9 TV Shows That Tried To Exploit Nostalgia (And Failed)

4. Knight Rider (2008)

You don't get much more 80s than Knight Rider, a TV show about a crime-fighter (played by The Hoff, because of course) whose sidekick just happens to be a super-powered car that can talk. It was daft, obviously, but it endured, living on for decades across TV, TV movies, and video games.

It was just a matter of time before it was brought back to the small screen, and NBC tried to get in on the action in 2008, modernising the format with the son of The Hoff's character taking over the lead.

This was before the big 80s nostalgia boom of the 2010s though, so the update found itself in a rather precarious position. At the time, seriousness and grittiness was in, but the show still had to appeal to fans of the wacky original, and thus found itself simultaneously trying to tackle adult themes while still indulging in the sci-fi shenanigans.

To put it another way, it was at once trying to appeal to the nostalgia of fans, while also being a little ashamed of the property it was based on.

It was a total disaster, and was swiftly cancelled after one season.