Earlier this week I went to see one of the most anticipated film releases of the year: Wicked. And whilst the movie itself was remarkable, there was something else about my cinema experience that caught my eye. The sheer abundance of trailers that felt somewhat familiar. With Snow White, Mufasa, Moana 2, and Bridget Jones all preceding the movie, it is easy to see why so many feel Hollywood and the industry have become lazy when it comes to film and TV making. So, have reboots and revivals led modern TV to become slovenly?
It seems nowadays live action versions and same universe shows have been thrust onto our screens repeatedly for years. From an industry perspective, what’s not to love? Nostalgia can provide a pre-established fanbase who are eagerly awaiting the next chapter in their beloved characters life. To revisit a story is always pleasant but has it led us into an era where it’s easier to play it safe with old stories than take risks with new ones?
It is in the world of TV where we have really seen the rise and fall of reboots and revivals. One of the main dilemmas faced when reviving a fan-favourite is the worry that it will not be able to live up to the expectations set by its forerunner. Nostalgia is powerful but that alone cannot hold an audience. Let’s look to two different shows to see the ways nostalgia has positively and negatively shaped TV.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, adapted from Sabrina the Teenage Witch was Netflix’s attempt at putting their own spooky spin on the tale and bringing new audiences to the source material. And luckily for them, it worked. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was a success and ran for four seasons, receiving an 82% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Netflix took an old story and transformed it into something new, something which could still allow older viewers to recognise the characters whilst embarking on a new adventure. It may have been the nostalgia that originally enticed viewers to the show, but it needed to have more than an old, familiar face to keep viewers for all 4 seasons. Nostalgia and creativity working together was what allowed it to shine.
A show which may not be able to say the same for itself is the same named 2021 version of Gossip Girl. Lasting only two seasons with a 64% critic rating on rotten tomato, Gossip Girl was undeniably unable to live up to the hit-show that came before it. The source material was simply unable to lend itself to a modern setting, leaving it permanently stuck in the 2007’s version shadow. I think there are two main reasons why one show suffered whilst the other succeeded. The first is Sabrina’s time gap between Sabrina the Teenage Witch and itself. You cannot be nostalgic about something you recently lived through and Gossip Girl was just too recent to be able to evoke that emotion. Wicked too benefitted from this as The Wizard of Oz was released almost 90 years ago, allowing the movie to take audiences down memory lane and reminisce about the wonderful land of Oz. This leads us to the second reason, Gossip Girl relied too heavily on its predecessor. Except for new technologies (which was not a creative choice), Gossip Girl didn’t offer much more than being a carbon copy of its original, with similar characters and plotlines. It reused and recycled unsuccessfully, making TV feel repeated.
It can be enticing to try recreate the success of the past with a new reboot or revival, but nostalgia can’t be the only thing hooking viewers. New stories with new faces are how we keep cinema alive and representative of the audiences that are watching. Modern TV should have a blend of old and new, nostalgia and creativity. Perhaps it is a lasting effect of the pandemic that has left people wanting to take a trip down memory lane, or simply just people wanting to connect with the past. Whatever reason it may be, nostalgia is a powerful tool in storytelling and should be used when it is right to do so. And even though not all shows will be hits, it’s always nice to see a familiar face up on the big screen.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash