8 Cult TV Shows That Deserve to be Revived

This week I read an article that said they will be filming the pilot episode for the upcoming Disney Channel show, Girl Meets World.  This is of course a spinoff of the cult classic sitcom from the 90’s, Boy Meets World, starring Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel.  To promote the upcoming spinoff, Fishel posed for Maxim Magazine, and if you haven’t seen the pictures yet…you should.  Topanga is all grown up.  You can check out the cover of the upcoming issue here.  This made me think about other shows with a cult following that I would like to see back on the small screen…or the big screen, once again.  A spinoff would be great, but I’d even settle for a mini-series or a made-for-tv movie that answers where those characters are now and what they are up to.  Thusly, this week I’ll be counting down eight cult television programs that I’d like to see revived in one form or another.  However, before everyone starts screaming that Firefly isn’t on the list, I’m going to address that issue right now.  Firefly was one of the best science fiction shows ever made.  It got a bum deal from Fox and was cancelled after only airing eleven of its fourteen episodes.  Some of those were even shown out of order, giving you some insight on exactly how much the network cared about that show and its fans.  HOWEVER, fans were so rabid about the show that Joss Whedon was actually given the opportunity to do exactly what this list is describing and give his beloved show a follow-up.  He even got to do so as a feature film.  So, since Firefly already got it’s reunion in the form of the film Serenity, it has been omitted from my list.  There is no need for all you devoted browncoats to fill my email with hate messages for leaving out your favorite show.  I had good reason. This same explanation goes for the sitcom Arrested Development.  The only exception being that we are currently awaiting the arrival of new episodes produced exclusively for Netflix as well as a feature film on the way.  With that said, let’s get to the list of cult shows I’d like to see revived…

 

 

 

better off ted

#8. Better Off Ted– This recent cult sitcom was centered around the beloved head of research at an evil conglomerate called Veridian Dynamics.  He regularly broke the fourth wall to narrate the story to viewers and explain exactly how he managed his day to day life working for such a soulless corporation while struggling to be a good example for his daughter, whom he was raising alone.  This incredibly witty sitcom only lasted two seasons before ABC gave it the axe because of its low ratings; however, it received very high critical praise and garnered a devoted, if not small, fan base.  The show just wasn’t successful enough to get any kind of follow-up spin-off.  Although, I think a feature film comedy would be a great way to catch up with these characters.  On a side note, in season two episode five you can see a Dalek sitting in a room of discarded robots in the basement of Veridian Dynamics.  Who doesn’t love a show that tosses in Doctor Who references?

 

 

 

black adder

#7. Black Adder– If you aren’t familiar with this show it’s not surprising.  It was actually a program that aired on the BBC for four seasons starring Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean fame and Hugh Laurie of House.  Each of the four seasons of the show takes place in a different era while still centering around the title character of Edmund Blackadder who it is implied is a descendant of the previous era’s member of the Blackadder family, but is never specifically noted.  It was actually ranked as the second best British sitcom of all time and is well worth the watch on Netflix.  If you find British humor amusing that is.  There were a few brief special episodes filmed for things such as Comic Relief as well as a Christmas special and a Milennium special.  However, I would love to see Atkinson join up again with Hugh Laurie and Tony Robinson for one more season of this show.  It would be even more entertaining now to see Laurie in such a comic role after his lengthy run on the fantastic drama, House.

 

 

 

party down

#6. Party Down– This sitcom was also well received critically but ultimately failed to garner enough viewers to keep it on the air.  Two seasons of the show aired on the Starz network and followed the lives of six aspiring writers and actors working for a catering company in Hollywood.  Each episode featured the cast working a different event and dealing with the absurdities that came along with catering to the Hollywood elite.  It was recently reported that a script is being written for a feature film adaptation of the show by showrunner, John Enbom.  Let’s hope the script is as funny as the show was and gets its due time on the big screen.

 

 

 

the wire

#5. The Wire– This was a cult classic drama on the HBO network that exposed the underbelly of the Baltimore drug trade.  It followed a rag-tag team of police detectives shipped, for one reason or another, to a new unit meant to handle cases that aren’t necessarily expected to be solved.  The team formulates ways to skirt the law season after season and bring most of the perpetrators to justice.  Once again, a critically acclaimed show that just couldn’t maintain an audience big enough to justify further seasons.  However it did make it a full five seasons; although, on HBO that only meant 60 episodes.  It ended on a down note with many of the main characters resigning or retiring for fear of criminal charges or exposure of past misdeeds.  I think a spin-off would best suit this show, especially since its devoted fans would more than likely return to watch and the numbers required by many networks to keep a program on the air aren’t necessarily as high as they were 5-10 years ago when this show first ran.

 

 

 

my so called life

#4. My So Called Life– This show is consistently ranked as one of the greatest cult shows of all time.  It followed the teenage angst of its main character played by Claire Danes and the rest of her social circle of friends.  The critically acclaimed drama touched on many important social issues of the time and ended its one season run on a cliffhanger that would never be resolved, as it was cancelled before filming a second season.  Low ratings and the unwillingness of Danes to return for another season cut this show short.  Maybe a spin-off in the fashion of the new Girl Meets World would suit this show.  One where the original cast are the parents now, dealing with the trials and tribulations of their own teenage children.  What do you say Claire Danes?  Somehow I bet she’s not too interested since her new show Homeland is such a success.

 

 

 

freaks and geeksundeclared

#3. Freaks and Geeks/Undeclared– These Judd Apatow creations get grouped together on my list because both were great shows, both got cancelled after only a season on the air, and both shared about half the cast of the other.  One followed the high school lives of a group of friends growing up in the early 80’s.  While the other followed a group of college freshmen at a fictitious university and was set contemporaneously.  Actors like Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jason Segel, and Linda Cardellini became household names after the cult success of these shows.  Although, almost everyone who starred in these sitcoms have gone on to bigger and better things, it would be awesome to see a follow-up describing the lives the characters are leading now in their adulthood.

 

 

 

jericho

#2.  Jericho– This CBS drama followed the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas and their dealing with the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 cities around the U.S.  Led by Jake Green, played by Skeet Ulrich, the residents attempt to put their lives back together and survive in a post-apocalyptic environment.  The show was cancelled due to poor ratings after only one season.  However, the show had gained a devoted following who took to the internet to get it a second season on the air, albeit a measly seven episode run.  It has since been repeatedly named one of the best cult shows of all time and was actually continued in one form as a comic book.  That doesn’t count for this list!  We want to see it on a screen!  In 2009 plans were announced for a possible feature film picking up where the shortened second season left off.  As of yet, those plans have not come to fruition.  It has also been one of the shows, much like Arrested Development, that Netflix has been rumored to be looking into reviving exclusively to be shown on its service.  Take to the internet again, fans of Jericho!  Make this happen!

 

 

 

Last but certainly not least, we come to my number one cult show that I’d like to see a follow-up produced for.  You’re never going to guess what it is.  However, I’ll give you a hint.  The star of this show deserves to be placed at number one on just about any list he can be added to because he’s only one of the coolest guys in the history of show business.  Without further ado…the number one show on my list that I’d love to see revived in one form or another is…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

quantum leap

#1. Quantum Leap– The coolest guy on the planet, Scott Bakula, starred in this NBC cult hit about a physicist “leaping” through time into the bodies of other people in an attempt to “put right what once went wrong” while every time hoping that “this leap may be the leap home.”  It was probably the most successful show on this list, lasting five seasons from 1989 to 1993.  It even received a proper series finale when it finally went off the air.  Sam (Bakula) gains knowledge about his constant hopping through time from a wise barkeep that may or may not be God.  He is informed that he is in control of the leaping and that he may return home at any time, or continue to skip through time putting things right that have gone wrong partially due to the influence of his counter-part the “evil leaper” who is forced by some outside source (the devil?) to wreak havoc in people’s lives.  Sam chooses to continue his quest and the series ends.  I think this show would be perfect for a feature film adaptation showing us some of Sam’s exploits over the last twenty years and hopefully allowing him to finally leap home for good.  Plus…I’d slap down money to watch anything with Scott Bakula in it…as you should as well!

 

 

 

There you have it folks!  Eight cult classic TV shows that I would love to see revived in one form or another!  Do you have a favorite that you think should have made the list?  Let me know in the comments section  below or you can email me at [email protected] or you can even yell at me via Twitter @SeanMLScott.  Until another list on another day…allons-y!

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One Comment

  1. BlackAdder got better as it went on, there was talk of them doing one set in the 60’s with them being in a bang ” the black adders” but the interest in the actors/writers in doing another one decreassed as the public likeing of the show increased.
    given that Rowans work since then has been mostly crap if anyone was to make it happen it would be him as I suspect he is the reason its not getting done as you cant have BlackAdder without Rowan

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