# Has there ever been a good revival of a TV show (same cast/characters) after years off the air? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150 "2010-03-28T23:44:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/21 "2010-03-29T20:18:09Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Don’t forget _After MASH,_ which featured some, but not all, of the original cast. I don’t recall it being much of a success. > > [AfterMASH (TV Series 1983–1985) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084969/) It was bloody awful and ran for maybe three episodes. What’s Happening Now was pretty good as I recall. But yeah, Rerun and Shirley pretty much carried the show. I thought that Are You Being Served was cancelled then brought back. Nope, it just ran for a really long time. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/22 "2010-03-29T20:21:20Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Dragnet** , a big hit from 1951-59, was revived in 1967 and ran until 1970. Jack Webb starred in both. And a Dick Wolf/Ed O’Neill version ran for two seasons starting in 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/23 "2010-03-29T20:25:46Z")
> [@audit1](#): > > LEAVE IT TO BEAVER ran from 1957-1963. All the original cast (except the late Hugh Beaumont) came back for the sequel series, THE NEW LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, running from 1985-1989. And wasn’t bad as I recall- certainly on par with the original. Surprising as there had been an attempt to bring back _Ozzie and Harriet_ and _Father Knows Best_ in the 1970s, especially after _Happy Days_ (a 50s sitcom 20 years after the '50s) and both had flopped. (It was also rumored that Desi Arnaz was in negotiations to star in another series with ex-wife Lucy in the early '80s but she wasn’t interested- not sure if it’s true or if it would have worked or if they’d have been the Ricardos, but it certainly wouldn’t have been worse than her godawful last series.) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/24 "2010-03-29T20:26:29Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > If animated shows count, there was “Adventures of Jonny Quest” in 1964 and later in 1988 with pretty much the same cast, just adding a teenage girl. Both only lasted a year but played for years on Saturday morning which kids will watch for years. > > [Jonny Quest - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Quest) Well, given what he’s up to these days… [http://www.venturefans.org/vbwiki/Jonny\_Quest](http://www.venturefans.org/vbwiki/Jonny_Quest) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/25 "2010-03-29T20:33:43Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] I thought that Are You Being Served was cancelled then brought back. Nope, it just ran for a really long time. [/quote] Perhaps you’re thinking of (US title) _Are you Being Served? Again!_, (UK title) _Grace & Favour_. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/26 "2010-03-29T20:36:51Z")
> [@audit1](#): > > LEAVE IT TO BEAVER ran from 1957-1963. All the original cast (except the late Hugh Beaumont) came back for the sequel series, THE NEW LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, running from 1985-1989. I seem to recall that the Brady Bunch tried something similar by launching a revival with many of the original cast members in the late 1980s or early '90s. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/27 "2010-03-29T20:59:15Z")
If you are going to count **Dr. Who** (with everything changing except the premis and the TARDIS), you would have to go with **Star Trek** ( **Next Gen** , etc.), and really, the films should be considered also. They were really just revivals of the format in a slightly different medium. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/28 "2010-03-29T21:13:29Z")
Steptoe and Son (remade as Sanford and Son in the US) ran for 4 series (27 episodes, including the Comedy Playhouse pilot) between '62 and '65, then returned for another 4 series (30 episodes, including 2 Christmas specials) between '70 and '74 . Two films were also made around that time: Steptoe and Son in '72, followed by Steptoe and Son Ride Again in '73. The Likely Lads, which ran for 3 series (20 episodes) between '64 and '66 came back as Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? for 2 series (27 episodes, including a Christmas special) between '73 and '74. That was quite a hit at the time and there was a film version made (this time just titled The Likely Lads) in '76. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/29 "2010-03-29T21:37:51Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > I seem to recall that the Brady Bunch tried something similar by launching a revival with many of the original cast members in the late 1980s or early '90s. At least three times. In 1981 the TV movie _The Brady Girls Get Married_ (really just the two oldest) was a hit and spawned _The Brady Brides_, which ran for a few episodes before getting pulled. In 1988 _A Very Brady Christmas_ was also a big hit and spawned a _really_ regrettable series called _The Bradys_ where they tried to give the Brady clan “real” problems: Jan was an alcoholic, Bobby became a paraphlegic, Marcia and her husband were broke and on public assistance, etc.- and nope, not making that up. Cancelled very quickly. The worst was the first, however: [The Brady Bunch Variety Hour](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brady_Bunch_Hour), a musical comedy show in 1977. Picture Robert Reed- more permed than ever, Florence Henderson and the kids (save for Eve Plumb, who wisely sat this one out to become a teen prostitute on a made for TV movie the same year [true story] so they brought in another actress to take her place) and picture them all in skin tight gold jumpsuits singing “Shake Your Booty”. Throw in Rip Taylor as a regular and an occasional disco number with Ann B. Davis. It very nearly ended television. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/30 "2010-03-29T21:41:47Z")
Are you including TV shows that got revived in animated form for Saturday morning TV (e.g. _Star Trek_)? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/31 "2010-03-29T21:46:47Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Jan was an alcoholic, Bobby became a paraphlegic, Marcia and her husband were broke and on public assistance, etc.- and nope, not making that up. _Marcia_ was alcoholic, _Jan_ couldn’t have children of her own, so adopted a Korean girl in about 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/32 "2010-03-29T21:53:29Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The original was a very low budget “Star Wars meets Mormonism” program that was mainly popular because there was very little by way of sci-fi on TV at the time. It was actually successful in ratings but because of the special effects and Lorne Greene’s hefty salary it barely broke even financially. I thought it was _great_! And then I watched a re-run somewhere in the 90s. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/33 "2010-03-29T21:55:52Z")
> [@Raza](#): > > Perhaps you’re thinking of (US title) _Are you Being Served? Again!_, (UK title) _Grace & Favour_. Which came after a 7 year break, and included almost the entirety of the last series’ cast. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/34 "2010-03-29T21:57:34Z")
Columbo would sort of fit the bill. It was never a regular weekly series, but it had a run in the 70s as part of the NBC Mystery Movie rotation. It returned in the 80s as sporadic movies of the week. (This is just the Peter Falk version. I know a couple of other actors played the role before him. In fact, should there be a remake the character should be played by Mark Ruffalo.) Ann Jillian was only on the first year of It’s a Livings comeback. So, any so called bitchiness she might have added would have been gone early in the 4 year run ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/35 "2010-03-29T22:19:13Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Does Family Guy count? It was canceled in 2002 and then brought back in 2005. Just in terms of my personal opinion on its quality, I thought those first three seasons before the original cancellation were brilliant, groundbreaking stuff, and still do. However, post-revival, the show has managed to become the mess all its detractors say it is; enjoyment is not impossible, but the show on the whole has become engulfed in its various pandering flaws. So, YMMV, but I feel the quality definitely suffered in the revival, for whatever reason. That having been said, the kind of shift the show underwent isn’t really of the “This doesn’t work at all anymore” kind from the OP, and the show is indeed still quite popular, I believe, so this should still count, I say. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/36 "2010-03-29T22:52:05Z")
Poo. Totally missed that the OP was asking for US shows only. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/37 "2010-03-30T02:55:16Z")
And another candidate. MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY. Ran form 1953-1964 on ABC and CBS. Less successful was MAKE ROOM FOR GRANDADDY on ABC 1970-1971 ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/38 "2010-03-30T13:25:56Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > The Likely Lads, which ran for 3 series (20 episodes) between '64 and '66 came back as Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? for 2 series (27 episodes, including a Christmas special) between '73 and '74. That was quite a hit at the time and there was a film version made (this time just titled The Likely Lads) in '76. This is what I came to mention. As revivals go, it was pretty successful and also smartly done. The ‘show’ years matched ‘real life’ years, and they based the new version of the show precisely on the fact that it had been so long since the two main characters had last met, and that they had ended up living such very different lives. There can’t be many times in TV history that it has been possible to do this, or that it had worked so well. Incidentally, this show is the subject of an ongoing row between the actors who played the two leads (Rodney Bewes and James Bolam). The BBC is willing to broadcast the shows again and fans of the series would like them to do so. However, although one of the stars (Bewes) is all in favour, the other (Bolam) won’t give his permission. They need his permission to broadcast the shows again, so unless he relents the shows will have to sit in the archives, unwatched. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/39 "2010-03-30T14:35:43Z")
Sonny & Cher had four different tv incarnations. The original S&C then when the marriage broke up each had a separate variety show both which failed, then they were reunited but divorced on a fourth series. The only thing I remember was a skit with Howard Cosell as a football coach commanding “robot” players on Sonny’s show or was it Cher’s, or the reunited divorced version? All perished. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150/40 "2010-03-30T15:19:11Z")
> [@](#): > > If you’re talking about the TZ revival in the early '80s, I’m pretty sure Rod Serling didn’t appear in that series, as he had been dead for several years. (Not that it wouldn’t have been appropriate.) I think they used a Serling imitator to do the opening and closing narration for each episode. Charles Aidman originally did the narrations. He was later replaced by Robin Ward and the producers went back and redubbed the early episodes with a Ward narration for syndication. They did a third version of the series in 2002. Forest Whitaker hosted this series. And, for the sake of completeness, Burgess Meredith was the guy who narrated the 1983 movie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-good-revival-of-a-tv-show-same-cast-characters-after-years-off-the-air/534150.md?page=3)