Reboot fever is still pretty strong in the entertainment industry with plenty of old (and not so old) properties getting revived for modern audiences. This extends to sci fi properties with Lost in Space wrapping up its three-year run on Netflix, an Alien series coming to FX next year, and a new Battlestar: Galactica series in the works at Peacock. While reboots are generally just a way to capitalize on the popularity and/or nostalgia value of a show, there are some properties that are ripe for a reboot because they failed to fully explore their premise the first time around and/or they were cut short far too soon. Following are five Sci fi TV Obscurities that I believe would benefit from a reboot. They almost certainly will not be brought back because they were never very popular in the first place, but if they did get a revival, I believe they could turn into decent genre entries.
Wizards and Warriors (CBS, 1983, Season Totaling 8 Episodes)
What Is It? Two kingdoms are at war with prince Eric Greystone (played by the late Jeff Conaway) trying to defend the land of Camarand against the evil machinations of prince Dirk Blackpool and his wizard Vector. Meanwhile, Greystone is engaged to marry the spoiled princess Princess Ariel Baaldorf (played by Julia Duffy) who is much more interested in the clothes she is wearing or how her hair looks.
Why Reboot It? With the current Game of Thrones fever and every venue trying to get its own fantasy series on the small screen, this show (or one that follows a similar premise) just be ripe for the present landscape. With the overly grim nature of most of the fantasy shows on television and in the works, the lighter approach of Wizards & Warriors might be a welcome change. And while the original suffered from extreme cheesiness and poor special effects (despite the amount of money put into it), modern day budgets could definitely deliver a more polished product. A fun fantasy series like this just might be what we need right about now. Read more about Wizards and Warriors at this link.
Cliffhangers (NBC, 1979, One Season Totaling 11 Episodes)
What Is It? This short-lived series from Kenneth Johnson offered a modern day take on the old movie serials and it combined three ongoing segments into each episode: the action/adventure Stop Susan Williams, the sci fi/western The Secret Empire, and the supernatural tinged Dracula 79.
Why Reboot It? While certainly a cheesy genre entry (somewhat intentionally), this show was well ahead of its time with serialized episodes and season-long story arcs, and it would work perfectly in the current television environment. There are any of a number of well-known sci fi characters from the old serials that could lead this show off (Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon aren’t doing anything of note lately). Plus, a reboot could mine the old pulps and comics, and a ton of those characters are in the public domain these days. It could also be used as a try out for original ideas with the ones that register well with audiences possibly spinning off into their own shows or sticking around to headline this series. And since it can reboot itself in part or completely each season, it’s quite a versatile format. There’s so much that could be done with this concept, that it’s almost criminal nobody has given serious thought to a reboot. And it doesn’t even have to be tied to the original series in case there are any rights issues with using the same title. Come up with a new name and put in three good installments each week and you have a potential breakout show. Read more about Cliffhangers at this link.
The Phoenix (ABC, 1981-82, One Season Totaling 9 Episodes
What Is It? A man is found to be alive and in suspended animation in a tomb beneath ruins in Peru. He is revived and reveals himself to be an ancient alien who came to Earth from the planet Eldebran many centuries ago. His name is Benu and he possesses special abilities linked to his Phoenix amulet which gets its power from the sun. He does not remember what his purpose on Earth is and must find his companion Mira who is at an unspecified location on the planet. He is pursued by the authorities and must also contend with the evil Yago, another alien from Eldebran.
Why Reboot It? This show started out with an interesting premise for its pilot, but when it was given the greenlight for series, ABC execs insisted that the creative team downplay the sci fi elements. If it had been allowed to explore those instead of just playing out as another Fugitve retread, it could have turned into a sleeper genre entry (though that still may not have saved it from cancellation). A reboot could focus on the ancient alien premise and really bring in some interesting sci fi ideas. The beginnings of a good show can be found here that someone could run with if they decided there was enough interest. Read more about The Phoenix at this link.
Veritas the Quest (ABC, 2003, 1 Season Totaling 13 Episodes)
What Is It? Troubled teen Nikko Zond has been in and out of boarding schools since seeing his mother kidnapped when he was younger. But after his latest expulsion, he reunites with his estranged, archaeologist father whom he discovers has been investigating an ancient, highly advanced civilization that existed on the earth several thousand years ago. They find themselves at odds with others who want to keep this information secret and they set off on a dangerous adventure to uncover the truths of this discovery.
Why Reboot It? This fun little series came and went pretty quickly and essentially delivered a live-action Jonny Quest for the 21st century (it even has “Quest” in the title). It debuted before Lost had convince broadcast net execs that there was indeed and audience for sci fi shows and might have had more success if it hade arrived after that show. The show had a good premise that could have carried it for multiple seasons, and it had a good since of fun as well. It also had a decent cast, but it seems unlikely that they would return to their roles after such a long time. A complete reboot with a new cast could work, though, a maybe just a live-action Jonny Quest series would suffice. Read more about Veritas the Quest at this link.
Time Express (CBS, 1979, 1 Season Totaling 4 Episodes)
What Is It? A mysterious train has the ability to travel back in time and give people a chance to relive a pivotal point in their life. Each week, two passengers receive a ticket in the mail specifying a specific time and place in their past and giving them the opportunity at a second chance.
Should It Be Rebooted? This show was basically Fantasy Island/The Love Boat with time travel and the premise had plenty of potential. It could be brought back with the light tone of the original while throwing in a few more dramatic stories from time to time to keep it in Emmy contention. FOX is bringing back Fantasy Island later this Summer, so if that is successful maybe Time Express could get back on track as well. Read more about the show at this link.
More from CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
I think another good show could either be brought back for a revival or rebooted. Tru Calling was an American television supernatural drama series that aired on Fox. The show starred Eliza Dushku as Tru Davies Original episodes aired between October 30, 2003, and March 11, 2005; however, the final episode was shown in other territories before it was aired in the U.S. due to lower than anticipated ratings. While its true the ratings were low its due because Fox kept rescheduling how the show and episodes aired, sometimes it would be weeks to months and constantly moving to different days and time slots, basically Fox sabotaged the show from the very start, as a result viewers left the show because they get tired of the show always being rescheduled. Fox has a great track record of killing their shows with bad executives running the Network making constant bad decisions. After all they killed and Cancelled Lucifer but NetFlix picked it up and has proven to be very successful, I bet Fox are kicking themselves for that, yet they still don’t learn from their mistakes.