Television reboots are all the rage these days. Scrubs, Malcolm in the Middle, Daredevil; we’re surrounded by reboots.
It makes sense, given the current trends in Hollywood, where everything feels like it’s part of a franchise. Sometimes that means it’s time to reboot an older movie, as is the case with Street Fighter. Other times, it’s a remake or a sequel that, more often than not, nobody asked for.
Sometimes, however, a reboot is able to not only meet the hype but also exceed it. These television reboots prove that they were indeed worth it.
Scrubs
Let’s begin with Scrubs, especially since it just finished its 10th season and seems primed for more.
After that disastrous 9th season that we don’t like to talk about, the reboot brought the main cast (Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, John C. McGinley) back together. It captures the charm, humor, and heart of the original eight seasons extraordinarily well. Is it perfect? No, but what is these days?
Scrubs is still great after all these years.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
The worst part about Life’s Still Unfair is that the reboot only runs for four episodes. If you ask us, that’s pretty unfair.
Despite airing two decades after the series concluded, the cast and crew of Malcolm in the Middle prove they still have it. It’s like they never missed a beat. In fact, you can argue that the writing on display here is better than most sitcoms premiering today.
Doctor Who
Look, the current state of Doctor Who is a bit in flux, but there’s no denying that they were seriously cooking when Christopher Eccleston brought the franchise back in a big way in 2005.
Say what you want about recent seasons, but there’s no denying that the original run of the Doctor Who reboot is fantastic television, especially David Tennant’s run as The Doctor. There’s a reason why they brought him back, after all.
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Star Trek: The Next Generation
When it comes to reboots, it honestly doesn’t get much better than this.
The original Star Trek series is one of the very best in science fiction television. Sure, it wasn’t always perfect, but again, what is these days?
You can argue that The Next Generation is perfect. Star Trek wouldn’t be where it is today with the highly acclaimed series that is, technically, a reboot.
Battlestar Galactica
From one great modern sci-fi series to another.
Like The Next Generation, you can easily make the argument that the 2000s-era reboot, which began with a mini-series in 2003 before a full-fledged television series from 2004 to 2010, is better than the original.
King of the Hill
There was a lot of concern about how they could pull off a King of the Hill reboot.
Johnny Hardwick, the voice of Dale Gribble, had sadly passed away, along with Brittany Murphy (Luanne Platter). There was going to be some serious star power lacking.
Despite that, King of the Hill manages to retain the heart that makes the original series so beloved today. It also turns out that the concept of Hank Hill struggling with changing times is timeless.
Dexter: Resurrection
I never would have expected that Dexter: Resurrection would work.
It felt like Showtime had done everything it could to recover from the series’s infamous finale. This isn’t even the first or second time the franchise has been rebooted.
Despite all odds against it, Dexter: Resurrection is a much-needed return to form for Michael C. Hall and company. A second season is currently in production.
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later
If I told you that in the early 2000s, not only would Wet Hot American Summer become a cult-classic film, but it would also receive an incredible reboot mini-series, you’d think I was crazy.
It turns out that we just weren’t ready yet for what happens at Camp Firewood.
Cobra Kai
Maybe we have How I Met Your Mother‘s Barney Stinson to thank for the brilliance of Cobra Kai. It turns out that maybe, just maybe, William Zabka was indeed the hero all along.
Kidding aside, Cobra Kai is a perfect example of how you can blend new storytelling with nostalgia to provide a reboot that’s worthwhile.
Roseanne / The Connors
It’s a true testament to the quality of the Roseanne reboot that the show is able to keep going without a hitch, even after losing its lead protagonist due to controversy.
Roseanne and The Connors are like revisiting old friends, with the added benefit of retconning that awful series finale.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
For years, the Jack Ryan franchise existed in the movies: The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, all classics. The Sum of All Feears, not so much.
It turns out all we needed to bring the Tom Clancy character back to its glory days was Jim from The Office. I can’t believe John Krasinski pulls it off, but he absolutely does.
Reacher
One person who did not pull it off, though, was Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. He’s far better off playing Ethan Hunt.
Alan Ritchson, however, was made to play the titular character. The reboot series debuted in 2022 and is still going strong, with a spin-off planned as well.
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