5 Sitcom Reboots That Actually Worked

On the surface level, one could look at a sitcom reboot and think “Oh they really have run out of ideas, haven’t they?” But is it really so bad to revisit a winning formula, especially if a decade or more has passed and said formula has to adapt to a new world? If anything, it’s interesting to see how that adaptation shakes out. And, frankly, one might be surprised just how often it works. Some formulas and casts can be just as successful and beloved 15 years down the line as they were at the series’ origination point. They don’t always work, though.

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For instance, And Just Like That… is widely deemed an ineffective revival of Sex and the City. And, tragically, Arrested Development came back only for die-hard fans to wish it had stayed dead. But the following sitcom reboots, revivals, re-imaginings, or what have you, they did work.

5) Roseanne The Conners

The first nine seasons of Roseanne were a consistent hit for ABC. And, in 2018, the 10th season revival did well for them, too. But then Roseanne Barr compared an Obama administration official to a Planet of the Apes character, so she had to go.

In comes The Conners, which effectively still is Roseanne, just without Roseanne. Even without her it, too, was a big hit. It ran for seven seasons. It declined in viewership throughout those seven seasons, but it was still a hit, even nabbing several Emmy nominations (and one win) for editing and cinematography.

Stream all six seasons of The Conners on Netflix.

4) Will & Grace

Will & Grace initially received some backlash for how it depicted gay characters, but since then it has been credited with bolstering public opinion regarding the LGBTQ community. It was also a critical darling, especially when it came to the performances of Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes.

Now, had even just one of those four players not been available, there’s just no chance the Will & Grace revival would have worked. But when they reunited for a 10-minute special essentially asking Americans to vote for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, a spark was lit. Just one year later the series’ original season count of eight went up to nine. Then 10, then 11. The first of those three revival seasons were more well-received than the other two but even factoring that in they were seen as worthy continuations.

Stream all three seasons of the Will & Grace revival on Hulu.

3) Futurama

Futurama has been running for 10 seasons, but it hasn’t been as smooth sailing as Matt Groening’s other masterpiece, The Simpsons. In fact, Futurama has been cancelled twice and both times, it ended up being revived by a different network.

The first four years were on Fox. Then, six years after they closed the doors on it, the show was picked up by Comedy Central, which ran it for three seasons (two of which had a pretty substantial 26-episode count). The home of South Park considered themselves done with it in 2013 and for 10 years it really seemed like that was it. In came Hulu, which picked it up in 2023 and has kept the still well-reviewed show running to this day.

Stream Futurama on Hulu.

2) Girl Meets World

Girl Meets World ran for three seasons and 72 episodes total. That’s a pretty solid run for a legacy sequel series, but it’s not the show’s greatest accomplishment. Instead, that would be the fact that it was a very important part of Sabrina Carpenter’s rise.

Admittedly, most fans didn’t think Girl Meets World was as solid as Boy Meets World. There was a perception that it was geared towards an even younger audience. Regardless, it ran for three seasons and a special. It also did quite well with critics, even if it did see its viewership drop a bit after the viewership dropped off after season one (there was certainly a nostalgia-infused curiosity factor bolstering its ratings the first year).

Stream Girl Meets World on Disney+.

1) Party Down

The pair of Arrested Development reboot seasons may have fallen flat on their crowded, mostly unfunny face, but the third season of Party Down, which aired 13 years after the series was cancelled, soared. Unfortunately, it seems as though this was a case of one and done, as it’s since been classified as a limited series revival.

Don’t get us wrong, we feel lucky to have gotten those six extra episodes, but we want more. It didn’t lose an ounce of its humorous appeal or chemistry between the cast members. It was a little more modern, but not nearly enough for the show to feel separate from the first two seasons. Plus, it ends on Adam Scott’s Henry bumping into Casey (Lizzy Caplan, who sits out most of the season). We need to know if they got back together.

Stream Party Down Season 3 on Starz.

Which of these was your favorite sitcom reboot? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!