Remakes are a common strategy in Hollywood: If audiences liked something the first time, the reasoning goes, surely they'll like it a second time. When a beloved must-watch TV series works or is considered a cult classic for a reason, there can be a charm in revisiting beloved characters or giving a story a contemporary update.
Like movie remakes , TV shows that are revived in some form can get a bad rap, having to straddle fan expectations. However, they can still be pleasant surprises and find innovative ways to retool and extend existing IPs, whether in the form of a spinoff, sequel series, or completely new take on the original premise. Below, find some of the best TV remakes and reboots of all time that are worth watching.
'Anne With an E' (2017–2019)
(Image credit: Netflix)
This Canadian drama series adapts the source material of Anne of Green Gables and fundamentally remakes the events depicted in the popular movies and TV series of the same name. While it can be tricky to re-imagine a classic text that people love, this is often seen as a series that adds to the foundation.
Not to be confused with other iterations, N etflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender does a solid job trying to do justice to the animated original while avoiding some pitfalls in adapting this highly magical story. After focusing on a great deal of backstory at the start of the debut season, it found its footing in later episodes and features a talented young cast.
Largely considered one of the best and most successful TV remakes of all time, Battlestar Galactica started life as a very '70s sci-fi show. The '00s reimagining was far more serious and gritty, with the robot Cylons now almost indistinguishable from their human counterparts. Scary!
Many viewers loved the '90s and '00s series about three (ultimately four) witches trying to hide their powers while navigating romance. But the reboot also modernized the basic premise of the original show—which didn't include original cast members—and lasted four seasons.
This remake of the popular show Sabrina the Teenage Witch takes the source material from Archie Comics and goes in a much darker direction. It's still worth watching because it's delightful in its snark and dark magic.
This continuation is a modern example of how to retool existing content—in this case, the Karate Kid movies—and make it compelling. Here, it offers the villain's point of view as Johnny (William Zabka) decides to re-open the Cobra Kai dojo, and Daniel (Ralph Macchio) opens a rival dojo. Drama!
This show is meta on meta: In the original series, Friends star Lisa Kudrow plays a star staging a comeback with a show-within-a-show called The Comeback . Then in 2014, The Comeback had a comeback of its own with the character using footage from the original show to make a documentary, all within the show. Phew!
Proof that people love drama no matter what decade you're in, the reboot of the popular soap opera changed around several contextual details—including the main character and the setting—but still leaned in on the drama of billionaires. For five seasons!
Calling Doctor Who a reboot is kind of a cheat since the show can reboot within itself thanks to the titular Doctor being able to regenerate in a different form (allowing a new actor to play the role). But the show had been off the air for a while when it was successfully restarted in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston.
Based on a comic book character, evolved from various television appearances, and a spinoff of the hit show Arrow , The Flash had a ton of source material to draw from. Grant Gustin's portrayal of the character was wildly popular and has come to be seen as one of the most definitive iterations of the character.
It might seem bold to remake a show that was so long-lasting and beloved as Frasier , but the Paramount+ reboot smartly didn't stray too far from the character's original portrayal. Kelsey Grammer was the only original cast member to return, which helped usher in new characters.
The Full House reboot lasted five seasons, and in that time it managed to find its voice and footing after the first season was called derivative by critics. With many of the original cast returning, there were also some fun nostalgia cameos that fans enjoyed.
This is an aptly named spinoff of Boy Meets World (with many of the same actors getting involved, including Danielle Fishel and Ben Savage). Riley Matthews (Rowan Blanchard) is Cory and Topanga's daughter and, true to form, she must deal with high school and relationship drama. The show ran for three seasons.
Centering around a small major crimes task force, Hawaii Five-0 is a reboot of the '60s and '70s show Hawaii Five-O . It went for 10 seasons and ended with 240(!) episodes—and, fun fact, also exists in the NCIS universe.
This standalone spinoff to the 2008 film Jumper , Impulse is considered one of those underrated, "gone too soon" remakes that elevates the source material. In the one-season wonder, "Henry" Coles (Maddie Hasson) realizes she can teleport—but has no control over her powers or destination.
Technically this is a continuation of the popular show Justified , with the same lead character Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant). The new series follows Givens to a new location and a new target, but now he's the father of a teen and getting on in years.
Like many properties on this list, the Muppets have been endlessly rebooted and reconsidered over the years. The 2010s television series only lasted one season, but has now been reclaimed as an effective vehicle for our beloved characters (especially Miss Piggy as a talk show host).
'Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return' (2017–2018)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
If you followed the original cult classic, great news: the return picks up where the original left off and only changes a few things. If this silly sci-fi comedy film review series was lost on you the first time, give it a whirl—you might enjoy some of the (many, many) episodes!
An adaptation of the same source material as the '90s TV show La Femme Nikita (itself based on the French film La Femme Nikita ), this 2010s remake carries the plot forward. Maggie Q plays the titular agent who has escaped the secret organization that controlled her and is now determined to destroy it. Fans loved all four seasons.
No list of remakes would be complete without The Office . The U.S. version started as a literal copy of the British version but grew beyond its origins to become successful over a whopping nine seasons. It ranks up there with Friends as the most-watched and rewatched series ever.
The original One Day at a Time was a classic sitcom, making any reboot a tricky endeavor. But this new series, with original creator Norman Lear at the helm, made a sweet modern-day look at several generations of a Cuban-American family. It's a must-watch.
If you're unfamiliar, the original Party Down was about the jobs that up-and-coming actors take while waiting to make it big (no surprise, but the show is a black comedy). It gained fans increasingly after it was canceled, so the 2023 third season was a no-brainer—and just as darkly funny, turns out.
A reboot of the popular '00s series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy , this new iteration leaned in on its modern sensibilities—with much stronger representation and depiction of diverse members of the LGBTQ+ community. The core concept of transforming someone's life remains largely the same.
You might have missed this revival/reboot when it originally aired (it was canceled after two seasons), but the show included much of the original cast plus a whole new cast of teens. It's not just a retread of existing jokes, either—there's a refreshing update of what it means to go to Bayside High.
Based on his 1980s film of the same name, Spike Lee recreated this modern-day telling of Nola (DeWanda Wise), a Black woman who lives happily in her artistic and sexual freedom. Fans of the original and new fans who were unfamiliar both enjoyed it a lot.
We've had many reboots, remakes, and reimagined Star Trek content. So, if you like sci-fi, this seventh series on Paramount+ was well-reviewed and well-watched—including by some Star Trek newbies, if you're trying the franchise on for the first time.
File this under "If you missed it the first time, go back and watch." The Tick (Peter Serafinowicz) is a guy in a huge blue tick suit who fights crime; probably unsurprisingly, this is superhero satire. This is based on a comic book and a canceled live-action series in the '00s—and it's delightful, FYI.
Thriller novelist Tom Clancy and his most famous character, Jack Ryan, have been a wealth of source material (and reboot potential) in Hollywood. John Krasinski plays the CIA analyst in a modern-day setting, although the drama remains just as over-the-top as ever.
Even though at the time it garnered comparisons to shows like Black Mirror , the rebooted Twilight Zone co-developed by Jordan Peele stayed impressively true to the the original's tone. It also offered modern-day subjects, exploring topics like misinformation and racism.
Proving that David Lynch hasn't lost his edge, the return of the Twin Peaks universe (from the original TV series and prequel movie) is a 25-years-later look at the town in question—and is just as trippy as ever. Kyle MacLachlan reprised his starring role, thank goodness.
This is technically a "continuation" of the original '00s series, with season 4 of Veronica Mars made 15 years after the original premiered. It featured some very different plot points that weren't necessarily beloved by hardcore fans, but it still allowed for some nostalgia combined with the development of our beloved characters.
The cult comedy film Wet Hot American Summer inspired several Netflix series. After releasing a prequel in 2015, this sequel series came out two years later. Co-creator and director David Wain directed the original movie and both series, and much of the original cast members who became comedy legends returned.
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