2011’s TV Trend: Remakes

The 2010 TV season is barely over, but the networks have already examined what did or didn’t work. The biggest new hit, CBS’ Hawaii 5-0 remake, has put the industry in a nostalgic mood, with the following TV reboots being in development.

Charlie’s Angels: ABC plans on reviving the ’70s female investigators in a similar fashion as the 2000 and 2003 movies did. In fact, Drew Barrymore, who co-starred in the films, has signed on as an executive producer.

The Munsters: NBC has ordered a pilot of the ’60s monster family comedy, with the makers of Pushing Daisies behind it. They reportedly want Veronica Mars‘ Kristen Bell for the role of Marilyn. (The show was revived for several movies as well as continued in 1988’s The Munsters Today)

Dallas: A scheduled all-star movie adaption of the primetime soap was shelved, but cable network TNT is planning on an update that revolves around the original characters’ grown-up children.

The Wild Wild West: Using an unlikely pairing of producers from CSI and the remake of Battlestar Galactica, CBS plans to bring back the adventures of two Secret Service agents who use modern-style inventions to fight crime in the Old West. (The series also inspired the 1999 Will Smith movie of the same name.)

Wonder Woman: Producer David E. Kelley, mostly known for lawyer-driven shows like Boston Legal and Ally McBeal, is working on a new version of the ’70s female superhero. It’s likely that The CW would be interested in putting it in place of Smallville, which is in its final season.

Perhaps Hollywood is steering towards these ideas because of a lack of originality. It could also be argued that in today’s market, putting out a show with a built-in following is the best way to stand out in a crowd. Still, there are more examples of these kind of shows failing instead, like the WB’s 2002 redo of Family Affair, NBC’s 2007 Bionic Woman, 2008’s Knight Rider, the CW’s currently struggling Nikita, a proposed update of The Rockford Files that never made to television, and more. The real question, however, is what classic TV shows would you like to see remade? (Personally, I’d like to see a updated Mission: Impossible or The Man From UNCLE.) Comment below.