Let’s Boot the Reboot

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Charmed, a popular TV show of the 2000s, is getting a reboot. Holly Marie Combs (right), who starred in the original show as Piper Halliwell, has expressed issues with the reboot.

Daniel Benitez, Contributing Writer

Vintage clothing is not the only part of our past coming back in style. TV shows from the ’90s and early 2000s are constantly being rebooted, but maybe not in the way its original fans like.

Earlier this year, Disney Channel announced the premiere of a live-action reboot of “Kim Possible,” releasing an exclusive first look at the actress, Sadie Stanley, in costume and a short teaser with the iconic catchphrase: “What’s the sitch?”

When the first looks were published on Twitter, Stanley and Disney Channel were attacked by users claiming that the acting in the trailer was subpar and that the story deviated from the original show.

“The trailer is awful but I’d definitely still watch it anyway,” LS sophomore Catherine Brown said.

This is not the first reboot that Disney has done that failed to appeal to longtime fans. The well-respected and adored classic “Freaky Friday” starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis was brought back and altered into a musical film, garnering a 25 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Another popular show that fans loved, followed and continued to rewatch was “Charmed,” which followed the lives of three sister-witches navigating love, careers and their newfound powers. The CW network decided to reboot the hit ’90s series and described it as a “fierce, funny, feminist reboot of the original series,” but with three new actresses. Fans quickly took their anger and disappointment to social media, demanding that CW not reboot the show without the original cast members.

Holly Marie Combs, the actress that portrayed the middle sister, Piper, said, “I hope the new show is far better than the marketing so the true legacy does remain. Reboots fare better when they honor the original as opposed to taking shots at the original. Reboots also do better when they listen to a still passionate fan base which is what it’s all about, isn’t it?”

Other shows that have been brought back are “Roswell,” now called “Roswell, New Mexico,” which premieres in 2019; “Full House,” now called “Fuller House,” with Season 4 coming out on Netflix later this year; and “That’s So Raven,” now called “Raven’s Home,” with no current updates, but it has not been cancelled or renewed for a third season.

“I think it was cute when it was just a few shows getting revivals, but now it’s like all the shows from the 2000s [are] getting revivals. Like why didn’t they just continue the series instead of starting over?” CAS junior Juaquin Robles said. 

While reboots of beloved television shows may seem like great ways to indulge the nostalgia of former viewers, they too often end up disappointing rather than pleasing the original shows’ devoted fans.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Sept. 10 print edition. Email Daniel Benitez at [email protected].