I would love a reunion movie of Magnum PI, not that proposed (likely horrible) remake with Matthew McConaughey). Like the old days, when they did “where are they now” films like Still The Beaver, and Wild Wild West Revisited, using the original cast.
They could probably write a good story that involves everyone and isn’t stupid. I’d love to know what became of the characters. Lily must be in her thirties by now. Maybe she’s taken after her father and is in the Navy. Is Higgins still alive? (John Hillerman is, but he’s way younger than Higgins).
I can think of a few TV shows and maybe some movie franchises that I really wanted to continue when they bit the dust.
But I’m not so sure there’s anything that has been dead for a while that I want to see brought back. When has that ever resulted in something good? (Cue reviews of the soon to be exhumed X-Files.)
You’re totally whooshing me, right? Of the shows on this list, one lasted 6 episodes. One has already happened. And another was pulled from syndication amid a scandal-twice.
Battle of the Planets was a hit-or-miss American adaptation of my favorite anime, Gatchaman. Gatchaman’s original run was 105 episodes, that was butchered to shit, to make 85 episodes of BOTP. In 2002-03, Top Cow released a comic miniseries of BOTP that somehow simultaneously managed to be truer to the original source material, while also being true to the canon that was created by the American adaptation… I would give all the monies for an animated series based on that comic.
A non-hokey (no modern ‘PC’ cringe-worthiness) new version of the brilliant 12 Angry Men would be interesting; you could have even more of a back story on all of the characters and still not a car chase or CGI dinosaur in sight. I think a modern take on the original could be made as attitudes have changed so much.
I liked American Gothic. A revisit with the original cast could be feasible. Gary Cole can still act. Caleb (Lucas Black) could return to Trinity as an adult - providing he gets time off from NCIS: New Orleans.
Not that I am actually suggesting a crossover although who would win in a fight between Sheriff Lucas Buck and Jethro Gibbs?
Of existing franchises that I’d like to see more of:
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (I Understand Joel is trying to get this kickstarted
Connections by James Burke. The TLC incarnations weren’r as good as the PBS original, but they werre still worth it. And he’s written books like American Connections he could use as basis for another series.
Firefly, as noted
Asterix – the old cartoon versions were of mediocre quality, and I wasn’t thrilled by the live-action versions, but a couple of years ago they did a new cartoon version of Asterix and the Normans under the title Asterix and the Vikings that was beautifully done. AFAIK it didn’t get released in the states, even on video. They’ve done at least one other since, Asterix and the Gods, which I haven’t seen.
I could do without
The Prisoner – I loved the Patrick McGoohan 1960s series. The remake several years ago was terrible. I don’t think anyone else can do it justice.
Dragnet – Without Jack Webb? unthinkable.
There’s a whole other list of films I wish they’d remake, only the right way this time., but I think that’s outside the scope suggested by the OP.
The campaign was successful. There are going to be fourteen new episodes shot this year. There will be a new cast: Jonah Ray, Felicia Day, Patton Oswalt, Hampton Yount, and Baron Vaughn
I’ve always suspected that Firefly’s acclaim comes not from the few episodes that aired, but from the episodes fans imagined would have aired had the show continued. The show felt like it was building up to something absolutely amazing, and because it was cancelled we were never able to be disappointed.
The series has continued in comic form, though. I haven’t read it.