The 20 TV Show Revivals You Wish You Could Unsee
When surveying the spate of TV show revivals, the phrase “too much of a good thing” comes to mind.
More from TVLine
What Was the First Truly Unexpected TV Cancellation That Crushed Your Soul?
Heck, Yeah: Middle Co-Stars Reunite Ahead of 'Sitcom' Premiere
TVLine recently asked you, our beloved readers, to weigh in on the phenomenon. More specifically, we asked you to pick the one (and only one!) show you wish had stayed dead — a series you once loved, but whose legacy you believe has been tarnished by coming back.
We received hundreds of responses, singling out continuations of primetime procedurals (like CSI, Criminal Minds and Law & Order), multi-camera comedies (like Boy Meets World, Night Court and Roseanne) and cult classics (like Heroes, Twin Peaks and The X-Files).
Review 20 reader arguments below, then hit the comments and tell us if you agree (or disagree) with any of the following criticisms.
AND JUST LIKE THAT…
“They ruined the legacy of Sex and the City. It was perfect for its time – four girls navigating their love lives and careers in New York City. But this show recaptures none of the magic or humor. Plus: Big dying, no Samantha, the untimely death of Willie Garson… I wish they would have left this one alone!” – Jeff
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
“I was so desperate for another few episodes, but the cast’s limited availability and, quite frankly, the subpar writing on the last two seasons, really tarnished that show’s reputation. And what was that ending? Buster just casually revealing that he killed Lucille II? Our Buster never would have done that.” – Julie
CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION
“It just isn’t the same, focusing on one long story arc, and they undid so much that they set up at the end of the original. I stopped watching a few episodes in, and I don’t regret it, even though it was one of my favorite shows for years and years.” – Jenny
CSI: VEGAS
“The original CSI was innovative, exciting and had characters you genuinely cared about. CSI: Vegas is a pale imitation that is remaking stories from the original and hoping we don’t notice. The original is still the best.” – Melinda
DALLAS
“Never had a cohesive story, and the Ewings didn’t translate well into the 21st century. Larry Hagman’s sudden death didn’t help.” – Tom
DEXTER: NEW BLOOD
“Rarely does a series get to disappoint with its finale twice. Substituting Deborah for Harrison was a good move, but Harrison was a disappointment — so much so that another season with Dexter’s son as the protagonist is not welcome.” – Eric
GILMORE GIRLS: A YEAR IN THE LIFE
“By the time the original show ended after seven seasons, Rory, who was once my favorite character, had become my least favorite one. The revival just proved how insufferable she was. Not following the aspirations she once had, ending up pregnant by her ex while not remembering the name of the actual boyfriend she had… Rory alone makes the revival unbearable.” – Dennis
GIRL MEETS WORLD
“I know that, as a man in my early twenties when it first aired, a Disney Channel series about tween girls wasn’t targeted to me. But the show shouldn’t have aired on Disney Channel to begin with. I wanted to see the characters grow and change and start to deal with increasingly mature topics as the seasons went on, as they did on the OG series, but there was only so far they could take things on the Disney Channel. It also just failed to capture the magic of the original, and ended up feeling more like a corny children’s sitcom. Had it landed somewhere like ABC, where it could be more ‘real,’ I think it would have had a better chance at recapturing the spirit of Boy Meets World.” – Eric
HEROES REBORN
“I know the damage was done when the original show was still on the air, but I was hopeful that with five years passed that they would have come up with something close to Season 1 in quality. Sadly, it was not to be. Breaking the initial conceit of the series – you don’t kill the cheerleader! – and pretty much breaking every original character they brought back made it a slog.” – Craig
ICARLY
“Because they’re all exactly the same characters they were in the original series. And it’s kind of cringe how little they’ve changed. No 30-year-old is the same person they were at 16 (or so I’d hope).” – GC
LAW & ORDER
“Attitudes towards cops have changed since the show first went off the air, but when it came back it felt as if nothing had changed. There was a perfunctory mention here or there of the Black Lives Matter movement, but everything else felt completely tone deaf to actual real world that Law & Order always credited itself as reflecting. Having McCoy, of all characters, rail on in outrage over defunding the police was just the final straw for that franchise and that character for me.” – James
MAD ABOUT YOU
“I loved the silliness of the original, but the revival was dark and depressing. I missed the characters, sure, but I liked them when they were funny, not sad.” – Kayte
MURPHY BROWN
“The revival tarnished my memories of the original. It was painfully unfunny. It was also cheap-looking for a network sitcom. I found it odd that neither Miles nor Corky acknowledged that they’d been married and divorced in the original series. And Murphy didn’t even get an office at her new gig, which meant no wacky Secretary of the Week.” – Murphy
10 Most Requested TV Shows Not Streaming
NIGHT COURT
“The problem with a revival is that the comedy on the original show went beyond wacky and zany. It was also often dark and edgy, and dealt with things most writers today won’t touch. (Make a hooker joke on network television in 2023? Yeah, right! No one is willing to take risks like that today.) The sitcom is basically dead right now — and a sitcom with the edge and bite of the the original Night Court has no chance.” – ME
ROSEANNE/THE CONNERS
“They distorted my two favorite characters, Darlene and David, they retconned most of Jackie’s storyline, and they made almost everyone insufferable. And they completely forgot about DJ’s family! The only good thing about the show is Becky/Lecy Goranson.” – Tisha
THAT ’90S SHOW
“I could barely get through an episode. They should’ve brought back Chyler Leigh and That ’80s Show instead.” – CM
TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN
“That was a follow-up to Blue Velvet, not Twin Peaks.” – Cindy
VERONICA MARS
“Veronica was a great character as a teenager, but she didn’t grow up between the original show and the revival. Her snarky attitude was straight-up rude as an adult. Then, of course, they killed off Logan, which was a stupid decision.” – Abbey
WILL & GRACE
“After the first revival season, it was painful to watch. Forced storylines that felt totally out of character.” – Lynn
THE X-FILES
“The X-Files is the one I wish had stayed in TV history. I loved the original show as a teenager, but to bring it back, only to add more convoluted mythology, did the franchise a huge disservice. Also, the 50-year-old pregnancy storyline was unnecessary.” – Melissa
Best of TVLine
Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
