Over the past few years, it seems like every week an old show is being brought back from wherever TV shows go when they leave the air. Classics like “Full House”, “Will and Grace”, and even the popular 80s soap opera “Dynasty” are back on the small screen now. Not all reboots are bad; I enjoyed seeing Raven and Chelsea act like fools in the “That’s So Raven” reboot “Raven’s Home”, and “One Day at a Time” (a remake of a 70s sitcom) is one of my favorite shows on Netflix. But I have to say, it’s gone too far. Not every series needs a resurgence; sometimes the first time around is perfect.
“American Idol” is returning this Sunday after being cancelled for only two years. I’m confused as to why the show is even coming back, because the reasons for the initial cancellation are still valid. “The Voice” pretty much took over the singing competition arena, and social media is now an even better platform for aspiring singers to be successful. The new judges (Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan) seem like a mismatched combination, but I’m curious to see whether the new age of “American Idol” will fall flat or reignite the excitement of singing competitions.
There are rumors of “Martin” and “The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air” returning to TV in the near future, and I hope that they aren’t true. Those shows are classics and should not be messed with! They had good endings and were amazing enough to not need a continuation. I think that so many people request reboots of the shows they loved in past because they want to experience the way the show made them feel again, which is understandable. However, I think it’s important to savor the original versions of things while we have them, because, as the saying goes, it’s hard to recapture magic. Updates to a show can work, but most of the time there’s nothing better than the first time you watch a series.