So...with the plethora of remakes, sequels, prequels, tributes, etc. in recent (and even not so recent) years...how do you feel when old shows, of any genre, get redone?

Are you against the idea in general? Are you generally open to new interpretations? Does it depend on how well done you feel they are or how near/far in style they seem from the original? A case by case basis type of thing?

I wouldn't categorize myself as completely against it, but I do think that remaking or rebooting old shows is a risky business. If the original was very popular then any new version would inevitably be compared to it, and more often than not probably be considered inferior. (My perfect example of this is the new version of "Upstairs, Downstairs. It was a perfectly adequate British costume drama in its own right, but compared to the original UpDown it was a failure). If the original wasn't all that popular on the other hand, then any interest in a new version would be limited.

I think the best bet is a continuation of an old show with original castmembers involved, like "Will & Grace", "Murphy Brown" or "Roseanne/The Conners".

 

Then there are some shows who, in my opinion, should be left alone, because they belong to a very specific time and society, like "Dynasty". That kind of show fit perfectly into the glamorous and opulent world of the 1980s, but society has changed a lot since then, and to fit into today's world the show would have to change so much that it would really only share the title with the original.

 

So I guess I would fall into the case by case category. I do think that this remake/rebooting trend has gone a little too far though. Surely there must be writers out there who can come up with some new, creative ideas?