Which TV Reboots are Worth your Time?
Gettysburgian media critic Jackie McMahon
By Jacqueline McMahon, Staff Writer
Recently, there has been a craze in Hollywood of reviving previously cancelled television shows, whether this be with the original cast returning or with new actors in the roles. But amidst a plethora of reboots and revivals, spinoffs and reimaginings, what shows are actually worth a watch and which can you delete from your DVR?
Dynasty (Fridays at 8 on The CW):
This primetime drama is a reboot of the 80s soap opera juggernaut of the same name, but the campy adventures of the new Carrington family fail to inspire the same enthusiasm as that of the original series. Executive produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, aka the duo behind The CW’s hit primetime soap Gossip Girl, Dynasty should’ve been able to build up a fan-following but instead flew under the radar during season one. For season two, it was banished to the Friday night timeslot, where it will inevitably have a hard time establishing a solid viewing. While the original Dynasty was an epic disaster with its extravagant 1980s gowns and over the top storylines, its successor is just a disaster, without any of the fun.
Queer Eye (Netflix Original):
If you haven’t gotten into the Queer Eye craze yet, there’s no time like the present. Queer Eye is an updated version of the 2000s makeover show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, where five gay men (including Gettysburg College alum Carson Kressley) gave fashion and lifestyle help to a straight man in need of guidance. In the reboot, the new Fab Five – consisting of food and wine expert Antoni Porowski, fashion expert Tan France, grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness, design expert Bobby Berk, and culture expert Karamo Brown – help hapless men of all sexualities live their best lives in a journey of acceptance and self-love. The first two seasons are streaming on Netflix, with a third season currently in production.
Charmed (Sundays at 9 on The CW):
Based on the 90s drama of the same name, Charmed follows three sisters who find out they are witches known as the Charmed Ones, possessing magical powers to help protect the human world from evil. In the reboot, the sisters are renamed Macy, Mel and Maggie Vera and are all Latina (played by actresses Madeleine Mantock, Melonie Diaz and Sarah Jeffery), with Mel also reimagined as a lesbian. However, the reboot has been panned by fans of the original series and currently has a dismal score of 3.5 out of 10 on IMDB. Actresses Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs (who played the Halliwell sisters Phoebe, Prue and Piper in the original series) have also expressed – at best – skepticism about the series, and were disappointed that they were not consulted before the reboot was greenlit. It seems that fans were against the Charmed reboot since it was announced, and at this point cancelling it would be a mercy killing.
