10 TV Shows That REALLY Should Have Stayed Dead

Look at how they massacred my boy...

Dexter New Blood
Showtime

It's ironic how television show revivals are often hyped beyond measure despite rarely delivering the goods. We get so excited about revisiting familiar characters, we forget to ask to whether it's necessary to see them again in the first place. When a great sitcom or drama concludes by tying up all the loose ends and giving everyone the perfect send-off, the story doesn't need to continue. In situations like this, a follow-up would saturate the original series' legacy.

Obviously, there have been some revivals like Doctor Who, Futurama, and Twin Peaks which were on par with their predecessors. But more often than not, these extra seasons fail to capture what made the series special in the first place.

Now, there are times where reviving a series feels justified. If a stellar show had an anticlimactic ending, a bonus season gives the showrunners another chance to deliver a satisfactory conclusion. But more often than not, these do-overs make everything worse. Even though the creators probably had nothing but good intentions with these revivals, every one of them should have stayed dead.

10. Only Fools And Horses

Dexter New Blood
BBC

"This time next year, we'll be millionaires" are the infamous words Del Boy said to his brother, Rodney, in almost every episode of Only Fools and Horses. But no matter what get-rich scheme the Trotter brothers cooked up, it always backfired.

But in the final episode of Season 8, Del and Rodney made their dreams come true, when they came into possession of a vast fortune through dumb luck. Because the BBC sitcom revolved around the Trotters always being down on their luck, this sort of ending could've come across as a complete cop-out. But thanks to the marvellous writing and phenomenal performances, this finale was a masterclass in comedy and the perfect send-off for the show, with the brothers literally walking off into the sunset.

But due to popular demand, the Only Fools team returned five years later. Now, you might be thinking - How can this series continue if the Trotters are filthy rich?

Well, simple. The season begins with Del Boy and Rodney being poor again, utterly ruining the climax of Season 8. Even though it was nice to see the gang back together again, this wasn't needed.

The episodes themselves weren't classics either, giving the show a redundant second ending.

Contributor
Contributor

James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85