From good to bad, here are the best and worst TV show reboots of 2021.

From the wise words of Winston Saint-Marie Schmidt from the beloved TV comedy show, New Girl, “The economy stinks, the bees are dying, and movies are pretty much all sequels now!” These words were uttered in the mid-2010s, and yet they still could not be more true today. We did, however, evolve from movie sequels and focused all of our energies on fulfilling nostalgia through recreating and rebooting old shows and movies. It almost seems like this generation is all about remembering the past; like how the meme “only 90s kids will remember” was taken too literally. I suppose just like fashion, culture and entertainment are also cyclical. Today is for reboots, tomorrow is for new ideas—or so I hope. 

The past year, we saw a lot of reboots and remakes of cult favourite TV shows that have long been gone on air. Some reboots made sense and others not so much. Below, we listed the best and the worst reboots of 2021. 

Best: iCarly

Nickelodeon’s OG Vlogger team, iCarly, came back on the air last summer at Paramount+. The new show picked up 10 years after the original show ended, which means that the gang—Carly, Freddie, and Spencer— have grown up (technically speaking, Spencer was an adult in the OG show)! The show cleverly steered away from the cutesy childhood show and made it more palatable for the grown-up fans. This reboot worked because mid-20s Carly navigating adulthood made sense. Fans related to it whilst still savouring nostalgic feelings. Plus she can curse now! 

Worst: And Just Like That…

Sex and The City fans rejoiced when news of a reboot was made. And then they got disappointed when Kim Cattrall did not want to come back to reprise her role. If you have been keeping tabs, then you know it has been a wild ride from pre-production to post. The first season is not complete yet, so there is still plenty of room for improvement. But let’s just say that the way they (creators of the show) handled certain situations and characters did not make sense. So much so that fans are not satisfied nor happy with the reboot. But again, the season’s not over so here’s hoping!

Best: Dexter: New Blood

So far with 3 episodes in, Dexter: New Blood reprises the same effect it had when the original show first aired. If you completely ignore the unspeakable finale season, this new show feels like a fresh start— just exactly what Dexter did. After leaving Miami, Dexter now lives in upstate New York with a different name and life… sort of. 

Worst: Gossip Girl

Listen, if I watch an episode of Gossip Girl and I don’t get stressed out, then it’s not a good episode. In the new Gossip Girl, I don’t feel stressed out at all. I’m annoyed, sure—but not stressed. The drama, petty fights, and unbothered lifestyle are what made the old show memorable. Frankly, Blair Waldorf would eat these boys and girls up. 

Published by HOLR Magazine.