It's astonishing how quickly a TV series can feel aged, as the 2000s came to a close not all that long ago. But the television landscape has changed so much in the short time since, and not only that, but the world has learned to become a lot more diverse than it was in the aughts.
However, in the midst of recessions, stock market crashes, and countless scandals, people could at least find comfort in some great TV shows. And though many of them have their issues, whether it's in the storytelling, the problematic characters, or otherwise, there was still a lot to love. And many of them would benefit greatly from a reboot.
Prison Break
For as fun and entertaining as the show was, there were so many Prison Break plot twists that didn't make sense, even going all the way back to the first season. The show got very weird in season 4, and it seemed as if anybody who had ever been a villain had a redemption arc, including the evil prison warden Brad Bellick and even the racist T-Bag.
Then, in its fifth season, Prison Break brought back so many of those characters in a forced reunion miniseries, and it just didn't work. However, a show about a group of convicts breaking out of prison doesn't need to follow the same characters, and a reboot could tell a brand new story with the same general premise.
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl had one of the most entertaining premises for a sitcom in the 2000s, as a trailer park resident learns about karma and decides to make up for everything he's done wrong in his life. It was a fun and uplifting show, but it also had some major problems that wouldn't go down well today, such as how recurring character Kenny's sexuality is always the punchline of the jokes.
Not only could a reboot rectify that, but it could either answer what happened to the original character in season 4 or retell the story, as the show was canceled on a cliffhanger. Even though the story was partially wrapped up in the background of creator Greg Garcia's follow-up show, Raising Hope, My Name Is Earl is a show that fans will never get closure for.
Scrubs
Scrubs is such a beloved sitcom and ran for nine seasons, and a friendship like Turk and J.D.'s is something the fans strived for. But the show was also very of its time, being full of sexist, homophobic, and transphobic jokes, and it's harder to watch all these years later. And for as loveable as the character is, nothing Todd has ever said would be deemed appropriate in 2022.
Medical-based shows have always been popular, so a Scrubs reboot would be welcomed, especially given how unique it is with its surreal cutaways. Not only that but as the show has had to remove many of the indie songs that made the scenes iconic due to licensing problems on streaming platforms, rewatching the episodes without the proper music doesn't feel the same. And that's something a reboot could fix.
Ugly Betty
There have been many TV shows and movies that are commentaries on the fashion industry, whether it's The Devil Wears Prada or Zoolander. But no TV show did that as well as Ugly Betty. However, the show sometimes got too melodramatic for its own good, focusing too much on murder mystery subplots than the dramatic world of fashion that fans originally tuned in for.
On top of that, there are some hugely problematic story arcs, such as Suziki pretending to be gay to land a job as a fashion TV host. A reboot of Ugly Betty could be a more realistic and satirical portrait of the fashion industry, like what VEEP is to politics.
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives fascinatingly depicted the dark underbelly of suburban America and that the white picket fence lifestyle isn't all it's cracked up to be. The show was full of mystery and murder, and what made it unique was that it was almost like a satirical take on a soap opera.
It's hard to watch now without actively thinking about all of the behind-the-scenes drama with the cast, and some of the storylines in its later years were outrageous. However, in its prime, the series had some shocking twists and turns, and a reboot of the show could revisit that clever storytelling. There was even a just as dated Desperate Housewives tie-in video game that was influenced by The Sims, but that can stay forgotten.
Californication
The first season of Californication was very much grounded in reality, being about a semi-successful divorced writer living in a small apartment in Hollywood. But the plot got more unbelievable with each passing season. Not only that but there were unsettling story arcs of characters dating their daughters-in-law that were played for laughs.
It also depicted Hollywood as being a man's world, in which struggling actresses had to sleep their way to the top, which was again supposed to come off as comedic. A reboot of the show could go back to its roots, where irreverent comedy took precedence over scantily clad out-of-work actors sleeping with the star of the show.
Entourage
Just like Californication, Entourage was mostly about audiences living vicariously through the main characters. They live the idyllic life of going to beach parties in Malibu, shopping on Rodeo Drive, and making millions of dollars as movie stars.
While that all sounds and looks fun, the show featured too much of the pleasure-seeking aspect and often felt extremely misogynistic. But it was also a fascinating satire of the movie industry, and all of the celebrity cameos in Entourage and seeing the way the world of movie deals and agents negotiating works was so thrilling. A reboot should focus solely on that.
Little Britain
Little Britain was a British sketch comedy series that made fun of the closed-minded British public. But while the show had some funny characters, there were just as many that were problematic. Its issue was that it often blurred the line between making fun of people who are racist and homophobic and being those very things itself.
The show had a "punch-down" comedic style, which was often insulting to minority groups and women, and it perpetuated working-class stereotypes. There could be a just as funny reboot that isn't so hurtful or demoralizing.
The O.C.
There's so much to love about The O.C. and though the upper-class characters aren't exactly relatable, The O.C. does tackle some deep issues. However, on a more lighthearted note, The way The O.C. shows its age the most is that it plays into the fashion, the lifestyle, and the trends of the 2000s so heavily that it can't help but feel aged.
More than anything, the most outdated part of the show is the characters' outfits. Even Seth's love for the indie band Death Cab For Cutie is so 2000s. A reboot barely has to change any of the brilliant storytelling, but simply bring it into the present day.