I love Will & Grace. I’m so in love with the show, I even referenced my admiration in my Her Campus UFL bio. And it’s true, when I’m not being productive I’m watching television, preferably Will & Grace. I’m not entirely sure why I love it so much given the early 2000’s show had so many issues i.e. it’s lack of minority representation, making stereotypical gay men the center of comedic relief.) But what the show did, in spite of its issues, was make me aware of the LGBTQ[IA] community, desensitizing America to homosexuality and paved the way for future shows.
Recently Will & Grace, like so many television shows have, entered the realm of revivals and reboots. Fuller House, Gilmore Girls, Roseanne, and even American Idol — which has only been on hiatus for a few years — are coming back. New episodes of so many of my old favorites are back on screen or will be soon, and it makes me question: should some of them have stayed in the past and which ones are worth the time?
Will & Grace
I was initially weary of this one since my admiration for the original episodes is so strong and there was the whole situation of how the show’s creators were going to approach the ending. Before the revival, the characters (Will, Grace, Jack and Karen) fast forwarded to the year 2027 and were dropping their children off at college. But my worries were for nothing as the revival brought us back to 2017, and in the first episode of Season 9, the beloved characters were just as funny and political as before. It ultimately is a beautiful representation of friendship and sometimes knowing people have others’ backs in this world is all I need. I’m happy it’s back and taking on new issues with the same humor.
Fuller House
I first started watching Full House in third grade after school. I thought the show took on relatable issues and destroyed masculine stereotypes. Here were three men raising three young girls in beautiful San Francisco. So when Fuller House made its way to Netflix and the women were raising their own families in the picturesque home, I was ready to binge watch. Unfortunately, it does not live up to the hype. The humor is dry, it’s bright and loud and not in a good way. And without Michelle Tanner, it feels like it’s missing something. I may be alone on this one though as it is going into its third season.
Roseanne
Roseanne was the show I watched when I was sick and still do today. Reruns are on in the early morning and before running out the door I can sometimes sneak in an episode. The new episodes aren’t expected to air until sometime next year, but I’m excited for this one. Roseanne took me inside a working-class family with a no nonsense mother. The kids, Becky, Darlene and D.J., were entertaining to watch as they navigated individuality with Roseanne knowing everything. But this is another show that didn’t have intentions to return when it ended in 1997, as Dan, the father suffered a heart attack. It’s rumored he’ll be back though. There are also reports that one of Roseanne’s grandchildren in the show may be gender fluid and having that representation on the small screen will be a great addition to the original cast.
TRL
Total Request Live is an MTV classic, right after the airing of actual music videos of course. From 1998 to 2007 Carson Daly graced television screens counting down music videos with various celebrities. There’s a new pair of hosts and set, but the biggest twist of all: no music videos and no requests! The only thing that reminded me of my favorite after school special was the excited, screaming fans. It’s no longer a classic but a talk show for millennials with “Wild Thoughts” playing in the background the entire time. All I can hope is they bring back Mariah Carey having an ice-cream meltdown. #mems
What television revivals do wish to see on screen, and which ones do you think should have stayed in the past? Comment below!