With streaming becoming bigger and bigger every year, more services (and networks) are producing TV show revivals that either continue the story from the original series or continue in that world. TV revivals - which are different from reboots in that they're not recreations or have new casts - have grown in popularity in recent years, with high-profile revivals of Roseanne, Murphy Brown, and Party of Five. While some revivals are critically-acclaimed and considered worthy extensions of the series, such as Twin Peaks: The Return, most of them fail to capture the magic that made the original series so good, such as Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life.
There's a reason that TV revivals are becoming increasingly common. Original shows have a difficult time finding an audience and take a while to cultivate a following - and with a historic number of shows available to watch, audiences are not sticking with a series that takes a while to find its groove. Reviving a TV show is a more attractive option for a studio, who know that the show will already have a built-in audience. It's a great option for a series that might have been cancelled before its time or ended with a disappointing finale - like in Dexter's case.
Although Dexter is the latest revival to be announced, many of them are already in development or already slated to premiere. Although production on many of these shows have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of them are still expected to premiere in the near few years.
The Boondocks
The Boondocks originally ended in 2014, and HBO announced in 2019 that they had picked up a revival of The Boondocks for the streaming service HBO Max. The revival is expected to consist of two twelve-episode seasons and was originally scheduled to premiere in Fall 2020. Originally showrunner Aaron McGruder is returning as showrunner for the revival, and is serving as an executive-producer alongside Norm Aladjem, Seung Kim, and Meghann Collins Robertson. The Boondocks revival hasn't been given an official premiere date.
Dexter
Showtime announced that Dexter is returning with a 10-episode season, and production is slated to begin in early 2021. Star Michael C. Hall is returning for the revival alongside original showrunner Clyde Phillips, who departed in the original run of the show after season 4. The Dexter revival takes place 10 after the events of the controversial series finale, and is not expected to change the events of that episode.
Frasier
Kelsey Grammer, who played Frasier Crane in Frasier and Cheers, has publicly announced that he is developing a Frasier revival. Although Grammer's team hasn't officially announced any details about the revival, the actor stated in 2018 that he would only revisit the series on the condition that fellow co-stars David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin also returned. Although none of them have publicly confirmed their involvement in the revival, Gilpin teased the revival in April 2020 and Bebe Neuwirth, who played Frasier's ex-wife Lilith, has confirmed she is open to reprising her role.
Gossip Girl
HBO is reviving Gossip Girl, with a 10-episode order that will premiere on HBO Max. Gossip Girl is expected to premiere in 2021, and will begin filming in New York City in October 2020. The revival will focus on a new generation of teenagers, and is set eight years after the events of the original show. Original showrunner and series writer Joshua Safran is involved in the revival, and is working with Gossip Girl co-creator Josh Schwartz and Stefanie Savage's production company. Original costume designer Eric Dana has also confirmed that he will be joining the revival.
The cast of Gossip Girl includes Emily Alyn Lind (Code Black, Revenge), alongside Whitney Peak (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Eli Brown (Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists), Johnathan Fernandez (Lethal Weapon), Jason Gotay (Peter Pan Live!), Tavi Gevinson (Enough Said), Thomas Doherty (High Fidelity) and Zion Moreno (Claws). The cast also includes relative newcomers Savannah Smith, Evan Mock, Jordan Alexander, and Adam Chanler-Berat. Kristen Bell (The Good Place, Veronica Mars) is returning as the narrator of the show.
MacGruber
Will Forte is reviving MacGruber for NBC's streaming service Peacock. The Peacock revival will follow MacGruber after he gets out of prison and follows him as he tries to take down a mysterious villain from his past and is expected to begin production in fall 2020. Jorma Taccone will write and executive-produce the revival with Forte and John Solomon, and the series will have Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn, Andrew Singer, and Erin David as executive-producers.
Nash Bridges
Don Johnson is reprising his title role in USA Network's revival of Nash Bridges, alongside co-star Cheech Martin. The project is being developed as a two-hour movie that will act as a backdoor pilot for a revival series. The movie is co-created by Bill Chais (The Practice) and Don Johnson, and is executive-produced by Johnson, Chais, and Mark Rosen (Sense8). However, the original co-creator of Nash Bridges, Carlton Cuse, is not attached to the revival project due to the project conflicting with his overall deal with ABC Studios.
The Proud Family
Disney+ is officially reviving The Proud Family with The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, Jo Marie Payton, Karen Malina White, Soleil Moon Frye, Alisa Reyes, and Cedric the Entertainer have all confirmed that they are reprising their original roles. Creator Bruce W. Smith is back, alongside executive-producers Ralph Farquhar and Calvin Brown. Keke Palmer is joining the cast to voice a new character called Maya, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder does not yet have a release date.
Punky Brewster
Another Peacock revival, Punky Brewster has Soleil Moon Frye reprising her title role. Punky is now grown up, and a single mom raising three kids. Cheri Johnson is returning in her original role alongside Freddie Prinze Jr., and newcomer Quinn Copeland is joining the cast as well. Production for Punky Brewster has been delayed due to the coronavirus, although the series is still expected to premiere in 2021.
Rugrats
Nickelodeon is bringing back the animated series Rugrats with an expected premiere date in 2021. In 2018, Nickelodeon ordered a 26-episode revival of Rugrats helmed by the original creators, Arlen Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain. Nancy Cartwright has confirmed that she is returning as Chuckie alongside fellow cast members Melanie Chartoff and Cheryl Chase. Tara Strong, Michael Bell, and Phil Proctor confirmed that they will not be returning for the revival of Rugrats.
Saved By The Bell
Saved By The Bell is also being revived on Peacock with Tracey Wigfield as showrunner, and the series was originally set to premiere in November 2020. The revival is a direct sequel to Saved by the Bell and Saved by the Bell: The College Years, and will center around a new group of students at Bayside High School. Original cast members Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez will be reprising their roles and serving as producers on the series, and Mark Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen will be making recurring appearances as their original characters. New cast members include John Michael Higgins (Pitch Perfect), Josie Tota (Magic Camp), Dexter Darden (The Maze Runner), Haskiri Velazquez (The 40-Year-Old Version), Mitchell Hoog (Daybreak), Alycia Pascuel-Pena, and Belmont Cameli.
The Dexter revival is the latest example of the TV revival trend. While some shows are rebooted with a completely new cast and storyline, Dexter and the other TV revivals continue their original story and bring back members of the original cast in some capacity. Although production of some of these projects have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are still plenty of revivals slated to premiere in the near future - and that includes the highly-anticipated revival of Dexter.