Rebooting old shows...

[Warped9]

What is imagination? It's taking already familiar elements and rearranging them in a different form. It's also the ability and willingness to explore the less familiar.

 

[Captain Mike]

I usually DESPISE the idea of reboots or remakes. But would be giving Six Million Dollar Man a try as long as Lee Majors was involved somehow.
Another show I wouldn't mind is Renegade,...that one starred Lorenzo Lamas as Reno Raines, A kick-ass martial artist cop that was framed.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Given the mixed results that Hollywood has received with their recent TV reboots, you'd think that network and studio execs would be a little more cautious about these projects.

Most new shows flop. Just the success of Hawaii Five-O alone is enough encouragement for them to keep trying. It's either that, or they trot out another cop show.

Some of the remake ideas, at least, sound interesting, such as Bryan Fuller's take on The Munsters, but the loyal fans of the original (and yes, I'm sure there are still some around) will be outraged. That style of comedy is simply dead now. Dallas and Bewitched also have potential.

 

[doubleohfive]

It's been recently announced that CBS is rebooting Bewitched for television. Okay, this isn't the first time an old series has been re-imagined for television...or film. It has proven to be a very mixed bag in terms of results.

The kicker with the nuBewitched is that some of those behind it are the same ones that brought us the disaster film with Nicole Kidman. Now there's a pedigree for success.

Some ideas are a product of their time and some can even be successfully updated for a contemporary audience. In this case, though, I'm highly cynical that a new Bewitched for television will work. I feel it's more than likely it will be sassed up for a contemporary mindset that is usually in the gutter (in my opinion) and lose all charm and genuine humour of the original. (And for the record I cannot stand the rebooted Hawaii Five-O)

I'm not saying it couldn't work, but it's all in the execution. For myself a new Bewitched would have a better chance if it had a sensibility more akin to something like Everybody Loves Raymond appealing to a broad demographic of varying age. Twenty-somethings aren't the only ones who watch TV, but if they target this show narrowly at that demographic then I'm reasonably sure this will bomb.

We're also getting a rebooted Dallas which is being pitched as a followup show in similar vein as Star Trek TNG was to TOS.

I'm sure there are other old shows being considered for a reimagining and it's only a matter of time until we hear of them.

Thoughts anyone? And any ideas on old series and how you think it could be effectively revamped for today?

I think it's rather premature to be condemning either the new versions of Bewitched and Dallas before anyone outside of producing the programs has had a chance to, you know, actually view them. Sure, the Bewitched film was atrocious, but that doesn't necessarily mean the new televisions series will be.

Besides, everything I've read about the updated Dallas series sounds perfectly in line with what made the original show such a big hit.

 

[Warped9]

I think it's rather premature to be condemning either the new versions of Bewitched and Dallas before anyone outside of producing the programs has had a chance to, you know, actually view them. Sure, the Bewitched film was atrocious, but that doesn't necessarily mean the new televisions series will be.

Same people behind the film are behind the rebooted series. That's note a vote of confidence in my book.

What it really boils down to is years long developed cynicism.

 

[Greg Cox]

I think it's rather premature to be condemning either the new versions of Bewitched and Dallas before anyone outside of producing the programs has had a chance to, you know, actually view them. Sure, the Bewitched film was atrocious, but that doesn't necessarily mean the new televisions series will be.

Same people behind the film are behind the rebooted series. That's note a vote of confidence in my book.

What it really boils down to is years long developed cynicism.

I can't resist pointing out that the original Bewitched was basically a remake of an old Veronica Lake movie, I Married a Witch.

What goes around, comes around . . .

 

[Warped9]

I think it's rather premature to be condemning either the new versions of Bewitched and Dallas before anyone outside of producing the programs has had a chance to, you know, actually view them. Sure, the Bewitched film was atrocious, but that doesn't necessarily mean the new televisions series will be.

Same people behind the film are behind the rebooted series. That's note a vote of confidence in my book.

What it really boils down to is years long developed cynicism.

I can't resist pointing out that the original Bewitched was basically a remake of an old Veronica Lake movie, I Married a Witch.

What goes around, comes around . . .

Bet you it wasn't the same people behind each project. And I was a lot less cynical in those days.

 

[Captain Mike]

I think it's rather premature to be condemning either the new versions of Bewitched and Dallas before anyone outside of producing the programs has had a chance to, you know, actually view them. Sure, the Bewitched film was atrocious, but that doesn't necessarily mean the new televisions series will be.

Same people behind the film are behind the rebooted series. That's note a vote of confidence in my book.

What it really boils down to is years long developed cynicism.

I can't resist pointing out that the original Bewitched was basically a remake of an old Veronica Lake movie, I Married a Witch.

What goes around, comes around . . .

Hell I didn't know that but being a watcher on Bewitched...I don't think that they can capture the (oh vey!) "magic" that was Elizabeth Montgomery....

 

[Harvey]

Whether it was a reboot or a remake is immaterial, IMHO.

Moreover, is there even a difference between the terms? Reboot (and "re-imagining") both strike me as terms thought up by clever marketing departments to avoid the idea that all Hollywood produces are remakes. They're all terms for what is, essentially, the exact same thing.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Same people behind the film are behind the rebooted series. That's note a vote of confidence in my book.

What it really boils down to is years long developed cynicism.

I can't resist pointing out that the original Bewitched was basically a remake of an old Veronica Lake movie, I Married a Witch.

What goes around, comes around . . .

Hell I didn't know that but being a watcher on Bewitched...I don't think that they can capture the (oh vey!) "magic" that was Elizabeth Montgomery....

Then there was 'The Brass Bottle' which has a very similar premise to 'I Dream of Jeannie' and helped Barbara Eden into the role of Jeannie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brass_Bottle

 

[doubleohfive]

I myself have always interpreted 'reboot' to basically mean "We've made as much money as we can from milking this cow to death, let's start over so we can make more money" whereas I view 're-imagining' as more artistically inclined than just blatant cashgrabbing.

Both are obviously, at their basis trying to make more money, but for some reason I've always thought the term 're-imagining' at least tried to cover up with some artistic merit (a la Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica as opposed to an obviously commercial reboot (JJ Abrams Star Trek, Christopher Nolan's Batman films, etc.)

Again, that's how I myself interpret the terms; your mileage may vary.

 

[doubleohfive]

doubleohpost.

(sorry)

 

[Admiral2]

Also, I was wonder what are other peoples feelings on the Flintstones reboot that they are plotting? IMO it's a bad idea. Not just because it's a classic but because, as much as I like Family Guy and American Dad, I don't like the idea of Seth MacFarlane in charge of it.

Thoughts?

I'm with you on this. He can spoof the show all he likes, but if Seth's just going to turn Fred Flinstone into Peter Griffin in an animal skin I want no part of it.

 

[Admiral Shran]

Seth MacFarlane should have no part in any T.V. show.

 

[doubleohfive]

Seth MacFarlane should have no part in any T.V. show.

Why not? He clearly knows what he's doing, and enough people watch his shows to get him more work.

 

[Admiral Shran]

Just my personal opinion, but I've never found him or his work all that funny or entertaining. Hell, I've watched entire episodes of Family Guy without EVER even cracking a smile.

 

[doubleohfive]

Fair enough. You're obviously entitled to your opinion -- I just think it's a bit unseemly to declare that since you don't like his work/shows, that it should necessarily follow that he not be working at all.

Pretty sure there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way about Star Trek. Where would be if they had their way?

 

[Admiral Shran]

Well, if people find his work enjoyable, I'm sure he'll get more work. There's nothing I can do about it really, more's the pity.

 

[RandyS]

Same people behind the film are behind the rebooted series. That's note a vote of confidence in my book.

What it really boils down to is years long developed cynicism.

I can't resist pointing out that the original Bewitched was basically a remake of an old Veronica Lake movie, I Married a Witch.

What goes around, comes around . . .

Hell I didn't know that but being a watcher on Bewitched...I don't think that they can capture the (oh vey!) "magic" that was Elizabeth Montgomery....

Of course not. Today's actresses have niether the screen presence or the sex appeal Liz had.

 

[MacLeod]

I quite like the new Hawaii Five-0, Nu Who has been a reasonable success...

Not sure what else out there in the archives could be revived ...

Strictly speaking Who is a continuation of the original show. Yes it's been given a polish but not a reboot per say.