Reboots are everywhere, particularly in the realm of television. Recently, the 2010s fairy tale procedural Grimm was announced to be one of the next to get the reboot treatment in the form of a TV movie for Peacock. Grimm getting a reboot may even be a surprise to some, considering it’s rather niche audience and yet, it’s getting a new life — new life that means not only more content for audiences, but more money for streamers. That’s the power of reboots and why they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
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However, while many may dread reboots, the truth is that reboots aren’t inherently bad. On the contrary, sometimes they improve on projects of the past that never quite fulfilled their full potential. The real frustration is that Hollywood rarely seems to give those particular television shows a shot at a reboot, though. Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about seven great series shows that would benefit far more from the reboot treatment than, say, Grimm or Scrubs.
Dollhouse
Joss Whedon’s TV shows are known for having killer ideas. Their executions, though, can leave many people cold. Dollhouse, which ran for two seasons, had as many critics as it did defenders. Even back when it premiered, Dollhouse garnered some criticism for its weird gender politics. A rebooted Dollhouse could thrive provided Whedon isn’t involved. A new largely diverse creative team making the show more in the mold of Severance within the creative freedom of streaming television could tap into all of Dollhouse’s potential.
Terra Nova
Who doesn’t like television shows that involve dinosaurs? Terra Nova was a Fox series that conceptually involved dinosaurs (not to mention executive producer Steven Spielberg). However, like many high-concept costly broadcast shows, it proved too impenetrable for general audiences to grab onto week-to-week. Learning from the original Terra Nova’s creative stumbles (like the recurring lack of dinosaurs) could lead to a leaner, meaner, more dino-centric reboot that takes the world by storm. Given how this property’s faded into oblivion since its cancellation, though, don’t expect Terra Nova to emerge from extinction anytime soon.
Powerless
Doing a television series following ordinary office workers in the DC universe was an inspired idea. Making it the rudimentary comedy Powerless, which wasted talented actors like Alan Tudyk on dismal writing and uninspired plotlines, was much less creative. With a new DC Universe rising, a new Powerless series could be a great way to get a grounded look at James Gunn and Peter Safran’s vision of this world. Given all the projects DC Studios is juggling right now, though, a Powerless reboot has to be at the bottom of their priorities, if it’s something they’ve even considered at all.
[Related: Scrubs Creator Confirms Reboot Won’t Erase Controversial Change to Series]
Cop Rock
Human beings have a better chance of learning how to fly under their own power than Cop Rock ever receiving a reboot. This early 1990s boondoggle tried to mix a cop show and a musical to disastrous results that inspire Last Week Tonight jokes to this very day. Still, modern movie musicals like Better Man and Emilia Perez have leaned into the innately heightened world of musicals to indulge in some “WTF?” impulses. Cop Rock might fit right into the modern pop culture landscape dominated by oddball musicals, especially if it skewered cop show conventions more often than not.
Inhumans
With high-profile productions like Wonder Man and Nova on the horizon, Marvel Television has no time to spare rehashing Inhumans on the small screen. The 2017 series Inhumans was such a full-blown disaster that it seemingly also tainted the characters to the point that nobody’s in a hurry to revisit them. But Marvel Television has evolved since 2017 and a reboot could allow audiences to explore each member of the Inhuman Royal Family one at a time per episode, like the season one structure of Creature Commandos.
The Idol
HBO is done with The Idol. This one-season Sam Levinson program was a nightmare to bring to the screen given its chaotic production and toxic critical reception. Still, The Idol’s potential can’t help but beckon one’s imagination. Specifically, the original series director Amy Seimetz reportedly dove deeper into the female characters and explored topics like sexual agency with more nuance. A reboot that overhauls the show to align with that vision could finally redeem The Idol, even after so many mocking internet memes.
Poochinski
Poor Poochinski. This concept for a show (about a cop reincarnated as a bulldog bent on finding his killer) never got past the pilot stage. That’s a shame, because while it’s an insane concept for a show, it’s also got potential as a dark comedy. Juxtaposing the grimy world of cop programs with a puppet bulldog protagonist could be a recipe for a great absurdist Adult Swim comedy show. Poochinski never would’ve made it in the world of network broadcasting, but it could be perfect for the modern world of surrealist humor. That reboot is never happening, though, so we’ll all just have to settle for Poochinski’s amazing trailer.
Inhumans is now streaming on Disney+.
