Hit TV shows that were rebooted -

Certain TV shows have been part of our lives for as long as many of us can remember. But not all TV shows are created equal; some series have been more successful than others and, of course, some we do miss and others we don't. When one of our favorite long-lost series is rebooted, it's always a nerve-racking wait to see if it does the original show justice or is simply a money grab. 

‘Wizards of Waverly Place,' a Disney Channel favorite from 2007-2012, is getting a sequel. The original show starred David Henrie and a young Selena Gomez, launching her to fame as a teen idol. Disney has ordered a pilot for a reboot that will see David Henrie reprise his role as Justin Russo. Selena Gomez will also return as Alex Russo for the pilot episode and is acting as an executive producer. According to Disney, the new series “picks up after a mysterious incident at WizTech, where an adult Justin Russo has left his wizard powers behind, opting for a normal, human life with his wife (played by Mimi Gianopulos) and two sons. But he gets a surprise when a powerful young wizard (Janice LeAnn Brown) in need of training shows up at his door… and Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World.” 

Click through this gallery to learn more and check out other TV shows that have been rebooted or revived.

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'Sex and the City' -

In December of 2021, Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte returned to our screens to show us what life is like for three New York women in their fifties. The 'Sex and the City' reboot titled 'And Just Like That' was one of the most highly-anticipated TV events of the decade.

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'Sex and the City' -

The first season of the reboot follows Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte in a 10-episode journey through tumultuous friendships and romance in New York once again, but this time they're a little bit older. A review from Variety said that the show took a more dramatic turn and lacked humor compared to the original series, which may be down to the absence of Kim Cattrall's character. The writers took this feedback on board for season two which was a lot more fun and a lot closer to the original SATC. 

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'Malcolm in the Middle' -

The beloved sitcom 'Malcolm in the Middle' aired seven seasons between 2000 and 2006, starring Bryan Cranston as the hapless father of a dysfunctional family, and a young Frankie Muniz in the titular role. In the years since the show ended, there have been whispers about a potential reunion or reboot here and there, but Cranston really stoked the fire in 2023! The actor seems to be heading the efforts to bring the Wilkersons back together one more time, and Frankie Muniz is on board. However, Muniz revealed that the only major hiccup is that the show's creator, Linwood Boomer, isn't interested. Muniz says that Boomer will give the project the green light if the right team of writers comes up with something worthy. 

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'Zoey 101' -

Nickelodeon's 'Zoey 101' was one of the biggest kid's shows on the channel during its three-year run from 2005-2008, following Spears and her classmates at the Pacific Coast Academy boarding school. In 2023, a sequel to the show was released in the form of a movie titled 'Zoey 102.' With the original cast of teens now in their thirties, the movie sees the school's alumni reunite as adults, including core cast members Christopher Massey, Sean Flynn, Abby Wilde, and Jack Salvatore Jr., though actress Alexa Nikolas (who played Nicole) did not reprise her role following the public feud that played out between her and Spears. 

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'The X Files' -

Director Ryan Coogler is set to "remount" 'The X-Files,' says Chris Carter, the creator of the paranormal series starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Carter told CBC's 'On the Coast' on March 27, 2023, that he spoke with the 'Black Panther' and 'Creed' director about remaking the drama, whose original run aired on Fox from 1993 to 2002 and was revived for two more seasons in 2016 and 2018.

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'Fawlty Towers' -

'Fawlty Towers' (1975, 1979) is a cult-favorite British sitcom that ran only two seasons but left an enormous legacy behind. Over 40 years later, John Cleese, who starred as Basil Fawlty, is returning to write and star in a revival of the show, alongside his daughter Camilla Cleese. Castle Rock Entertainment announced on February 7, 2023, that it had closed a deal with Cleese to bring the series back, BBC reports, and actors Rob and Michelle Reiner are also set to join. The revival will explore how the cynical and sarcastic Basil navigates the modern world as he and his newfound daughter team up to run a boutique hotel. It will be comedy in a whole new climate for Cleese, and anticipation is high to see if he can pull it off. 

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'Scrubs' -

'Scrubs' creator Bill Lawrence has confirmed that he's working on giving the beloved medical comedy series a making a comeback. In 2023, he revealed that he's excited to do it and the old cast members are all game! However, their busy schedules are the only thing holding them back. Lawrence in particular is busy working on the hit show 'Ted Lasso.' Even if it takes a while, Lawrence says a 'Scrubs' movie is "inevitable."

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'Futurama' -

The beloved animated series 'Futurama' made a comeback almost 10 years after the last episode aired. A 20-episode revival with the show's creators, Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, and the original cast was released in 2023. Before its release, Groening, better known for creating 'The Simpsons,' said, “It’s a true honor to announce the triumphant return of 'Futurama' one more time before we get canceled abruptly again.” 'Futurama' previously aired on Fox for five seasons before being canceled in 2003. It was renewed at Comedy Central for three more seasons and the last episode aired in 2013. 

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'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' -

The 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' remains a beloved series to so many, which is why anticipation was high for the reboot. The new edition of the classic Will Smith sitcom, simply called 'Bel-Air,' stars Jabari Banks as the new Will, as well as Olly Sholotan in the role of Carlton Banks and Adrian Holmes as Uncle Phil. Though the premise is the same, the half-hour sitcom is now an hour-long drama that has a much darker subtext set in modern America. Will Smith is still involved, though now behind the cameras as an executive producer. 

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'That '70s Show' -

'That '70s Show' was a long beloved series that aired from 1998-2006 and launched the careers of A-listers like Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher. A spinoff series set in the '90s aired in 2023 and centers around Leia Forman, the daughter of Eric and Donna, as she heads to Wisconsin to spend the summer with her grandparents. Per Netflix, Leia bonds "with a new generation of Point Place kids under the watchful eye of Kitty and the stern glare of Red," and both Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith reprise their roles in the series. 

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'Dexter' -

'Dexter' was one of the most exciting reboots of 2021. The show ran for eight seasons between 2006 and 2013 and it seemed like the story was wrapped up. Almost 10 years later, a 10-episode revival called 'Dexter: New Blood' was created. The new show sees Dexter living under the name Jim Lindsay in a small snowy town in the state of New York. He seems to be living a happy peaceful life, running a hardware store and dating the local police chief. However, he's still haunted by his old demons. What's more, his son is now a teenager and on the hunt for his missing father. In 2023, Showtime announced three more spinoffs of the hit show. 

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'iCarly' -

The hit Nickelodeon show 'iCarly' was revived by Paramount+ in 2021, picking up 10 years after the characters left off. A second season of the revival followed in 2022. 

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'Frasier' -

After years of fans asking for more 'Frasier,' Paramount+ (the rebranded version of streamer CBS All Access) gave the show a new season with Kelsey Grammer returning for the titular role. Ten new episodes aired at the end of 2023. 

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'Who’s the Boss?' -

Original series: 'Who’s the Boss?' (1984-1992 on ABC)

New series date/Network: Unknown

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'90210' -

Original series: 'Beverly Hills, 90210' (1990-2000 on Fox) 

New series: 2008-2013  

Where: The CW

Note: 'BH90210,' a heightened-reality version dealing with a reboot of the '90s series, aired on Fox for one season.

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'The Twilight Zone' -

Original series: 'The Twilight Zone' (1959-1964 on CBS)

New series: 2019-2020

Where: CBS

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'The X-Files' -

Original series: 'The X-Files' (1993-2001 on Fox)

New series: 2016-2018

Where: Fox 

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'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life' -

Original series: 'Gilmore Girls' (2000-2006 on The WB/The CW)

New series: 2016

Where: Netflix

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'Prison Break' -

Original series: 'Prison Break' (2005-2008 on Fox)

New series: 2017 

Where: Fox

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'Will & Grace' -

Original series: 'Will & Grace' (1998-2005 on NBC)

New series: 2017-2020

Where: NBC

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'Dallas' -

Original series: 'Dallas' (1978-1991 on CBS)

New series: 2012-2014 

Where: TNT

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'Twin Peaks: The Return' -

Original series: 'Twin Peaks' (1990-1991 on Showtime)

New series: 2017 

Where: Showtime

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'MacGyver' -

Original series: 'MacGyver' (1985-1992 on ABC)

New series: 2016-2021

Where: CBS

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'Melrose Place' -

Original series: 'Melrose Place' (1992-1999 on Fox)

New series:  2009-2010

Where: The CW

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'Roseanne' -

Original series: 'Roseanne' (1988-1996 on ABC)

New series: 2018

Where: ABC

Note: After Roseanne Barr was dropped from the show, the cast and crew continued on with 'The Conners' in 2018.

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'Dynasty' -

Original series: 'Dynasty' (1981-1989 on ABC)

New series: 2017-2022

Where: The CW

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'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' -

Original series: 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' (1996-2003 on ABC/The WB)

New series: 2018-2020

Where: Netflix

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'One Day at a Time' -

Original series: 'One Day at a Time' (1975-1984 on CBS)

New series: 2017-2020

Where: Netflix/Pop TV

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'Charlie's Angels' -

Original series: 'Charlie's Angels' (1976-1981 on ABC)

New series: 2011

Where: ABC

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'Arrested Development' -

Original series: 'Arrested Development' (2003-2005 on Fox)

New series: 2013 and 2018  

Where: Netflix

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'Battlestar Galactica' -

Original series: 'Battlestar Galactica' (1978-1979 on ABC)

New series: 2004-2009 

Where: SyFy 

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'The Tick' -

Original series: 'The Tick' (2001-2002 on Fox)

New series: 2016-2019 

Where: Amazon

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'Veronica Mars' -

Original series: 'Veronica Mars' (2004-2007 on UPN/The CW)

New series: 2019

Where: Hulu

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'Charmed' -

Original series: 'Charmed' (1998-2006 on The WB)

New series: 2018-2022

Where: The CW 

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'Lost in Space' -

Original series: 'Lost in Space' (1965-1968 on CBS)

New series: 2018-2021

Where: Netflix

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'Heroes Reborn' -

Original series: 'Heroes' (2006-2010 on NBC) 

New series: 2015-2016 

Where: NBC

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'Fuller House' -

Original series: 'Full House' (1987-1995 on ABC)

New series: 2016-2019

Where: Netflix

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'Hawaii Five-0' -

Original series: 'Hawaii Five-0' (1968-1980 on CBS)

New series: 2010-2020

Where: CBS

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'The Odd Couple' -

Original series: 'The Odd Couple' (1970-1975 on ABC)

New series:  2015-2017

Where: CBS

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'Murphy Brown' -

Original series: 'Murphy Brown' (1988-1997 on CBS) 

New series: 2018

Where: CBS

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'Roswell, New Mexico' -

Original series: 'Roswell' (1999-2002 on The WB)

New series: 2019-2022

Where: The CW

See also: Famous online cast reunions during lockdown

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