Reboot fever is alive and well in the wonderful, sprawling world of television and networks are paying special attention to popular TV shows from the ’90s, with series like Charmed, Roswell, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Daria already getting the reboot treatment.
As fans eagerly await the arrival of these beloved series to hit their TV screens, we got to thinking: What other ’90s TV shows could possibly get the reboot treatment? Sure, there are plenty of ’90s shows with huge, intact fanbases in this day and age, but not every show is worthy of returning.
So, after some deliberation, we think that the following ’90s shows (which are all deeper cuts that don’t get as frequent a shout-out in pop culture as others) are worthy of reboot consideration. Take a peek and see which ones you think would work.
Eerie, Indiana
A truly deep cut, the short-lived TV series Eerie, Indiana has been largely obscured by the towering shadow of bigger ’90s sci-fi TV series like The X-Files or darker takes on American small towns like Twin Peaks. However, one could argue that its mix of sci-fi and horror, and its focus on small-town oddities, makes Eerie, Indiana ripe for the reboot pile. Who wouldn’t want to see the return of “weirdness investigator” Marshall Teller, maybe as a jaded grown-up who gets called back to Eerie for one last weird case? Sounds pretty darn good to us.
So Weird
The X-Files reboot in recent years reminds us that the young adult version of the hit sci-fi series, So Weird, is in dire need of a reboot. With a similar “case-of-the-week” framework as the earlier X-Files seasons, the show focused on protagonist Fiona Phillips, her rock star mom, her brother, and their friends. The series ended in 2001, but honestly, there’s no reason it should be permanently shelved. It’s not as frequently name-dropped as The X-Files, but with a built-in fanbase for both shows still in existence, it would be very easy to reignite excitement for So Weird with a reboot.
The Secret World of Alex Mack
Real talk: The Secret World of Alex Mack deserves to be introduced to a whole new generation. We deserve to have ’90s icon Larisa Oleynik back on our TV screens in a major way; it’s time. But more than that, Alex Mack’s origins are like Peter Parker’s or Matt Murdock’s, an origin story that is entirely familiar but opens the door to an entirely new set of possible storylines for a 2018 audience.
Dinosaurs
There’s more than one TV show for Jessica Walter (Arrested Development, Archer) to return to, and goodness knows it would be so amazing to see her return to Dinosaurs. Considering this Jim Henson Company production ran for a successful four seasons and it centered around anthropomorphic dinosaurs and — and! — it featured the aforementioned beloved Walter, do we need more reasons for this reboot? Bringing this back on a streaming platform like Hulu or Netflix (where audiences go for more niche fare) and exploring how to update the series given the way the original show ended could be a whole heck of a lot of fun.
Animorphs
As a book series and then a short-lived TV series, Animorphs doesn’t get enough credit, TBH. Pre-dating popular sci-fi/superhero TV shows like Heroes, The Gifted, and Legion by more than a decade, Animorphs helped set the stage for what a new era in sci-fi TV could look like. Much in the same way the Power Rangers reboot was handled, the basic premise of Animorphs (teens interact with an alien substance, gain superpowers that let them transform into animals) is so malleable that it could easily be transferred into a modern setting while maintaining its core sci-fi premise.
Brotherly Love
Any excuse to get the Lawrence brothers back together is A-OK in this ’90s kid’s book. Brotherly Love saw the Lawrences — Joey, Matthew, and Andrew — working together in one of their first on-screen collaborations as an entire family. With the Lawrence brothers keeping a fairly low profile these days, it would be fun to see them reunite as the Romans and get fans up to speed on what they’re up to these days.
The Famous Jett Jackson
Focused on the story of Jett Jackson, a child actor who settles down in the suburbs hoping for a normal life, The Famous Jett Jackson was a Disney Channel staple back in the late ’90s. While a reboot in the strictest sense would be impossible because of the unfortunate and untimely passing of the show’s lead, Lee Thompson Young, there are still creative ways to update it. A reboot could start all the way from square one, casting a new actor to play Jett Jackson, while still exploring celebrity culture for Millennials and Gen Y’ers as well as what it means to create and maintain fame in a modern context.
Salute Your Shorts
A Salute Your Shorts reboot would be the perfect ensemble comedy for Netflix to put together, especially since they’ve been hearkening back to the ’90s with their original series Everything Sucks!. Plus, the streaming service knows a thing or two about summer camp-based comedies thanks to becoming the home of the Wet Hot American Summer TV series. This would be the perfect opportunity to bring back some of the original series regulars, like Eddie “Donkeylips” Gelfen (played by Michael Bower) and Telly Radford (played by Venus DeMilo Thomas). Plus, who doesn’t want to see an updated version of the iconic Salute Your Shorts opening credits?
