7 TV Reboots That Actually Worked

The idea of rebooting stories for TV has always been popular, often allowing creatives to reimagine characters, interpersonal dynamics, and overarching narratives to bring something new and fresh to old tales. Sometimes, this doesn’t quite work out, and many TV reboots are proof that this isn’t always successful, but, on many other occasions, reboots have actually become even better than their predecessors. There are many notable TV series reboots that have actually worked really well, matching or exceeding the success of their inspiration.

Some of the worst TV reboots in recent years include the likes of Charlie’s Angels, Charmed, Bel-Air, and Melrose Place, among many others. These shows all missed the mark when trying to revitalize and revamp the characters and stories of their original inspiration. However, there are many shows that have excelled in this regard, breathing new life into their franchises, and sometimes becoming even more successful than their predecessors, spanning several seasons over years, and bringing new audiences to these stories.

7) Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

The original Battlestar Galactica series ran for two seasons in 1979 and 1980, bringing us to the extended human civilization of the Twelve Colonies, with a group of individuals coming together to search for the fabled 13th colony, Earth. After 23 years, Battlestar Galactica was reimagined into a three-hour miniseries that expanded into a four-season-long reboot. The reboot became far more popular than its predecessor, earning a wider audience and higher ratings. The reboot explored more of this far-reaching franchise, and concluded with a more dramatic ending, one of the biggest twists in TV history.

6) Lost in Space (2018-2021)

Lost in Space originally aired for three seasons between 1965 and 1968, a sci-fi take on The Swiss Family Robinson, an 1812 novel about immigrants whose ship goes off course and becomes shipwrecked. Netflix’s 2018 reboot of Lost in Space brought modern-day visual effects and more layered performances to the iconic story, rebooting the tale 50 years later. While Lost in Space had its flaws, reviving this classic sci-fi story was a fantastic way to make new audiences aware of Lost in Space’s story, particularly the lead-up to Will Robinson’s exploration of this vibrant new universe.

5) 12 Monkeys (2015-2018)

TV reboots don’t always reimagine original TV shows, but sometimes expand on stories first introduced in feature films into longer-form adventures. This was the case for 2015’s 12 Monkeys, which rebooted 1995’s Twelve Monkeys, starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt, for TV. Following the first season, 12 Monkeys received critical acclaim, becoming a much more consistent and long-running success than the original movie, and showcasing Aaron Stanford and Amanda Schull’s incredible talents by putting James and Cassie through increasingly difficult trials, providing more context and action than its predecessor had the chance to.

[RELATED: This Bruce Willis Sci-Fi Movie Is One of His Best Films Ever]

4) The Tick (2016-2019)

Ben Edlund just won’t give up on the Tick. Created by Edlund in 1986, the Tick was brought to live-action a 2001 miniseries, portrayed by Patrick Warburton, and the character received even more success with Peter Serafinowicz in the titular role in a 2016 reboot. Not your typical superhero story, The Tick is hilariously funny, satirical, witty, but also heartfelt and emotional, striking the perfect balance where other superhero projects have failed. Despite critical acclaim, The Tick was cancelled after two seasons, but there’s little doubt Edlund will try and reboot the character again at some point in the future.

3) Roots (2016)

You’d be forgiven for missing this 2016 reboot of the original 1977 miniseries, as it released on the History Channel and was produced with a pretty small budget. Based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel, Roots is the incredibly important tale of 18th-Century Mandinka man, Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby), who is enslaved and taken from The Gambia to the Colony of Virginia. Roots received critical acclaim, with particular praise being delivered to its faithfulness to the original miniseries and the performances of Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Laurence Fishburne, and more. If you haven’t seen Roots, you’re missing out.

2) Westworld (2016-2022)

Another popular TV series acting as a reboot of a classic movie is Westworld, which aired four seasons on HBO between 2016 and 2022, cancelled before its planned fifth and final season. 1973’s Westworld movie, directed by Jurassic Park novelist Michael Crichton, was a success story, but HBO’s Westworld series took this success to new heights. Westworld’s intensity, tension, and relevant artificial intelligence-focused storyline made it a must-see. While its later seasons became too much for many, Westworld’s first season is considered one of the greatest chapters of TV in history, proving this was a story worth rebooting.

1) The Office (2005-2013)

The first season of Greg Daniels’ The Office is an almost world-for-world adaptation of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s UK-based series that ran between 2001 and 2003. When The Office started to find its own personality and veer away from the UK show’s storyline, however, it managed to become one of the most popular and most successful TV series of all time. The Office ran for nine seasons, skyrocketed the likes of Steve Carell and John Krasinski to fame, and achieved a hardship for many shows – getting a satisfying ending. The Office is perhaps the strongest TV reboot ever.

What are your favorite TV reboots? Let us know in the comments!