and works with a young beat cop on this and other high-profile cases.
This is one of NBC's possible new series for the 2019-2020 season.