Reunions, Reboots, and Spinoffs

The recent spike in TV show reworks.

In the past few years, an overwhelming amount of TV shows have experienced some sort of return. Reunions, reboots, and spinoffs are extremely popular these days, with well-known shows like ‘iCarly’, ‘Friends’, ‘How I Met Your Mother’, ‘Gossip Girl’, and ‘Sex and the City’ all planning a return within this year.

To understand the benefit of these reworks, one must first understand the distinction between the different types. Reunions typically only involve a get-together of the cast of a show, like ‘Friends’, while spinoffs and reboots are more involved. Spinoffs are similar to sequels, being an enhanced version running parallel to the original series. A reboot, on the other hand, essentially continues the original series as a new brand. The recent iCarly release on Paramount+ is an example of a reboot - the same series characters and overall purpose but rebranded to be targeted towards a more mature audience.

Reboots, spinoffs, and reunions all build off nostalgia, which has appeared to be heightened in recent years. Maybe it’s the wide access to old TV shows and movies that makes people wish they could experience the action all over again. Binge-watching culture makes viewers finish multiple seasons of a show very quickly, always leaving them wanting more. There’s a certain comfort with a series or with characters that you’re familiar with, making it easier to spend your time on. Sitcoms, especially, have characters that are easily related to, making them often the most reworked shows.

It’s also interesting to note that reunions, reboots, and spinoffs get a significant amount of attention. Any content related to an old beloved show gets shared widely, whether it’s talk of a new series or even an interaction between actors, like when Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow appeared on Jimmy Kimmel together in 2014. Although it isn’t guaranteed that a rework of a series will be a success, it is at least known that the storyline will work.

These reworks that get a lot of attention will often have a large audience, at least for the first episode. Many even attract a younger audience by casting young actors and adjusting to new popular culture and trends. However, reworks of shows are sometimes rejected by the public who feel as though the shows have been overdone. Many feel that shows should stay in the past and the industry should focus more on developing new shows that will achieve similar success. Reworks can sometimes feel out of place as time passes by, causing a number of audience members to fall off over time. Because of this, the decision to reboot or spin-off a show becomes riskier. However, fans still push for their favorite shows to return and, in some cases, the decision becomes a success.