# TV remakes of TV shows as a series. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750 "2005-12-02T16:49:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [December 2, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/1 "2005-12-02T16:49:15Z")
Can you think of any? I’m not talking about extended version of the original show like _A Very Brady Wedding_ or _Return to Gilligan’s Island_, I am talking about the remake of a show with different actors. The only ones I can think of are _Perry Mason_ - It was remade with Monte Markum a few years after the original went off the air. No I am not talking about the made-for-TV Movies with Raymond Burr as Mason about 20 years after the original. And _Twilight Zone_. and _Kolchak: The Night Stalker_. Would the different incarnations of _Star Trek_ count? Nah, probably not completely different characters and actual references to the earlier _Star Trek_. How about _Saved by the Bell - The New Class_? Never saw much of either one, so I don’t know if it was a spin off or a remake. Were there any other attempted series remakes of a series and no, the new Maverick really doesn’t qualify since it was the same actor playing Maverick in both series. Sorry about the length of this. I originally was just thinking of a simple question and I kept adding on. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/2 "2005-12-02T16:55:19Z")
Battlestar Galactica, anyone? ---
**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:** [December 2, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/3 "2005-12-02T16:57:07Z")
Dragnet with Ed O’Neill comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/4 "2005-12-02T16:57:33Z")
_Kojack._ Last year USA made a new _Kojack_ series with Ving Rames that failed miserably. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/5 "2005-12-02T16:58:01Z")
_Battlestar Galactica_, in its current incarnation, is the “re-imagined” version of the original. While it does happen to have one of the original actors in a recurring guest role, it’s as a completely different character. PS - I like your explanation, differentiating “series continuations” vs “spin-offs” vs “remakes”. ---
**Author:** ![nvad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@nvad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nvad)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/6 "2005-12-02T17:11:07Z")
There was “The New Odd Couple” from the early '80s starring Ron Glass as Felix Unger and Demond (Lamont Sanford) Wilson as Oscar Madison that, if I recall correctly, was not only a remake but used the exact same scripts of the original TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/7 "2005-12-02T18:22:47Z")
There was a second, syndicated version of _WKRP in Cincinnati_ that had only one or two of the original cast members–Les Nessman and Arthur Carlson, I think? I might be wrong on that. Anyway, it starred Mykelti Williamson as the bewildered station manager, filling the same function as the Andy Travis character in the original series. ---
**Author:** ![nvad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@nvad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nvad)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/8 "2005-12-02T18:25:57Z")
> [@Airblairxxx](#): > > There was a second, syndicated version of _WKRP in Cincinnati_ that had only one or two of the original cast members–Les Nessman and Arthur Carlson, I think? I might be wrong on that. Anyway, it starred Mykelti Williamson as the bewildered station manager, filling the same function as the Andy Travis character in the original series. Oh yeah…that had Tawny Kitean in it too, right? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/9 "2005-12-02T18:26:29Z")
Other examples of old shows remade with new casts: The New Lassie The New Gidget The New Addams Family The New Munsters The New Partridge Family (with the cast chosen in a reality-show format) There’s also Ponderosa, a recent remake of Bonanza, set earlier than the original version, with new actors playing Ben, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/10 "2005-12-02T18:40:44Z")
Didn’t they try to redo “The Fugitive” a couple years back? I’m thinking Tim Daly was in it. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/11 "2005-12-02T18:47:32Z")
Two more versions of The Twilight Zone, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/12 "2005-12-02T18:48:44Z")
:smack: I just reread the OP. Ok then, how about The Outer Limits? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/13 "2005-12-02T18:58:58Z")
Doctor Who would fit the conditions of the OP, same character but different actor. The Fugitive : [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247097/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247097/) remake, same character, different actor The Tomorrow People : [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103568/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103568/) Same _premise_ as the original series, but I believe it’s not a direct sequel. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/14 "2005-12-02T19:09:13Z")
Dark Shadows. Of course, there are many American that are remakes of British series (Three’s Company, All in the Family I think, The Office, and a billion less successful ones.) –Cliffy ---
**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:** [December 2, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/15 "2005-12-02T20:57:54Z")
Basically what I am seeing is that remakes don’t seem to capture that lightning in a bottle that the original did. One could argue that the closest to a successful remake has been _Battlestar Galactica_ and one wonders if it would have survived if it weren’t for the expanded cable market. Did any of the others even make it two seasons? (a good number of them did not even last a full season) Of course, when the remake has not been seen before, like the British \*Steptoe and Son \*to the U.S. _Sanford and Son_, I guess it can work. I guess not having to live up to a previous incarnation in the same national market is easier. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/16 "2005-12-02T22:06:18Z")
Didn’t see the “new” version (and of course never will), but would “Night Stalker” count? Definitely in the “less than two seasons” category though. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/17 "2005-12-02T22:16:48Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Other examples of old shows remade with new casts: > > \ > > There’s also Ponderosa, a recent remake of Bonanza, set earlier than the original version, with new actors playing Ben, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe. Say what? How did I miss this? How bad was it? ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/18 "2005-12-02T23:50:29Z")
There was briefly a remade of Alfred Hitchcock Presents a few years after he died. They would redo the stories and use Hitchcock’s old intros. It was about as good as the other shows mentioned so far. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/19 "2005-12-03T00:24:28Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > _Kojack._ > > Last year USA made a new _Kojack_ series with Ving Rames that failed miserably. KOJAK ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750/20 "2005-12-03T01:20:36Z")
> [@Airblairxxx](#): > > There was a second, syndicated version of _WKRP in Cincinnati_ that had only one or two of the original cast members–Les Nessman and Arthur Carlson, I think? Herb Tarlek was also in the updated pile of shite, I mean _program_. Irritated me no end that he drank, since he was an alcoholic in the original. There was a New Monkees show which, if it had been presented as something other than an attempt to update the Monkees, wouldn’t have been terrible. Not sure if this should be included, but Wonder Woman jumped networks after its first season and also changed time periods from WW2 to the present, so it was sort of a new show with the same actors, one of whom played the same character. You could shoehorn Buffy in here too I suppose, with its network jump after its fifth season. Saved By The Bell was originally a Disney Channel show called Our Miss Bliss, then it changed names and networks (NBC) while retaining at least some of the actors and characters. Kinda sorta fits partway. And Baywatch was initially an NBC show that lasted I think just one season and was then revived to become the most successful syndicated show ever. Would Family Guy be included, having been cancelled and revived? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-remakes-of-tv-shows-as-a-series/333750.md?page=2)