Modern Family co-creator Steven Levitan discusses how his new show on Hulu, Reboot, was inspired by Roseanne. The sitcom, which starred Roseanne Barr, originally aired from 1988-1997 and chronicled the lives of the working-class Conner family. The show was revived in 2018 but only lasted a season before it was canceled due to racist remarks Barr made on social media. The series was then retooled to become The Conners, featuring much of the same cast but not Barr. That version of the series begins season 5 on September 21.
Following Roseanne and dozens of other revivals in recent years, Reboot focuses on one group's attempt to bring back an early 2000s sitcom called Step Right Up. The meta-comedy features an impressive cast including Rachel Bloom, Judy Greer, and Keegan-Michael Key. Hulu gave Reboot a series order earlier this year and released first-look images in July. The Reboot trailer followed soon after, teasing a fun series for both fans of sitcoms and the entertainment industry.
Via TV Insider, Levitan discussed what inspired him to make Reboot. He cited Roseanne and the behind-the-scenes issues that happened with that particular revival. Levitan said:
When the whole Roseanne reboot debacle happened and that show blew up, I just remember thinking to myself that that must be a pretty fascinating set today. And it just kind of planted the idea of, ‘Oh, what an interesting arena for a show?'
Considering the way Barr's firing from Roseanne dominated the pop culture conversation at the time, it makes sense Levitan was curious about what the experience must have been like for those working on the show. Though Roseanne is an extreme case, very few revivals and reboots succeed without drama of some kind. For example, Fuller House was dominated by questions of when and if the Olsen twins would appear on the show, even through its series finale in 2020 and long after the actors made it clear they had no intention of reprising their roles. Those kinds of stories are inherently interesting to viewers at home, and it makes sense they inspired Levitan to come up with the idea for Reboot.
It's also worth noting that shows and movies about Hollywood are incredibly popular these days. Viewers like to feel that they're a part of the business in some way and are privy to what goes on behind-the-scenes. Based on the trailer, Reboot plays into that desire, which should endear it to those interested in the industry. While it remains to be seen if Reboot will find success the way the revivals that inspired it have, the winning combination of Levitan and an excellent cast should help.
Source: TV Insider