AFTER doing so much wrong for so many years, the TV gods are giving a cult-favourite a much-deserved second chance.
In an age of reality TV, reboots and spin-offs, when sitcoms carry on years past their use-by dates, quality programming is often hard to find.
In 2005, the creative and quirky sitcom Arrested Development was cancelled after two-and-a-half seasons, despite being one of the most critically-acclaimed US sitcoms of all time.
The show was a critic favourite and won a bunch of awards.
Too bad no one was watching at home.
But this week the show’s millions of fans lamenting its early demise have reason to celebrate, with another season finally being filmed before a movie release.
The whole ordeal is a glaring example of what’s wrong with TV. Yes, Arrested Development wasn’t making money, but the network failed to market the off-the-wall sitcom to the right audience and just gave up.
This isn’t an anomaly. Futurama and Family Guy were both cancelled, only to be resuscitated after rocketing DVD sales.
Hollywood does the same, remaking classic films or churning out dodgy prequels and sequels.
They seem to reboot, remake or rebrand well-established TV series and films, rather than spend money on developing unique and innovative entertainment.
They might fool the kids, but they don’t fool me. MTV has cashed in on the Twilight fad to air a reimagined Teen Wolf series, with Michael J. Fox and his Nikes nowhere to be seen.
Hawaii Five-0 and 90210 are in the TV guide again, well after their original heyday. The Charlie’s Angels remake has just debuted on Australian TV.
Meanwhile at the movies, The Lion King’s 3D re-release is topping the box office 17 years after its original run — at least until the remake of Footloose comes out this month.
I was an infant in the '80s, but it feels a bit desperate resorting to recent remakes Clash Of The Titans, Star Trek and Nightmare On Elm Street and the upcoming Robocop, Conan the Barbarian and the Rick Moranis “classic” Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
The Lion King 3D is just the first of many attempts to snag a whole new world of profits.
Over the next two years, at least four Disney films are in line to get the 3D treatment, proving again that studios will take any chance to make money without any creative effort.
It’s an increasing phenomenon as the list keeps growing.
The jokes and stories have all been stolen. Of course, there are still plenty of great TV dramas and groundbreaking comedies coming out of US cable networks (Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm), but when it should be flourishing, the current generation of TV has kept mainstream pop culture in a state of mediocrity.
I can just imagine the TV network executive meetings as they veto and green light future prospects:
“We’ve got a pilot script for another sitcom starring a fat comedian with a hot TV wife.”
“No, no. Think cooking. Top Chef, MasterChef, The Iron Chef, Chef Academy — they’ve all done great.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to do a spin-off?”
“OK, how about ‘MasterChef Island: Survivor Edition’? Or maybe ‘My Soup Kitchen Rules’?
"I don’t care — just make sure it uses the word ‘chef’ or
‘kitchen’.”
“Sure. Can we make it 3D?”
It’s not just reality TV and reboots guilty of unoriginality. I was disappointed the laugh track-riddled Two And A Half Men didn’t take the opportunity to say goodbye when Charlie Sheen went bonkers and set a new bar for celebrity breakdowns (he’s not just ‘Britney shaves her head’ crazy, he’s ‘Charlie Sheen on The Today Show’ crazy).
Here’s a series that basically rebooted its own character for a younger, better looking version with a different name, rather than let the cash cow die.
It’s been done countless times on the other side of the pond — after 48 years, I wish Doctor Who would just die already.
But sometimes shows I love need to go away too. Life without The Simpsons is a frightening concept to Generation Y, yet I’ve decided I’m OK with the idea of cancelling the animation after a glorious 23 years.
It’s run its course, has enough episodes to last a lifetime and, to be honest, its writers have been mailing it in for years now.
The Brits have typically been much better at knowing when to stop (Fawlty Towers and The Office lasted just 13 perfect episodes).
I could be in the minority, but when I’m sitting down on the couch after a long day, I’d still rather watch Seinfeld, The Simpsons or even a M*A*S*H* repeat for the 100th time than another slightly rebranded cooking show, reality TV or ’80s reboot.
Then again, ask me about this in 30 years when an Arrested Development reboot is into its 12th season and I might have a different opinion altogether.
Email a friend