# Besides Galactica, How Many Old TV Series have been Successfully Revived? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 5, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040 "2008-04-05T04:15:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/1 "2008-04-05T04:15:13Z")
I can think of numerous old TV series that have been brought back, but most were short-lived busts. “Battlestar Galactica” is one of the few success stories. I can think of: Monte Markham’s short-lived “Perry Mason” “Bionic Woman” Malcolm McDowall’s “Fantasy Island” Ed O’Neill’s “Dragnet” Then, of course, there are the sci-fi anthology shows like “Twilight Zone” and “Outer Limits.” Any other remakes you can think of? ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/2 "2008-04-05T04:23:12Z")
There are a few that have been made into (reasonably) successful movies - the Fugitive was the first one that came to mind, but Starsky and Hutch and the Brady Bunch Movie both did ok at the box office. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/3 "2008-04-05T04:32:50Z")
I’m still waiting for the updated, dark and edgy _Small Wonder_ remake. Instead of pre-teens the kids and robots could be mid to late teens and they could go on local crime adventures evry week. Throw in a little sexual tension between the kid and his “sister” robot maybe a lesbian subplot with the redhead next door and you got a hit. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/4 "2008-04-05T04:38:21Z")
In 2000, there was a TV remake of “The Fugitive” starring Tim Daly. It only lasted one season. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/5 "2008-04-05T04:41:15Z")
I’ve heard they were working on a new _Dark Shadows_, but I don’t know if it ever made it onto the air, or if it’s still in production, or what. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/6 "2008-04-05T04:43:27Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] I’ve heard they were working on a new _Dark Shadows_, but I don’t know if it ever made it onto the air, or if it’s still in production, or what. [/QUOTE] There was a not-very-good remake in 1991, starring Ben Cross as Barnabas Collins. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/7 "2008-04-05T04:43:59Z")
The revamped _Doctor Who_ seems to be doing pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/8 "2008-04-05T04:47:07Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] The revamped _Doctor Who_ seems to be doing pretty well. [/QUOTE] That’s not really a re-vamp, though, so much as a continuation of the original series. All the episodes with the other doctors are still more-or-less in continuity with the new ones. I’d argue the same logic keeps _Star Trek: TNG_ from qualifying for this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/9 "2008-04-05T04:50:10Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] That’s not really a re-vamp, though, so much as a continuation of the original series. All the episodes with the other doctors are still more-or-less in continuity with the new ones. I’d argue the same logic keeps _Star Trek: TNG_ from qualifying for this thread. [/QUOTE] It only counts if they pretend the first series never happened? That ain’t right! ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/10 "2008-04-05T05:03:41Z")
[QUOTE=astorian] Ed O’Neill’s “Dragnet” [/QUOTE] “Dragnet” also had a reasonably successful mid-60s revival with original star Jack Webb. If you include game shows, there’s several candidates, such as Jeopardy (50s/60s Art Fleming years vs. 80s-and-beyond Alex Trebeck era). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/11 "2008-04-05T07:27:43Z")
WKRP in Cincinnati came back in the early 90’s and ran for two seasons. Probably not that successful since there weren’t enough episodes to rerun in syndication. Gordon Jump, Frank Bonner, and Richard Sanders returned as Carlson, Herb, and Les, and there were guest appearances from alums Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, and Howard Hesseman. French Stewart was introduced as a new DJ. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/12 "2008-04-05T14:44:53Z")
The main thing that makes Battlestar work is that it was a re-imagining. I’ve never seen the original and my wife and I essentially pretend it is a new show. Even though I’m aware of some plot references and so forth, it doesn’t even need the original. I think at this point, it’s safe to assume that in the future, people will examine the current Battletstar far more than the original. By the way, we all need to watch **The Mole** this summer, which is being revived after 6 years off the air. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/13 "2008-04-05T14:49:08Z")
“Star Trek: The Next Generation” did pretty well, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/14 "2008-04-05T14:49:48Z")
Can we use cartoons? Batman, X-Men, Superman, etc., etc, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/15 "2008-04-05T14:52:06Z")
Degrassi lives on, and on, and on… ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/16 "2008-04-05T14:58:55Z")
_Mission Impossible_ from the late 60s/early 70s came back in the late 80s. The second incarantion only lasted two seasons, but I don’t recall it being too awful. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/17 "2008-04-05T15:34:44Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] It only counts if they pretend the first series never happened? That ain’t right! [/QUOTE] Y’know, I’m a bit ambivalent on this one – is it really a “revival” if it’s an explicit sequential sequel or spin-off? Maybe we should have subcategories – Revival-Remake (Galactica), Revival-Renewal (Doctor Who\*, Dragnet 67), Revival-Sequel (TNG) (\*And doesn’t the Doctor Who premise essentially contain within itself that periodically you can do a running renewal of the show, changing the entire cast and going off on different directions? ) ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/18 "2008-04-06T00:38:49Z")
[Night Stalker](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460665/) managed to ooze out 12 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/19 "2008-04-06T02:37:40Z")
The original Twilight Zone ran from 1959 to 1964 (156 episodes). It was revived twice; once from 1985 to 1989 (63 episodes) and from 2002 to 2003 (18 episodes) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040/20 "2008-04-06T03:54:55Z")
Sixties supernatural detective show\*\* Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) \*\*was remade in 2000 and lasted two seasons. > **[Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_and_Hopkirk_(Deceased))** > > Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Dennis Spooner and produced by Monty Berman, and was first broadcast in 1969 and 1970. In the United States, it was given the title My Partner the Ghost. > ITC Entertainment produced a single series of 26 episodes in 1968 and 1969, which was aired from September 1969 to March 1970. T... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/besides-galactica-how-many-old-tv-series-have-been-successfully-revived/444040.md?page=2)