The TV Reboot - Do We Need Them or Do We Just Want Them?
Another year, another round of TV reboots: this year’s biggest upcoming titles are Frasier, Sex and the City, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. And with yet another series of reboots comes more articles critiquing the concept itself, this one among them.
Let it be known from the outset that I’m not a fan of reboots in general. Reboots can be somewhat lazy and potentially detract from both the original work and new series airing at the same time. Even more progressive reboots have problems. For example, the 2018 Netflix reboot of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy has been the subject of pieces questioning its notion of ‘self-care’ and that it isn’t representative of modern queerness. (Note: the second piece was written before Jonathan Van Ness came out as non-binary, when the cast was thought to be five cisgender gay men.)
However, no show is perfect and I definitely understand the appeal. Ultimately, entertainment is driven by profit and therefore publicity, just like any industry. For both, reboots undoubtedly have the advantage over original TV series due to nostalgia. So as long as we want reboots, we will get them.
And some people definitely want these ones: the upcoming reboot of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air is the perfect example. Following Morgan Cooper’s 2019 reimagining of the show as a grittier exploration of classism in this viral trailer, it caught the attention of multiple channels and Will Smith started developing a series with him. This is despite the fact that in 2016, he said that there would only be a reboot “when hell freezes over.”
In contrast to Fresh Prince, both Frasier and Sex and the City promise to bring back some beloved characters played by the original actors. This isn’t possible with Fresh Prince due to core cast member James Avery’s (Uncle Phil) death in 2013 and the concept of the reboot as a more socially conscious retelling rather than a continuation.
That being said, I am happier for the new cast, especially with newcomer Jabari Banks in the role of Will Smith. It’s only by giving newer talent a chance that the industry can become more diverse and talented overall. Though it isn’t a reboot, Squid Game’s casting of HoYeon Jung as Kang Sae-byeok has shown that a lack of previous paid acting credits doesn’t mean a lack of acting ability.
Still, as they are reboots, I’m unlikely to rush to watch them once they come out. However, in the same way a new Pokémon game will always at least catch the attention of the 6-year-old who fell in love with the series, I’m sure that Fresh Prince at least will end up on my laptop screen at some point. The combined powers of nostalgia and an existing brand name are strong.
Written by Aiden Tsen
Aiden (any pronouns) is a postgraduate Year Here Social Innovation Fellow in London. They sometimes write professionally and have a website (https://aidentsen.com). In his spare time, he enjoys cycling and drawing Pokémon food fusions on Instagram @a.creatsen.