Just like fans of television shows get nostalgic, so do those who make TV. With a built-in fan-base likely to tune in to check out a remake, even if it's just to find something they don't like, why not reimagine a past favorite?
Some stories are timeless. The premise can be adapted to fit current times while keeping what made the original so memorable. That's especially true for anthology series, and there are a couple definitely coming to television screens this year. The existence of these reboots will also give viewers a chance to rediscover or watch for the first time the original series via a streaming platform.
There are quite a few popular children's favorites being rebooted as well. Some have set premiere dates, while others are only in production. Whether it's an educational series or spooky campfire tales, those who enjoyed Nickelodeon shows in the 90s and either want to see a new generation enjoy remakes or check them out themselves are in luck.
In other cases, it's fun to see how the show is changed with time and a twist on the concept. That could mean a gender switch for a main character, an update on a concept, or even taking an animated series and making it a live-action one.
Here are 5 TV Reboots And Remakes Coming In 2019 (And 15 Possibilities).
Possibility: Party Of Five
Freeform has ordered a 10-episode reboot of Party of Five. It's a modern take on the original series, which followed five siblings after they lost their parents in a car accident caused by a drinking driver.
In the new series, the five Buendías children struggle after their parents are deported to Mexico.
"This new iteration of Party of Five isn’t a retread of the original; it's a whole new look at kids trying to parent each other in the wake of circumstances beyond their control, yet learning a similar lesson: that families persist no matter how great the obstacles," original creators and executive producers Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser said in a press release.
The reboot was ordered to series in February 2019.
Possibility: The Baby-Sitters Club
Netflix is reimagining The Baby-Sitters Club. The book series by Ann M. Martin was published between 1986 and 2000. There was a 13-episode series in 1990 and later a movie in 1995.
Now, there's going to be a new take on the lives of babysitters Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Schafer in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.
"There has never been a more opportune time to tell an aspirational story about empowering young female entrepreneurs," Melissa Cobb, vice president of Kids & Family at Netflix said in a statement. "Our ambition is to contemporize the storylines and adventures of this iconic group of girlfriends to reflect modern-day issues."
Netflix ordered 10 episodes in February 2019.
Possibility: Nancy Drew
The CW has ordered a pilot based on the Nancy Drew series created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer and published under the pseudonym, Carolyn Keene. The series follows an amateur sleuth.
There have been several films and television series based on the character, as well as a few attempts to reboot the book series for TV in recent years.
According to Deadline, this new take will see Kennedy McMann as Nancy Drew, who stays home after graduating high school due to a family tragedy. She begins investigating a crime. Both she and her high school nemesis, George (Leah Lewis), are suspects, and they work together to solve the crime.
If ordered to series, this reboot could be part of The CW's 2019-2020 season.
Coming: The Twilight Zone
CBS All Access is rebooting the popular series The Twilight Zone with Jordan Peele as its host.
Rod Serling's sci-fi series, which premiered on October 2, 1959, on CBS, took its viewers to another dimension until 1964. New viewers have discovered the original series as Syfy airs New Year's Eve marathons every year. It is also available to stream on CBS All Access.
"The original The Twilight Zone bridged science-fiction, horror, and fantasy together to explore human nature and provide social commentary in a way that audiences had never seen before," Julie McNamara, Executive Vice President of Original Content at CBS All Access said in a statement.
Now, it's time for a modern reimagining of that world.
The first two episodes will premiere on Monday, April 1. New episodes will then be released on Thursdays, starting April 11.
Possibility: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
One of the new series coming to the Disney+ streaming service is a 10-episode reboot of High School Musical. The concept was first introduced in a Disney movie in 2006 and was followed by two sequels. The first film followed two students from different cliques who fell for each other while working on a musical.
The reboot will take place at East High, as students prepare for the opening of "High School Musical." There will be new songs as well as "acoustic 'rehearsal-room' reinterpretations" numbers from the film, according to Deadline.
"The challenge we handed the creative team was Herculean," Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide said in a statement: "How do you recapture the joy and the magic of the original High School Musical movie … and simultaneously reimagine it completely?"
Possibility: Daria & Jodie
MTV announced in June 2018 that it is launching MTV Studios, the focus of which will include rebooting some of its original series, like Daria.
The grown-up animated series aired from 1997 to 2001. It followed the titular character as a teenager in high school up until she was accepted into college.
"The iconic animated franchise is reinvented through the eyes of heroine Daria Morgendorffer and one of her closest friends, Jodie Landon," according to the reboot's description in the press release. "These two smart young women take on the world, with their signature satirical voice while deconstructing popular culture, social classes, gender, and race."
Daria & Jodie is the working title of the reboot from writer Grace Edwards.
Possibility: Penny Dreadful
Showtime is taking a new look at Penny Dreadful with Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. John Logan is returning as creator, writer, and executive producer. According to the press release, the series "is a bold new vision that will employ all new characters and storylines."
The reboot will move from Victorian-era London to 1938 Los Angeles. "Rooted in the conflict between characters connected to the deity Santa Muerte and others allied with the [lord of the Underworld]," the series "will explore an exciting mix of the supernatural and the combustible reality of that period, creating new occult myths and moral dilemmas within a genuine historical backdrop."
The original series aired from 2014 to 2016 and offered a new look at some notable literary characters.
Production on the reboot will begin in 2019.
Coming: 90210
FOX is reimagining Beverly Hills, 90210 with its original cast — and the twist means it's not a revival.
Original cast members Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling will all return. The press release revealed the twist: they are starring as "heightened versions of themselves in a brand-new serialized drama — with a healthy dose of irreverence — that is inspired by their real lives and relationships."
The premise of the series is one of the cast members suggesting they reboot the original series.
Beverly Hills, 90210 aired for 10 seasons on FOX, beginning with its premiere on October 4, 1990.
The six-episode event series, 90210, will air in the summer of 2019.
Possibility: The Lost Boys
The CW is planning a reboot of The Lost Boys. The network has ordered a pilot, starring Tyler Posey, Kiele Sanchez, Medalion Rahimi, and Dakota Shapiro, according to Deadline.
The series takes place in Santa Carla, and despite all the sun, it's home to vampires. One such vampire is the boyfriend of the love interest of one of the main characters. Posey's character is one of two brothers who relocate there with their mother after their father's passing.
The concept was first explored in the 1987 film starring Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Jason Patric, Dianne Wiest, and Jami Gertz.
If picked up to series, this Lost Boys pilot could be part of the 2019-2020 season for the CW, so it's possible it could be on television screens this year.
Possibility: Lincoln
NBC is looking to reboot The Bone Collector. Jeffery Deaver's novel was first seen on-screen in the 1999 film. It follows tetraplegic forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme, played by Denzel Washington.
Russell Hornsby is set to possibly star in the reboot, Lincoln, though The Hollywood Reporter notes that it's in second position to his Fox series Proven Innocent.
The pilot follows the titular NYPD detective, who is hurt while trying to stop a dangerous criminal who has taken multiple lives. He gets back to work when The Bone Collector comes back into play and works with a young beat cop on this and other high-profile cases.
This is one of NBC's possible new series for the 2019-2020 season.
Possibility: Four Weddings And A Funeral
Mindy Kaling is reimagining Four Weddings and a Funeral as a limited series for Hulu.
The 1994 romantic comedy film starred Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell and followed Grant's character as a bachelor who had to face the fact that he found love.
According to Deadline, MacDowell will be appearing in the remake, but she won't be reprising her role from the movie. The new series follows four American friends who reunite in London for a wedding. "After a bombshell at the altar throws their lives into turmoil, they must weather a tumultuous year of romance and heartbreak," according to the report.
MacDowell will be playing one of the friends' mothers.
The series is supposed to be released in 2019, but Hulu hasn't announced an exact date yet.
Coming: Project Runway
Bravo is rebooting Project Runway with a new host, supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, and mentor, former Runway champion and fashion designer Christian Siriano. The judges are ELLE Editor-in-Chief Nina Garcia, fashion designer Brandon Maxwell and former Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Elaine Welteroth.
The series will follow 16 new designers competing to show off their collection during a runway show for industry insiders and influencers and the largest cash prize in its history.
The fashion design competition series first premiered on Bravo in 2004 and aired through 2008. Then, it moved over to Lifetime from 2009 to 2017.
The episodes will each be 90 minutes, with the premiere airing on Thursday, March 14 at 8 P.M.
Possibility: High Fidelity
The Disney+ streaming service is putting a new spin on the story told both in Nick Hornby's book and later the 2000 movie starring John Cusack. It followed Rob as he recalled his top five break-ups.
There's going to be a 10-episode reboot of High Fidelity starring Zoe Kravitz, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She'll be playing a version of Rob. Her character is "the ultimate music fan and record store owner who is obsessed with pop culture and top-five lists." Her mother, Lisa Bonet, starred in the movie as Rob's ex-girlfriend, Marie.
Kravitz will also serve as an executive producer with Midnight Radio's Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, and creators Veronica West, and Sarah Kucserka.
A beta version of Disney+ is expected to be available later in 2019.
Possibility: Amazing Stories
A reboot of Amazing Stories will be available on Apple's upcoming streaming service. Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are set to be its showrunners. They will also be executive producers with Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank, and Justin Falvey. Edward Burns will also serve as an executive producer for one episode, according to Deadline. He'll star as a government agent in that episode.
According to the report, the anthology series "will transport the audience to worlds of wonder through the lens of today's most imaginative filmmakers, directors, and writers."
The original fantasy, horror, and science fiction series aired from 1985 to 1987.
Apple's streaming service doesn't have a launch date yet, but it is possible that the Amazing Stories reboot could be available before the end of 2019.
Possibility: Queer As Folk
Bravo is rebooting Queer as Folk. According to the report from Variety, the original series' creator Russell T. Davies will be an executive producer.
The original series aired in the UK from 1999 to 2000. The 10 episodes followed three men. It has already been rebooted once before, with five seasons that premiered in 2000.
The reboot is reportedly "a modern take … that centers on a group of club-going friends who find support in the gay community following a tragedy."
The news first came in December 2018. Since there hasn't been any news about casting or production dates, it's unclear when the reboot could premiere, but before the end of 2019 isn't impossible.
Coming: Blue's Clues And You!
Nickelodeon is rebooting Blue's Clues. Broadway actor Joshua Dela Cruz is the new host of the educational series for preschoolers.
Blue is an animated blue-spotted dog that leaves clues/paw prints to follow. The original series can be found on Nickelodeon's video subscription service for preschoolers, Noggin. The series' original host was Steve Burns.
According to Deadline, Blue's Clues & You! will include "all-new CG animation" and "updates to favorite characters." It will allow new viewers to get the same experience that kids did when the series originally aired from 1996 to 2006. That includes having preschoolers learn through Blue.
The reboot, with a series order of 20 episodes, is set to premiere in November 2019.
Possibility: Unsolved Mysteries
The original creators of the mystery docuseries Unsolved Mysteries are rebooting it for Netflix, the streaming service announced in January. Terry Dunn Meurer will serve as showrunner and John Cosgrove as executive producer. Stranger Things' Shawn Levy and Josh Barry will also serve as executive producers. Robert Wise will also serve as showrunner and co-executive producer.
According to Netflix, the new version "will maintain the chilling feeling viewers loved about the original, while also telling the stories through the lens of a premium Netflix documentary series." There will be one mystery per episode, and 12 episodes have been ordered.
The original run of the series lasted 11 seasons and 260 episodes and covered over 1,000 stories. It aired from 1987 to 2002 and was hosted by Robert Stack.
Possibility: Aeon Flux
In June 2018, MTV announced that its upcoming MTV Studios will include a reboot of Aeon Flux.
According to the press release, while the original series was animated, this one will be a live-action series. It originally aired as shorts in 1991 and 1992, with half-hour episodes in 1995.
"Heroine [life-taker] Aeon Flux teams up with a group of biohacking rebels in the not too distant dystopian future to battle a [intense] repressive regime and save humanity," reads the show's official description.
Teen Wolf's Jeff Davis and The Walking Dead's Gale Anne Hurd will serve as executive producers on the remake.
It is unclear how soon or where viewers may get to see this reboot.
Possibility: Night Gallery
Syfy is rebooting Night Gallery, Deadline reported in December 2018. The original horror anthology series ran from 1969 to 1973 on NBC. The two minds behind the remake, Jeff Davis and David Janollari, have ties to supernatural series; Davis was the creator of MTV's Teen Wolf and Janollari served as an executive producer on NBC's Midnight, Texas.
The original series featured Rod Serling introducing the story via a painting in an art gallery.
The new series is set to "explore and exploit every modern nightmare imaginable, mining our fears of the dangers of social media," according to the report.
Syfy has yet to announce any production or release dates for the project. For now, fans will have to wait and see if it's on air before the end of 2019.
Coming: Are You Afraid of the Dark?
If you were a fan of '90s Nickelodeon television and scary stories and want a new generation to discover the same joy, then here's something that should make you happy.
The anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark? is returning with a new Midnight Society and scary stories around the campfire.
The original series aired from 1990 to 1996, and there was even a short revival of it from 1999 to 2000. A member of the Midnight Society shared a scary story at each meeting. Years later, there are sure to be more stories to submit for approval.
The reboot will premiere in October 2019. According to Deadline, the miniseries is paired with the theatrical release of an Are You Afraid of the Dark? movie being released the same month.