It’s deja vu all over again with TV show reboots

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The cast of the HBO Max reboot of Gossip Girl, which originally aired in 2007.

Is TV going back to the future? 

With so many reboots, it looks like our favorite shows and movies are ready to make a comeback. No matter what decade you grew up in, there is bound to be a reboot that brings you back to your childhood.

Initially, Gossip Girl aired in 2007 with a focus on Manhattan’s Upper East Side privileged teens, all of whom shared secrets on a site known as Gossip Girl. Through countless scandals and heartache, Gossip Girl’s identity continued to remain anonymous until the end. 

However, in July of 2021, what is known as the Gossip Girl Reboot aired on HBO Max with much controversy. Rather than picking up from where the show had left off, this show introduced an entirely new set of characters with a spin on their typical roles in the show. 

“The Gossip Girl Reboot, though it feels more inclusive and adapted to newer trends, does not have the same charm and characters as the original,” Gossip Girl fan Izzy Levine commented. 

In 1983, A Christmas Story quickly became one of the most beloved Christmas movies ever. According to Collider Movie News, “This comedy became so popular that it began airing for 24 hours straight from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day.” As recently as November 17, 2022, the re-creation, otherwise known as A Christmas Story Christmas, gained much attention. People feared that this movie sequel may take away from the original in which comparisons of the storyline are being made. 

Another popular comeback, Criminal Minds Evolution, took a spin on the typical “reboot” of a show. Rather than continuing from where the show left off in 2020, the new series picked up in modern-day 2022. Criminal Minds Evolution is focused on the aftermath of COVID-19 with one particular case throughout the entire season; whereas, Criminal Minds focused on the team traveling to a different location in each individual episode. 

“This new season is all I could have imagined and more,” Olympic Heights sophomore Payton Betz shared. “The two years were definitely worth the wait.”  

With the return of Wednesday Addams from the 1960s The Addams Family television show and the three subsequent films (1991, 1993, 1998), Wednesday is breaking records with nearly 147 million hours in view time on Netflix since its debut. This comedic horror series is centered around Wednesday Addams, the daughter from the macabre family, who attempts to solve a mystery at Nevermore Academy, an institution for outcasts. Though it is based upon the original Wednesday Addams, “Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday has developed psychic powers,” adding a unique element to her character, according to Looper – Endless Entertainment. 

That ’70s Show has made a comeback on Netflix as That ’90s Show. Based upon the lives of 17-year-olds living in Point Place, Wisconsin, this show highlights the life of Leia Forman, daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti 15 years after the events of That ’70s Show. This show is set in the same town with most of the original actors returning to film the reboot. 

With reboots on the rise, shows and movies are continuing to be brought back to life. You never know, your favorite childhood show may be next!