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What's the deal with sitcoms coming back after 20+ years?

Derek

By Derek
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Spork3245

Spork3245

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2 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

I'm down for something like this but I worry about the quality all these decades later. It's finished - it had its time. Just let some things be over that went out on top (more or less). Example: the recent Frasier sequel.


Cobra Kai, Fuller House, Bel-Air, and others have been good, though. 
I definitely don’t think it would work as being revived as a series, fwiw..

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Greatoneshere

Greatoneshere

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23 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:


Cobra Kai, Fuller House, Bel-Air, and others have been good, though. 
I definitely don’t think it would work as being revived as a series, fwiw..

 

Yeah, I'm not sure Fuller House or Bel-Air are ringing endorsements in my estimation. I'll grant you Cobra Kai, but it's cheesy tone is easier to replicate in this day and age. I'm not saying it can't be done but it's just better to let some sleeping dogs lie. It's not like there's a need for it that'll somehow elevate the original work.

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Greatoneshere

Greatoneshere

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15 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:


You haven’t watched either, have you? :raisedbrow:

 

I've seen a little Fuller House but I was never a fan of the original show so I guess Fuller House is a success in that it emulates the shitty TV show that preceded it (to me, I know for some reason the original show has a lot of fans). As for Bel-Air, I have only seen half of the first season but I'm such an enormous fan of the original nothing could probably have measured up. That being said, Bel-Air is a reinvention of the show rather than here (or in Fuller House or Frasier's cases) where we're discussing a direct sequel to Seinfeld. That's what I mean by not ringing endorsements. Fuller House is bad conceptually and Bel-Air is too different to apply as an example in this case. Frasier works better (like Cobra Kai and Fuller House) more than Bel-Air as an additional example. That '90's Show looked bad but I haven't see it myself. :p 

 

Edit: I haven't seen it but did anyone like Girl Meets World? And even if they did, think it worthy of existence or anywhere near as good as Boy Meets World? Most of these shows just disappear after a season or two and never make a mark like the original.

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Spork3245

Spork3245

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Just now, Greatoneshere said:

 

I've seen a little Fuller House but I was never a fan of the original show so I guess Fuller House is a success in that it emulates the shitty TV show that preceded it. As for Bel-Air, I have only seen half of the first season but I'm such an enormous fan of the original nothing could probably have measured up. That being said, Bel-Air a reinvention of the show rather than here (or in Fuller House or Frasier's cases) where we're discussing a direct sequel to Seinfeld. That's what I mean by not ringing endorsements. Fuller House is bad conceptually and Bel-Air is too different to apply as an example in this case. Frasier works better (like Cobra Kai and Fuller House) more than Bel-Air as an additional example. I'm not too hopeful about That '90's Show myself either. :p 

 

Fuller House is exactly the same as the OG, therefore it's a perfect endorsement of a sequel done correctly. Whether or not it's good isn't relevant, IMO, as it's just as good as the not-so-good 90s show was: it's 1:1 with it :p. Bel-Air has been a pleasant surprise in that I had no expectations for it, and was probably leaning towards preemptively hating it, but wound up with a "oh... this is... somehow... good?" - but it's an actual reboot and not a sequel so let's not dwell on that one.

The new Futurama continuation was great - it was on par with all of the Comedy Central seasons, IMO (some good eps, some great eps, some meh/bad eps).

The Roseanne/The Conners sequel has been pretty well received, even if it's not my personal cup of tea

How I Met Your Father (which is both a reboot and a sequel) was very good, but unfortunately didn't get the ratings it needed to continue.

The Ducktales reboot has been well received, but I've personally never watched it.

Despite no one watching it, the Saved by the Bell reboot was absolutely fantastic, especially it's second season <- I'd argue it was a much better show than the original.

Though it's not out yet, I'll argue that XMen '97 is probably going to be a lot of fun :p 

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Greatoneshere

Greatoneshere

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58 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

Fuller House is exactly the same as the OG, therefore it's a perfect endorsement of a sequel done correctly. Whether or not it's good isn't relevant, IMO, as it's just as good as the not-so-good 90s show was: it's 1:1 with it :p. Bel-Air has been a pleasant surprise in that I had no expectations for it, and was probably leaning towards preemptively hating it, but wound up with a "oh... this is... somehow... good?" - but it's an actual reboot and not a sequel so let's not dwell on that one.

The new Futurama continuation was great - it was on par with all of the Comedy Central seasons, IMO (some good eps, some great eps, some meh/bad eps).

The Roseanne/The Conners sequel has been pretty well received, even if it's not my personal cup of tea

How I Met Your Father (which is both a reboot and a sequel) was very good, but unfortunately didn't get the ratings it needed to continue.

The Ducktales reboot has been well received, but I've personally never watched it.

Despite no one watching it, the Saved by the Bell reboot was absolutely fantastic, especially it's second season <- I'd argue it was a much better show than the original.

Though it's not out yet, I'll argue that XMen '97 is probably going to be a lot of fun :p 

 

I think it's important to make a distinction between successful shows and Seinfeld, which was a seminal landmark in TV at the time. Making a sequel to Ducktales or How I Met Your Mother isn't sacrilegious. I mean, I'm looking forward to X-Men 97 but no one really worries about hurting the legacy of the original run with that or any of the shows you mentioned. Hell, the back half of HIMYM was awful. If you want to believe they can recapture the magic of Seinfeld in the current era (and as much as I love Curb Your Enthusiasm, it's a pretty different show given it's R-rated nature), then be my guest, but in no way do I think this is a good idea, and I think naming examples of sequels to shows that, even if good, don't reach the heights of the original and aren't making a huge landmark in TV means its almost always better to leave well enough alone.

 

You name a lot of examples but I think my main point is being missed - none of the aforementioned shows, good or bad, did nothing for the original show. None, that I'm aware of, exceeded the quality of the original, and few rarely match the original either. The best that can be said for most of these is: "surprisingly solid" or "not bad" or "not as good as the original, but worth watching". I think it's sort of pointless to go back to a well when you aren't going to do it equal or better a second time through. Some shows have such a particular writers' room, or voice, with a particular cast at a particular time, that it all just works. 

 

Even emulating Deadwood with the movie, Justified with City Primeval, and Party Down with its newest season were tall orders, and except Party Down (whose original show isn't that old) matched the original in terms of quality. I had hopes for Dexter: New Blood as well and that was mediocre at best. 

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Spork3245

Spork3245

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15 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

None, that I'm aware of, exceeded the quality of the original, and few rarely match the original either.


That’s my point: it doesn’t need to do that to be good if it’s a one-off special as it only needs to be “as good” as the average episode to be satisfying. Seinfeld has one of the worst finales in sitcom history so it’s not fighting against itself here.

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Greatoneshere

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3 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:


That’s my point: it doesn’t need to do that to be good if it’s a one-off special as it only needs to be “as good” as the average episode to be satisfying. Seinfeld has one of the worst finales in sitcom history so it’s not fighting against itself here.

 

Yeah, I'm with you, but creating a Seinfeld episode to be "as good" as an old average episode of Seinfeld will require so many moving parts working together25 years later I'm surprised you're optimistic given this industry usually not pulling that off at this high a level. 

 

Again, we already got the perfect one-off Seinfeld special with that season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It was minor but enough for me at least. :p 

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Spork3245

Spork3245

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Just now, Greatoneshere said:

 

Yeah, I'm with you, but creating a Seinfeld episode to be "as good" as an old average episode of Seinfeld will require so many moving parts working together I'm surprised you're optimistic. 

 

Again, we already got the perfect one-off Seinfeld special with that season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.


Whoa now, I never said I was optimistic :p 

I listed sequel series that were good/well received only because of the notion that none have been good.

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Greatoneshere

Greatoneshere

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1 hour ago, Spork3245 said:

Whoa now, I never said I was optimistic :p 

 

I listed sequel series that were good/well received only because of the notion that none have been good.

 

Yeah I was being hyperbolic as none is extreme, but as good as the original it came from was? I don't think any of them reach those heights. You're right, it can be done (to make something at least nostalgically good), but I don't see why we should taint or tarnish a show that had its time and place by creating an inoffensive special or sequel of some kind. But let's see what this ends up being first I suppose.

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