Fans are divided over the news of a Futurama revival in 2023 on Hulu. Unfortunately, popular shows like Futurama are often target for reboots to produce the same magic formula for a successful show. Audiences are likely to return for reboots of favorite series in the hopes of recapturing the same excitement but are often left disappointed.
The success of the predecessor is no guarantee a remake, revival, or reimagining will do well. Fans at Ranker have voted on the worst television reboots. Several of the series may have lasted for more than one season but did not attract a following to maintain viewership. Whether lasting for one season or four seasons, the shows do not compare to the original series.
Beauty And The Beast
Beauty and the Beast starring Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan was a very loose reboot based on the 1987 fantasy drama series of the same name. The original series followed a district attorney who is introduced to an underground city of outcasts, including developing a romance with Vincent, a man whose face resembles a lion.
The reboot drifts from the previous plot with Vincent having the ability to shift into a beast when upset after a government experiment mutated his DNA. This difference triggered comparisons to the Incredible Hulk's transformation instead of having a fairytale storyline encouraging beauty only being skin deep. Despite managing four seasons, the ratings weren't impressive and led to cancelation.
Dallas
Primetime soap opera Dallas aired on CBS from 1978 to 1991. The series featured the Ewing family, owners of a prominent oil company and cattle ranch. When rebooted in 2012, Dallas focused on the next generation of Ewing children after twenty years off the air, bringing back several faces from the original.
The revival was just a bunch of unbelievable, attractive characters with zero chemistry. The original Dallas is arguably better thanks to more dramatic acting and intense soap opera cliffhangers, the reboot had favorable reviews and ratings before the death of actor Larry Hagman who portrayed the pivotal J.R. Ewing. He was the only character to have appeared in every episode until his death. The absence of J.R. contributed to the low season 3 ratings and later cancelation.
Heroes Reborn
Heroes Reborn was considered a must-watch in 2015. Though several characters from the original appeared in the revival, the series was almost an entirely new cast of superheroes who are forced into hiding after a terrorist attack blames heroes.
The writing was terrible, lacking scenes showcasing superpowers. There are so many cliches written into the dialogue and characters that there was no meaningful character development, and it seems to target a younger audience rather than the original Heroes fans. Heroes Reborn was never meant to have more than one season. Series creator Tim Kring stated after the series wasn't renewed: "I want to assure you that tonight's finale is exactly the ending we've had planned from the very beginning."
Melrose Place
Melrose Place was originally a spin-off to Beverly Hills, 90210, airing from 1992 to 1999. The story features an apartment complex in West Hollywood, California, and the dramatic lives of the tenants. The series was revived in 2009 with a slight change in continuity. One character, Sydney Andrews, who died during the original show is revealed to be alive in the revival's premiere.
The continuity errors for the sake of a new story, unrelatable characters, and excruciatingly slow pacing did not help the series. The revival was met with mixed reviews. With 18 episodes, the average viewers for the season were a mere 1.39 million. It should come as no surprise the series was canceled after the first season and there are currently no reports of future reboots.
Teen Titans Go!
Teen Titans Go! has aired since 2013 and is the only show featured that is not a reboot. The series is meant to be a standalone spin-off separate from Teen Titans, based on DC Nation's Shorts despite featuring the same voice cast. With a different animation style than Teen Titans, it follows the Titans when they are not saving the world. However, the series lost the action and arcs that made the original so great. The characters became shells of their former selves to the annoyance of fans.
Despite reservations from fans, the show has been nominated for Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Animated Series for eight consecutive years. The success of Teen Titans Go! produced a feature film in 2018, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, and Cartoon Network announced a spin-off is currently in the works.
90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 ran for ten seasons from 1990 to 2000 and centered on a group of teenagers transitioning into adulthood, addressing important topics such as domestic violence and racism. The series has spawned multiple spin-offs and reboots. The first reboot aired for five seasons from 2008 to 2013.
Featuring appearances from original cast including Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty, the reboot connected back to the original through siblings. With bland plotlines that had been seen before with no groundbreaking material and the quintessential teen cliches, the series was not realistic for current teens. Following poor ratings, 90210 was canceled by The CW. In 2019, a meta revival premiered with the original cast portraying fictionalized versions of themselves but was canceled after only six episodes.
American Idol
American Idol has produced amazing auditions, the show no longer has the hold on audiences as the original run and the judges lack the chemistry and experience of original judges Simon, Paula, and Randy.
The highest watched finale ever was season 6 with over The Voice, audiences have more options, making a revival of American Idol wholly unnecessary and no longer groundbreaking television.
Uncle Buck
John Hughes' 1989 film Uncle Buck produced not one, but two television reboots. The first reboot premiered only a year after the film's release while the most recently premiered in 2016. All three versions follow similar plots with the titular character as a sloppy bachelor caring for his brother's children.
The 2016 reboot stars Mike Epps in the Uncle Buck role made famous by comedian John Candy. Though it featured an African American cast including Nia Long and James Lesure, the reboot did not live up to expectations as the outlandish storylines were corny rather than amusing. It was canceled after only eight episodes.
Charlie's Angels
The crime-fighting women of Charlie's Angels took the small screen by storm from 1976 to 1981. With several films and a spin-off, the small screen reboot premiered in 2011 to much criticism. Starring Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachael Taylor as the Angels, the characters lacked any real development, easily accomplishing tasks like hacking computers and kicking in doors with little effort.
Charlie's Angels movie lacked substance. After terrible ratings, Charlie's Angels was canceled after only the fourth episode aired.
Charmed
The original Charmed aired for eight seasons from 1998 to 2006 only to be rebooted in 2018 with an entirely new cast. Starring Melonia Diaz, Madeleine Mantock, and Sarah Jeffery as magically inclined witches, the reboot is more diverse in casting and storylines compared to the original, aiming to show women of color and LGBTQ+ representation.
However, it dwells heavily on political agendas and tries very hard to insert feminism at the expense of meaningful dialogue. The reboot lacks the well-written powerful female characters of the original. Charmed was recently announced to have been canceled following the fourth season. The reboot did not charm audiences like the original.