Matt Buckler: Here are some reboots that viewers would welcome

Jan. 21—Trailers for TV shows don't lie.

So when NBC starts promoting that Jack McCoy is returning to prime-time television, you can believe it.

"Law & Order" is being resurrected, and Sam Waterston, who played McCoy for many of the show's 20 seasons, will be back in the courtroom.

NBC even has set a date for the show's return — Feb. 24. Of course, the "Law & Order" revival is much more than just Jack McCoy. Jeffrey Donovan, for example, who was the star of the USA's popular series "Burn Notice," is also part of the cast, along with Oldelya Halevi, who will play assistant district attorney Samantha Maroun. Hugh Dancy will portray senior prosecutorial assistant Nathan Price, and Anthony Anderson, an L&O veteran, also is in the cast.

Waterston's return, however, gives the reboot instant credibility. The trailer says so.

"Law & Order," is just the latest show to climb out of the coffin and back on to network television.

What do you think could be next — after all, usually the best ideas in TV are the ones that are recycled from the past. Here are some possibilities.

— "The Streets of San Francisco." This series cashed in on a familiar formula — the veteran cop, played by Karl Malden, working with a newcomer, played by Michael Douglas. The show was a hit for ABC during a time the network didn't have many hits.

Perhaps in a new version of the series, Douglas can play the veteran cop and they could get find a fresh face to play the young cop. There's also another key player in the show — San Francisco. Location can be just as important in a cop series as it can in the real estate business.

— "Have Gun, Will Travel." This CBS series of the '60s starred Richard Boone as Paladin, a professional gun slinger. The show was only 30 minutes long, so things happened in a hurry. When "Have Gun, Will Travel" was in its glory, westerns dominated network television. Maybe it's time to bring back the western. The plots were much less complicated than all these forensic shows of today. And much less bloody.

— "My Three Sons. This comedy was a hit for both ABC and CBS and starred Fred MacMurray as a widower with three kids. The comedy was tame by today's standards, but there's a reason to bring it back — it had one of the best theme songs on television. Most of today's shows don't even have theme songs.

— "Hawaii Five-O." The new version has only been off the air for two seasons, and I already miss it. There are two reasons for another Hawaii Five-O revival — location, and the theme song. And here's a third — "Book 'em Danno" was one of the best phrases on television.

— "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." This sci-fi series aired on ABC in the '60s and featured the crew on a submarine handling all sorts of creatures. The special effects, however, were primitive by today's standards. The series really can be upgraded by using today's computer-generated graphics. They might not even need any actors, just a lot of special effects.

— "Hollywood Squares." There have been many revivals of this series, but none have aired recently. The series was part game show, and part comedy, especially when the late Paul Lynde was sitting in the center square. There's probably a reason why this show isn't making a comeback — it would cost too much money to hire nine celebrities to play the game. Even B list celebrities.

Those are some of my suggestions. Maybe you have some ideas of your own. After all, Jack McCoy is coming back. Who do you think should join him?

Bye Bye 'Bull'

A veteran CBS series will be making its farewell tour, The New York Post is reporting that "Bull," starring Michael Weatherly, will not be back for a seventh season.

The show moved from Mondays to Thursdays this year, and is averaging 4.6 million viewers, which is CBS' least-watched show on Thursdays. It has more viewers, however, than any other broadcast network show that's not on CBS.

There also have been sexual harassment allegations involving the show — perhaps that's why CBS thinks it's a good time to end it.

Davis derailed

COVID-19 has forced CBS to make a lineup change in the broadcast booth for this weekend's National Football League playoff action.

Charles Davis, who works with Ian Eagle on CBS's No. 2 team, will miss Saturday's Bengals-Titans playoff game because of COVID-19 protocols and safety precautions. Trent Green, who worked on CBS' No. 3 team with Kevin Harlan during the regular season, will be filling in.