From “That 90s Show,” to “Fuller House” and “Gossip Girl,” TV show reboots have made a comeback. However, they often fail because they face challenges in resonating with audiences, receiving mixed reviews and sometimes being canceled because they fall short of expectations.
I recently came across the trailer for Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” reboot, “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.” Other than bringing back David Henrie and Selena Gomez from the original cast, there were similarities between new characters and those who came before them.
The main character, Billie, played by Janice LeAnn Brown, is a wizard-in-training seeking mentorship from Henrie’s character, Justin Russo. Even just by watching the sneak-peek, Billie’s character seems like a copied and pasted version of Justin’s younger sister, Alex Russo (Gomez), from the original series. Billie is rebellious, likes getting her way and uses magic for small tasks she doesn’t feel like doing — all qualities of Alex.
This reboot looks like it’s marketing the same show, just tailored to a newer audience — a common theme among today’s reboots.
The reason many TV show reboots fail is because they lack originality, have weak writing and direction, recast iconic roles with subpar actors and fail to meet the expectations of fans who adored the original series, according to Deseret News.
“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” is just one example of producers revisiting familiar territory.
TV classics that run for 10 or more seasons last that long because audiences adored some aspect of the show. If beloved series like “Friends” were rebooted well after their final season, they most likely won’t receive any good criticism because the original was incredibly successful.
In an article by Prime Timer, Warner Bros. TV Group Chairman Channing Dungey admitted that a “Friends” reboot is highly unlikely.
“I think it would be very difficult to do another ‘Friends’ and call it ‘Friends,”’ Dungey said. “There have been so many shows that have been inspired by ‘Friends.’ That is such an iconic series and is constantly still running, so the idea that you would try to introduce a new Monica, a new Rachel and a new Ross, I don’t think that that would work.”
It’s difficult for reboots to replicate the excitement of an original series. “Arrested Development,” for example, was brought back in 2013 for a fourth and fifth season — seven years after its original end in 2006. The show was reintroduced with a completely different nonlinear format and each episode focused on a different character over the same period of time, according to The Daily Beast. Among fans, the show became repetitive and boring, ultimately losing its hype and being turned down by the public.
The hit show “Beverly Hills, 90210” from the 90s was resurrected as “90210” in 2008. This was another attempt to revive a popular show but it fell short of audience expectations. Again, love triangles, petty drama and rich teenagers filled the plotline and left fans disappointed.
For the same reasons, “Gossip Girl” from 2021 was canceled after only two seasons because it received mostly negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a 5.2/10 rating. The reboot followed rich teenage socialites whose reputations take a hit from widely spread social media posts from an anonymous user named Gossip Girl — essentially the same plotline from the original.
The trailers for reboots often evoke a sense of nostalgia in an audience. There’s so much anticipation for reboots because audiences hope the new series will recreate the same feeling they had when watching the original series for the first time.
When producers run out of ideas and turn to these recycled plots, audiences might not be stimulated by the lack of originality and find it difficult to stay engaged.
Without new and creative storytelling, these reboots risk failure and losing the audiences who cherished the original series.
