For avid TV show viewers, remakes are a dream come true. I can’t lie that when I hear word of a remake of my favorite TV show I get extremely pumped. In an age saturated with spin-offs, the chances of them turning out good have increased, but the chances of them falling are just as high. Here are some of the most popular TV show spin-offs that either failed or happily revived some of our old classic favorites.
Fuller house, a Spin-Off of the Popular 90s Sitcom, Full House
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Full House undoubtedly was one of the most memorable shows of my childhood, so the expectations for Fuller House were quite high. Unfortunately the remake of this show did not make the cut for me. What made Full House great was the charisma and charm of the original actors. The plotline of Fuller House essentially became the same as Full House with DJ playing the role as a single working mom raising her children with the help of Stephanie and Kimmy-basically she becomes the girl form of her dad. I was willing to look past this unoriginal story line being that it is almost exactly the same as the original, but I can’t look past at how this show has nothing new to offer. It’s almost impossible to revive a 90’s era TV show in this time and age and expecting it to have the same effect on viewers today without changing it up. With shows like Stranger Things, Euphoria, and Black Mirror taking on the spotlight in today’s television, sitcoms are becoming less relevant. Full House resonated with people for its seemingly wholesome and timeless story lines. Although I have to mention that the show’s ratings heavily depended on the cuteness of the Olsen twins, the iconic catchphrases, and of course, John Stamos. Yes, I felt a rush of nostalgia watching the first episode of Fuller House, but this quickly died down by the time I decided to watch the rest of the show.
Raven’s Home, A Remake of the Original Disney Show, That’s So Raven
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It’s rare that the new Disney shows captivate my attention, but when I heard that the remake of That’s So Raven was coming to Disney, I had to give it a watch. This show in my humble opinion was a success, not only did the main characters maintain their charm but the NEW actors are actually funny, 10/10. Not to mention Beyonce confirmed that she watches the show, that has to mean it’s good right?? The show follows Raven Baxter and her best friend Chelsea Grayson as divorced single moms raising their children side by side in the same house. Yes, this show is similar to the plot of Fuller House being that they are both centered on strong women as they take on coparenting and taking charge of a household. The difference for me is that this show genuinely makes me laugh. Raven is just as hilarious and Chelsea is just as goofy as they were in the original. The show isn’t caught up with bringing back every actor from the original as Fuller House tries to do, and successfully harvassed the same hectic yet sweet dynamic between Chelsea and Raven. With this show on TV, it looks like Disney Channel might be on the road to redemption.
Riverdale, a Spin Off of the Archie Comics
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Season 1 of Riverdale was great, watched it all in one night, but sadly this show falls under the “flopped” category. The show started off strong with an engaging story line centered on finding the killer of Jason Blossom. I was thoroughly impressed after the first season and excited to binge the next couple seasons only to find out that the writers couldn’t keep up that same momentum. Almost everyone who has seen seasons two and three can agree that the storylines became increasingly complex and particularly boring by the time the show hit season 3. However the extremely unrealistic dialogue of the show does humor me and there’s a specific scene that I have to comment on. When Archie ends up in Juvie in season 3 episode 2, he graces us with one of the most overdramatic lines of TV show history when talking to the other inmates. Archie goes on about how they should be in highschool enjoying clubs and sports blah blah and one of his jailmates sets him straight by saying “ not me, I dropped out in the fourth grade to run drugs to support my nana”. Archie continues this conversation by concluding “that means you haven’t known the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of high school football” . I’m sorry but when did football become THAT deep? I’m still trying to figure out what “the epic highs and lows of highschool football ” even entails and how KJ Apa (actor that plays Archie) took this whole scene seriously. Leave it to Riverdale to portray the most unrealistic depiction of any teenage interaction ever.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina The Teenage Witch, A Remake of the 90s Sitcom Sabrina The Teenage Witch
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This show did it right! I love when remakes take on a completely new light than the original. Of course, Sabrina’s character was first introduced in the Archie comics, but the first spin off of the iconic character was played by Melissa Joan Hart in 1996. The bubbly 90s Sabrina the Teenage Witch original does a complete 180 in the remake as it takes on a much darker tone. Of course Sabrina still is half witch/half mortal and faces her inner struggle of balancing her two identities, but that’s where the similarities between the two shows end. This show pays homage to the original and twists things up with a much more spooky aesthetic. Sabrina’s inner feminist comes out as the magic world is represented as an oppressive partiacrchy and we see our teenage heroine battle the dark lord for her rights. The writers of the series chose to gave Sabrina a strong woke perspective giving the original show fresh relevance.