Kel Mitchell, left, and Kenan Thompson star in “Good Burger 2.” (Paramount+)
By Chris Bixby
Every year television and film professionals develop hundreds of new projects. Audiences often feel excitement when a new series arrives on a favorite channel or streaming service, or when a highly anticipated film opens in theaters. However, years later, those same stories often return in the form of sequels, remakes or reboots. For some viewers, revisiting familiar characters can be exciting. For others, the constant revival of old properties feels repetitive. The question many viewers ask is why franchises continue to return as fewer original stories seem to break through.
As reboots and remakes become increasingly common in television and film, 4Cs Professor Tyler Daniels said studios rely on them for several reasons.
“I think it’s guided by a few factors. One potential factor could just be a near complete absence of originality,” says Daniels. “Maybe some execs are kind of leaning back on a formula that they suspect will work again since it did work once before. Maybe they just don’t have the time, the resources, or the inspiration to think of new ideas that could be, I guess, relatively riskier from a creative and economic perspective.”
When asked whether any reboot or remake failed to live up to its original, Daniels said: “Honestly, every single one of them. Because when you see a movie, you know, in your mind’s eye, you create the epilogue. And the thing is, once fan fiction becomes real, it’s no longer fan fiction. It’s canon. And, well, let’s take the movie Good Burger, for instance. I saw that maybe 30 years ago. And it was a story that was just good, clean family fun and didn’t warrant a continuation. It didn’t need a continuation. But then when Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell reunited, that was kind of nice in a way, but when they actually made an official sequel, everything that I had imagined happening to these characters, everything I had imagined happening to their adventures and their world and their universe, (went) up in smoke.” This is a clear indication that a common criticism of reboots, remakes and continuations is that they alter the original story in ways that do not resonate with audiences.
In the 2010s, the term “nostalgia” became increasingly common in discussions of television and film as studios revisited fan-favorite titles from previous decades. One prominent example is the ABC family sitcom Full House. Fans embraced the dynamic between Danny, Jesse and Joey, Kimmy’s antics and Michelle’s memorable catchphrases. In 2016, Netflix revived many of those characters with the reboot Fuller House, which introduced viewers to the children of D.J., Stephanie and Kimmy. While some viewers enjoyed seeing familiar characters return, the reboot also drew criticism for leaning too heavily on nostalgia. Some critics argued the series felt forced and that the traditional “cheesy sitcom” style no longer resonated with modern audiences. The show ended in 2020 after five seasons. Although Fuller House received praise from some fans, others view it as one of several recent reboots that failed to match the impact of their predecessors.
As reboots and remakes continue to dominate television and film, many viewers wonder whether new, original stories will receive the same attention. Original projects are still produced, but they are often overshadowed as studios prioritize reviving established properties that appeal to longtime audiences and promise reliable profits.
