Heroes. Twin Peaks. The X-Files. All three of the aforementioned shows have maintained huge followings over the years, and all three have recently been brought back (with Heroes Reborn already having hit the airwaves, while The X-Files and Twin Peaks will return next year). This follows the earlier return of Keifer Sutherland's 24. In a trend that apparently follows the mantra "everything old is new again" broadcast networks have reached back to the past to attract viewers, who have of late been getting their television fill from cable channels more than ever before. Should the returns of these properties succeed, more will no doubt follow. After all, developing a new show is a gamble: greenlight a pilot, and if the show goes to series, hope that viewers take to it. An existing property with a strong fanbase? Well, that's far less risky, and it boosts the value of said show's library, which could mean huge dollars from streaming services like Netflix. What other shows are out there from years past that deserve to return? What might entice viewers today to tune in once again?
10. Friends
It's not that Friends left off with any sort of unfinished business - it's that, despite the fact that the show has been off the air for just over a decade now, it remains a huge favourite among TV fans, and has even struck a chord with the younger generation, who spend time (probably far too much time) making animated gifs of the show. And for that reason alone, a revival of Friends would make sense - but that's not the only reason. Friends was an odd show of sorts: heavily ridiculed by the competition, frequently cloned, dismissed by many, but still one of the most popular shows on the air. If you weren't the right age, you didn't get it, because life simply didn't seem to be the way it was on Friends. Could anyone afford *that* apartment, in the big city, at that age, even with a roommate? Once you realized that the show was actually pretty relatable, however, it became a must-see appointment. And while the Ross/Rachel would they/wouldn't they eventually got old, it remained an entertaining show to the end. Here's the thing: a reunion show, or small revival, showing where everyone is a decade later, would be fantastic, because the show was always about showing the characters moving through life. For a sitcom, that's a relative rarity. At the end of the day, most sitcoms have little to no character growth. With Friends, while it wasn't a huge amount of growth, it was there. And frankly we just want to see where they are now.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
