There were rumors that a "Married" spinoff was going to air, but with Bud and his wife and family. From the 80's, I would have liked to have seen a return/re-cast of "L.A. Law" and "thirtysomething"..(I guess now it would have been "sixty" or "seventysomething"..the original cast is still alive).

SPYZFAN1 said:

Yeah they do "reunions" on TV like every like 10 years or so. Everyone's out of character and they just sit around on the old set and talk old times and show clips.

In the E! True Hollywood Story the creators, sitcom OG head writers Michael G. Mowe & Ron Leavitt said they were pissed they weren't asked back by FOX to write a formal finale. Then Ron Leavitt passed away in 2008, so maybe "new content" became an issue among the cast with respect or not wanting to tread...?

The spiritual sequel to me was Unhappily Ever After from the mid-90s. It came out while Married... was still running so people kind of dismissed it as a rip-off or clone, but Unhappily... was co-created by Ron Leavitt, so, it's like if George Lucas makes another space movie is he ripping off Star Wars?

Unhappily... had the same crass tone, same rowdy cat-calling audience, same overall dysfunctional family sitcom format, only it was supposed to deal with divorce instead of marriage.


This show also had a cool twist that I think makes it quite underrated. On the first episode when the dad's getting kicked out and moving into his crappy apartment the young son gives him his favorite childhood toy, his stuffed bunny Mr. Floppy, so the dad doesn't get lonely without the family around anymore. Due to the combination of depression and alcoholism he starts talking to the stuffed bunny, voiced by 90s comedian Bobcat Goldthwait, whom only the audience can see interact with the dad.

Mr. Floppy was the original Ted crass wise-cracking stuffed animal.

The Pilot is "out there" on the Yousual Tube sources...

[Edited 7/7/23 19:03pm]

[Edited 7/7/23 19:04pm]

I believe most shows end and should just stay that way. Not everything needs a reboot for the sake of nostalgia or whatever.

Will & Grace had a decent reboot until Debra Messing lived up to her last name. They went after some current social issues, in the era of , but it ended abruptly it seems.

They've tried to reboot dramas like Dynasty and Dallas, but those lasted a few season. Dallas 3, Dynasty 5. Good runs, but were they necessary? Probably not. They tried it with 90210, Melrose Place and type, as well.

And now Matlock is getting a reboot with Kathy Bates, who even says, "Yes, Matlock, like that old TV show...." in the first episode.

I think the problem is viewer laziness. There's a mental lethargy that happens with things now where you have to keep the viewer's attention 24/7 or it's considered a failure. This comes from being able to binge watch a whole series on Netflix or Prime. People aren't always willing to keep up with a weekly show anymore. At least maybe the over-60 crowd.

And everything has to be a franchise now. There are six billion 911, Chicago, CSI, SVU, Law & Order, FBI, etc shows on right now. Some networks, and smartly, have settled into those for a weekly fanbase. It works. It allows for crossovers and "tv events." And for that viewership, it meets a need.

But in 2023, how many people are truly interested in a Married... with Children reboot? It'll never happen. A spin-off? Now??? hard pass. Yes, they show never got a proper ending. But many shows didn't. Not everything gets a proper Breaking Bad or OZ type ending. Dexter's reboot was really to re-do the original series ending, and it succeeded. Cuz that original ending was horseshit and we all knew it.

The other problem is Hollywood's mental lethargy. They can't come up with anything that interesting. It's a tough market for network and even cable TV because streaming is really pushing boundaries with being able to put whatever rating they want on it and not worry about censorship. Someone says fuck? Okay. (I think Breaking Bad got one "fuck" per season.) Not a big deal. It's why cable networks are 90% reality shows or competition shows. There is no real, scripted programming. Cable has become the wasteland of reality shows. It's not just Bravo or TLC or whatever. Man, I remember when we turned on A&E for a concert, or a play or something. Anything. Now it's ...Hoarders???

So it's tough to really come up with a good show that gets people's attention. Yet series like Them was fantastic, but only had one season. Why? We can't see these people in the 1960s next? Mad Men took us through multiple decades. Them, a show about white supremacy that is also in the horror-genre, can't get a second fucking season??

I'm sorta glad there's "too much" to pick from. But at least my options are truly open to something I've never seen before.

TrivialPursuit said:

I believe most shows end and should just stay that way. Not everything needs a reboot for the sake of nostalgia or whatever.

Will & Grace had a decent reboot until Debra Messing lived up to her last name. They went after some current social issues, in the era of , but it ended abruptly it seems.

They've tried to reboot dramas like Dynasty and Dallas, but those lasted a few season. Dallas 3, Dynasty 5. Good runs, but were they necessary? Probably not. They tried it with 90210, Melrose Place and type, as well.

And now Matlock is getting a reboot with Kathy Bates, who even says, "Yes, Matlock, like that old TV show...." in the first episode.

I think the problem is viewer laziness. There's a mental lethargy that happens with things now where you have to keep the viewer's attention 24/7 or it's considered a failure. This comes from being able to binge watch a whole series on Netflix or Prime. People aren't always willing to keep up with a weekly show anymore. At least maybe the over-60 crowd.

And everything has to be a franchise now. There are six billion 911, Chicago, CSI, SVU, Law & Order, FBI, etc shows on right now. Some networks, and smartly, have settled into those for a weekly fanbase. It works. It allows for crossovers and "tv events." And for that viewership, it meets a need.

But in 2023, how many people are truly interested in a Married... with Children reboot? It'll never happen. A spin-off? Now??? hard pass. Yes, they show never got a proper ending. But many shows didn't. Not everything gets a proper Breaking Bad or OZ type ending. Dexter's reboot was really to re-do the original series ending, and it succeeded. Cuz that original ending was horseshit and we all knew it.

The other problem is Hollywood's mental lethargy. They can't come up with anything that interesting. It's a tough market for network and even cable TV because streaming is really pushing boundaries with being able to put whatever rating they want on it and not worry about censorship. Someone says fuck? Okay. (I think Breaking Bad got one "fuck" per season.) Not a big deal. It's why cable networks are 90% reality shows or competition shows. There is no real, scripted programming. Cable has become the wasteland of reality shows. It's not just Bravo or TLC or whatever. Man, I remember when we turned on A&E for a concert, or a play or something. Anything. Now it's ...Hoarders???

So it's tough to really come up with a good show that gets people's attention. Yet series like Them was fantastic, but only had one season. Why? We can't see these people in the 1960s next? Mad Men took us through multiple decades. Them, a show about white supremacy that is also in the horror-genre, can't get a second fucking season??

I'm sorta glad there's "too much" to pick from. But at least my options are truly open to something I've never seen before.

Agree with this perspective and it's what I thought when I read the title.

I've recently been watching some older shows from my chidhood and most are not as good as I remembered. Maybe it's just that I'm not as young and a tad wiser but I couldn't make it through most of them.

Good work needs original ideas and if we want something better maybe they should actually pay some better writers? I don't know the business model Hollyweird uses and the writers are still on strike, so WTF do I know?

S2DG said:

Agree with this perspective and it's what I thought when I read the title.

I've recently been watching some older shows from my chidhood and most are not as good as I remembered. Maybe it's just that I'm not as young and a tad wiser but I couldn't make it through most of them.

Good work needs original ideas and if we want something better maybe they should actually pay some better writers?

I've wondered about that in myself, too. I honestly believe, like you, it's just our perspective on things, and our experience. When we're young, what the fuck do we know about literally anything? Compared to us at fifty years old or whatever. Production, quality of writing, etc. change over time, as does our expectations of television shows.

Of course there are shows I love. Three's Company is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms. There's a channel on PlutoTV that just plays the series over and over (as well as The Ropers, and Three's A Crowd). I'll browse by there and watch one from time to time. It's impossible to reboot anyway, and I sure don't want a bunch of new faces in there fucking it up for me.

The same goes for The Nanny. The only sorta reboot they could do is to have the Fine's have a new Nanny, or since Niles and C.C. are married - they have a Nanny that he hates, but she loves. It's all bad ideas, though. But the original is still hysterical to me.

Now, I used to love Laverne and Shirley (which ran after Happy Days and before Three Company on Tuesday nights on ABC). But now - eeehhh, it's funny. But I'm not drawn to watch it over and over. Often times these shows found a niche or a one-liner that is repeated to death. I no more wanna hear the Fonz utter "Heeeyyy, sit on it," anymore than I wanna hear Squiggy's "HELLOWW!" bellow when they barge through the door on two women's apartments unannounced?

So yeah. Bring back a game show, like Match Game again, or another season of Lingo with RuPaul. But after the Will and Grace tease (which is all it was because there's no way they planned on three seasons and that was it, especially with still in office - fuck you Debra Messing), I'm soured to reboots at all. Have a reunion special, something like that? Fine. I'm down for that. Like the Friends reunion. So well done. Do I wanna see these six back together? NO. It is what it is and it was perfect. Same goes for stuff like Seinfeld, Cheers, Frasier, Living Single (plot twist: they're not), Martin etc etc.

TrivialPursuit said:

Am3121 said:

ShellyMcG said:

Am3121 said:

Seinfeld

That might be interesting. I'm not sure if it would be quite the same anymore. Kramer must be ancient now so I can't see him doing a lot of that physical comedy. But I'd definitely be up for another season or even just a one off episode.

They did their reunion on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Jason Alexander sorta regretted doing it there, but that's what it was.

And Jerry and Jason (and Wayne "Newman" Knight) were in a Super Bowl XLVIII ad together (directed by Larry David).

Jerry and Richards were in a Crackle ad, together.

Jerry has also had Louis-Dreyfus, and Richards,on his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee show.

There was one other sit-down the four of them had one time by themselves, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was from.

Watch all that stuff back to back. It'll be the only real reunion you ever get.

ShellyMcG said:

Am3121 said:

TrivialPursuit said:

ShellyMcG said:

Am3121 said:

That would be awesome.idk how much you know about Seinfeld but the show wasn't on a decline.It still Drew great ratings in it's final season
I guess Jerry Seinfeld was tired of doing it
Reruns come on just about everyday on comedy central and I always bust out laughing.
Sadly some of the casts has passed away.George's mom and dad were hilarious
Episodes with Elaine trying to dance and her boss eating a Snickers bar with a knife and fork like it's a huge steak just cracks me up

And let's not forget the "shrinkage" episode when George is just getting out of the pool and a woman walks in on him.As she apologizing she is looking at his privates and she starts trying to hold on her laughter
Only for George to yell out I was in the pool!!!!!
Then Elaine says "idk how you guys walk around with those anyway "

And the Teri hatcher episode when she says "they are real and they're spectacular "
Ok I'm through now

I loved Elaine's boss. I can't remember his name but you know that grey haired guy? I loved that part where he takes Elaine to the cinema to watch some snooty movie and she's losing her mind because it's so bad. He turns to her and asks if she's not enjoying the movie and she just screams "I HATE IT"

Or anything with George's dad. He was always great in every scene. Especially in the outtakes. "You want a piece of me?"

Am3121 said:

ShellyMcG said:

I loved Elaine's boss. I can't remember his name but you know that grey haired guy? I loved that part where he takes Elaine to the cinema to watch some snooty movie and she's losing her mind because it's so bad. He turns to her and asks if she's not enjoying the movie and she just screams "I HATE IT"

Or anything with George's dad. He was always great in every scene. Especially in the outtakes. "You want a piece of me?"

Yeah he was funny.Idk his name but I think he use to host family feud
I believe that movie was the English patient.I too myself have never seen it.
Have you?

RJOrion said:

ShellyMcG said:

Or anything with George's dad. He was always great in every scene. Especially in the outtakes. "You want a piece of me?"

Jerry Stiller, Ben's real father, was "Arther" on 'King Of Queens' and did the same schtick, HEEELARIOUS!!!

nayroo2002 said:

I don't mind TV shows coming back with the orignal cast. Some shows that come to mind was the X-Files, Murphy Brown and Will & Grace. I hate when they remake them.

kpowers said:

Am3121 said:

kpowers said:

I don't mind TV shows coming back with the orignal cast. Some shows that come to mind was the X-Files, Murphy Brown and Will & Grace. I hate when they remake them.

Don't forget about Rosanne even though it was short lived

Huh?

It's still going on with 'The Conners'.

nayroo2002 said:

nayroo2002 said:

Am3121 said:

kpowers said: Don't forget about Rosanne even though it was short lived

Huh?

It's still going on with 'The Conners'.

I think he meant to say when Rosanne Barr was on the "Rosanne" show then became 'The Conners'.

Am3121 said:

kpowers said:

I don't mind TV shows coming back with the orignal cast. Some shows that come to mind was the X-Files, Murphy Brown and Will & Grace. I hate when they remake them.

Don't forget about Rosanne even though it was short lived

Oh yeah

Am3121 said:

nayroo2002 said:

Huh?

It's still going on with 'The Conners'.

Not really the same show without her plus the name change I guess I'm saying it was short lived with all the original cast

Agree