5 reboots you definitely forgot about
People like to say that Hollywood and TV execs are out of ideas these days due to the fact so many reboots of classic TV shows and movies are being released. In 2017 alone, reboots of Training Day, 24, Taken, Snatch, Anne of Green Gables, Star Trek, Heathers Dynasty and Tales From the Crypt are all being released.
However, reboots are far from being a new thing. In fact, you've probably just forgotten about most of them that have come and gone. That would be understandable, though, because a lot of them, well… weren't very good.
Here are some of the reboots that have been released in the past few decades that you probably haven't thought about since they came out.
'The Twilight Zone'
Not only is The Twilight Zone known as one of the most important science-fiction series, but the Writers Guild of America has even considered it one of the best-written TV series of all time. The cultural impact is vast, despite only having five seasons and getting a guest spot was something actors aspired for. Some guest stars in the original Twilight Zone included William Shatner, Carol Burnett, Martin Landau and George Takei.
2002's reboot of The Twilight Zone was the second attempt at a reboot and was the least successful of the three, despite a star-studded cast of guest stars. With guest stars like Jason Alexander, Jessica Simpson, Jeremy Piven and Jason Bateman, it lasted a single season. In addition to airing remakes of classic episodes like "The Eye of the Beholder" and "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street," there were also new episodes written specifically for the series. Another reboot with CBS has been in the works since 2009. Maybe the fourth time's the charm?
Image: CBS Television Distribution/Warner Bros. Television Distribution
'Bewitched'
Bewitched remains one of the most beloved TV shows, even inspiring a statue of Samantha in Salem, Massachusetts. Not only was the show funny, but it set itself apart from many other shows of the era by making Samantha a more complex character than most women were portrayed on TV.
The 2005 movie, however, wasn't so beloved. Starring Nicole Kidman and WIll Ferrell, this meta version was about a has-been actor who stars in a movie adaptation of Bewitched and casts Nicole Kidman as Samantha before finding out she's an actual witch. While the concept is a cute idea, it got a 25% on Rotten Tomatoes and nobody remembers it exists.
Image: Sony Pictures Television/Columbia Pictures
'Mission Impossible
1966's Mission: Impossible is what started the franchise that's spawned countless action films and video games. The original run about the Impossible Missions Force lasted seven seasons and was the reason behind many of Martin Landau's Emmy nominations and Golden Globe award.
The 1988 reboot of Mission: Impossible showed that keeping cast members of the original series can't even keep a series safe. Peter Graves was brought back, reprising his role as Jim Phelps. However, it aired the same time as The Cosby Show and only lasted two seasons. Maybe what they really needed was Tom Cruise, who was busy in Rain Man that year.
Image: CBS Television Distribution
'The Mod Squad'
The Mod Squad, about hip, young cops infiltrating the counterculture, was the perfect programming for its era. Not only were the episodes relevant and timely for the late-1960s and early-'70s, dealing with issues like race riots, student protests and Vietnam veterans, the show was also one of the first adaptations of the late '60s counterculture that didn't paint it in a negative light.
Those issues were nothing new, and not nearly as relevant in 1999 when The Mod Squad was made into a film, starring Claire Danes, Omar Epps and Giovanni Ribisi. It was too modernized for a reboot of a show whose charm was tied to its era. Frankly, it was totally unnecessary. It has a 3% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Image: CBS Television Distribution/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
'Charlie's Angels'
While the original Charlie's Angels wasn't an immediate success, nobody can doubt the fact that it spawned a number of shows and movies with badass leading ladies. About "three little girls who went to the police academy" who are recruited as private investigators, Charlie's Angels was a good mix of sexiness and action.
While three scantily clad women fighting crime may have been a recipe for success in the 1970s, it wasn't anything new in 2011, when ABC aired a reboot with Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly and Rachael Taylor as the Angels. These women started off edgier, on the wrong side of the law as a crooked cop, street racer and thief before Charlie recruits them. The show ended up cancelled after just four episodes. Plus, we had the film with Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu and that's really all we needed.
Image: Sony Pictures Television