10 Comedy TV Show Reboots That Failed

Author:
Janis Masyk-Jackson
Updated:
Aug 12, 2024

"The Munsters" only lasted two seasons (1964–66), but became a cult classic in syndication. The 2012 series reboot, "Mockingbird Lane," found itself struggling to live up to the original show's legacy.
Image by CBS Television Network at Wikimedia through Creative Commons licensing

TV Show Remakes That Didn't Work

We all have our favorite TV shows and it's a sad day when one of our favorites series goes off the air for one reason or another. Sometimes we're fortunate enough to have one of our favorite series rebooted that becomes quite a success, even at times having a longer run than the original series. Other times, the show misses the mark completely.

Although some reboots have been highly successful like The Conners, a remake of Roseanne which was very popular in the 1980s and 1990s, and Raven's Home, a remake of That's So Raven, a popular Disney show from 2003-2007, not all reboots have had the same success.

Even though efforts were made to bring back some classic comedy shows shown above, unfortunately they never hit the same popularity mark as the originals and didn't last for long. Here's a list of 10 comedy shows that were rebooted (in no particular order), but didn't succeed.

1. The Bradys (1990)

One of the first blended families on TV, The Brady Bunch took Mike Brady, (a widow with three boys,) and Carol Martin, ( a single mother with three girls,) and merged them into one family. Along with housekeeper Alice, this 1969-1974 comedy show provided viewers with many humorous, family appropriate laughs.

After the original series ended, the Brady family continued on our small screens though TV movies, sequels, a cartoon series and even a variety show. In 1990 the cast was reunited once again for The Bradys, a one hour drama series. Rather than the light humor audiences were used to, the new show took on a much more serious note with adult topics.

Bobby became a paraplegic after a tragic accident on the race car track. Marcia developed a drinking problem and Jan showed off some sexy lingerie. This was not the same show that parents would sit down with their children to watch and many viewers weren't happy.

In addition, the show went up against the Full House and Family Matters, two successful family comedies. The show failed in ratings and was cancelled after only six episodes.

2. New Monkees (1987)

Debuting in 1966, The Monkees followed the escapades of four young struggling musicians hoping to get a break. At the time the Beatles were huge so the Monkees became America's answer to Britain's rock sensation.

Albeit at times the show was a little corny, but the characters were very lovable and each week featured new music with many of the earlier songs written by the song writing duo of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. Although the series only lasted for two seasons, the band had enough fans to keep recording and touring until 1970 when they broke up.

In 1986 MTV decided to host a Monkees TV show marathon in honor of their 20th anniversary and the group's popularity went through the roof. The marathon was so successful that in 1987, after much hype, New Monkees debuted. Yes, it had comedy sketches and yes it had new songs every week, but the show just wasn't very cohesive and some of the plots just didn't cut it such as reading fake fan letters to the TV audience.

The show lasted only one season and you'll be hard pressed to find much of it streaming online. The good news is that you can still catch the original series on streaming TV and Mickey Dolenz, (the only surviving member of the group,) is still touring keeping The Monkees music alive.

3. Get Smart (1995)

There was quite a buzz in the air when it was learned that Don Adams and Barbara Feldon would be reprising their roles as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 in the reboot Get Smart-1995.

Unfortunately, that buzz was short lived. While Adams and Feldon did reprise their roles, Smart was no longer a secret agent, but was now the head of CONTROL, the government spy agency where he got his start.. Agent 99 was also no longer a spy, but now a Congresswoman.

In addition, while supposedly "starring" in the series, they really took a backseat to their son Zack, one of their fraternal twins that was given birth to in the original series, as the agency's star agent, along with his partner Agent 66.

While Maxwell Smart was seen as bumbling, Zack gave bumbling a whole new meaning as he didn't seem capable of doing anything that warranted him being a top agent. Add to that his partner Agent 66, an extremely sensual agent who dressed very provocatively and the series really didn't have a chance.

While the original Emmy Award-winning series lasted for five years, this reboot only held on for seven episodes.

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4. Punky Brewster (2021)

Take a smart and precocious 8 year old girl, (Soleil Moon Frye,) who has been abandoned by her parents and match her with a grumpy, widowed, older apartment manager, (George Gaines,) and it should be a recipe for disaster. Yet, just the opposite happened in the series Punky Brewster. When apartment manager Henry Warnimont first met Punky while she was squatting in an empty apartment in his building, he had no intention of taking care of her.

However, after repeated attempts were made to find her mother to no avail, he had a change of heart and took her in and the two of them developed a very special bond. The show was very warm hearted and fun due to Punky and audiences fell in love. Although it only lasted for 2 seasons, it drew many fans.

In 2021, Peacock decided to reboot the series but with Punky all grown up. Still portrayed by Soleil Moon Frye, Punky was now a divorced mother of three who coincidently takes an orphaned 7 year old under her wings.

Although the acting on the show was decent enough, it didn't have the warmth and heart that the original series had and many previous fans couldn't accept Punky all grown up. It didn't appeal much to younger viewers either as to them, it was just another show about a divorced family. The show ran only for one season.

5. Family Affair (2002)

In 1966 an interesting new family concept was introduced on the air in the form of Family Affair. While the norm for TV families included a mom, dad and kids, Family Affair was about a rich, single bachelor who suddenly had three kids, (one teenage girl and a set of 6 year old twins,) dumped on him to raise after his sister died.

Uncle Bill, portrayed by Brian Keith, had no choice but to enlist the help of his stately, traditional English butler Mr. French, depicted by Sebastian Cabot. The show was warm and light hearted and fans got to be entertained by the show for five years.

Hoping to draw a large audience again, a reboot of the show emerged in 2002 on the WB. This time the role of Uncle Bill went to Gary Cole while Tim Curry took over the part of Mr. French. Both were engaging and Curry was quite entertaining with his endless facial expressions. To top it off, the twins were quite cute. So what went wrong?

While an unconventional family scenario was unique in the 1960s, there was nothing special about the premise in 2002 as many different types of families had already hit the airwaves. In addition, some saw the show as dated while others thought it was just too cheesy. Only 13 of its original 15 episodes aired.

6. The Muppets (2015)

Although already having TV appearances, it wasn't until Jim Henson created the The Muppet Show that TV audiences really got to know all of the colorful and endearing characters of the Muppets including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Gonzo. The series lasted for 5 seasons and after it ended, the Muppets were kept alive between spin offs, movies, TV specials and even their own attraction in Disneyland.

In 2015 a new version of the show was introduced simply called The Muppets. The series was more of a grown up version of the show which centered around Miss Piggy's talk show and the personal lives of the characters. The series featured adult innuendos such as alcoholism and sex with even one character about to get married because she was pregnant.

This was not quite the premise that many viewers were used to seeing and the organization One Million Moms, an offshoot the American Family Association, called for a boycott of the series. The show only lasted for one season.

7. Fantasy Island (1998, 2021)

Although technically a comedy/drama, I feel there was enough humor in the original Fantasy Island series to include it in this list. The series, starring Ricardo Montalban as the suave and debonair Mr. Roarke, welcomed guests to a mysterious island where they could come and have the opportunity to live out their fantasies.

Roarke's original assistant, Tattoo, ( Hervé Villechaize,) brought much humor to the series with his various escapades. Each episode two different fantasies played out. One on a more serious side and the other on a more humorous side. The series ran for 7 seasons and ended in 1984.

In 1998 the first reboot of the series came out starring Malcolm McDowell as Mr. Roarke. However, instead of the dashing man in an immaculate white suit that some viewers hypothesized being an angel, this Mr. Roarke donned a simple black suit and had viewers wondering if he might be some kind of a devil due to his more sinister nature.

The show overall was a much darker version than the original and many fans couldn't hang with the new premise. There were also others who didn't feel that anyone should play Mr. Roarke other than Ricardo Montalban. The show was cancelled after 1 season.

Resurrected once again in 2021 by Fox, the series starred Roselyn Sanchez as Elena Roarke, the grand niece of the original Mr. Roarke. She, along with her sidekick Ruby Akuda, (Kiara Barnes,) welcomed guests each episode to pursue their fantasies.

Unlike it's predecessors, this version of Fantasy Island gave viewers more of a look into the personal lives of both Roarke and Ruby. Unfortunately, once again, this reboot failed to capture the viewers like the original series had and it was cancelled after 2 seasons.

8. Head of the Class (2021)

When kickback substitute teacher Mr. Moore, (Howard Hesseman,) arrived at Millard Fillmore High School, he was only supposed to sub for 2 days to a highly diverse group of students who were in the IHP, ( Individualized Honors Program.)

Instead, he stayed for 4 years. (Hessmen left the series and was replaced by "Billy" MacGregor, (Billy Connolly,) in the final season of the show. Mr. Moore was more than just a history teacher. He was a mentor who did his best to help his intelligent, but socially awkward students however he could and his students loved him for it. Audiences, too, appreciated the bonds and chemistry.

HBO tried to cash in on this when they rebooted this 1980s sitcom in 2021. Starring Isabella Gomez as teacher Alicia Gomez who was in charge of the honor's debate class, Gomez was certainly young and hip and in fact at times, it was hard to distinguish her from the students.

While the students added a good diversity to the show and while Gomez's acting abilities were on point, the show failed to capture the wisdom and heart of the original show. Many viewers felt it lacked authenticity and cohesiveness. Head of the Class failed after only one season.

9. Mockingbird Lane (2012)

When one thinks of the original series The Munsters, one of the first things that comes to mind is Herman Munster. Standing at 6'6", this green Frankenstein looking creature, portrayed by Fred Gwynne, could scare away anyone who dared to knock on the front door just by the sight of him.

Fast forward to 2012, forty eight years after the original series debuted, and you now have Jerry O’Connell playing the iconic part of Herman Munster. However, instead of looking like a big green monster, O'Connell looks like, well, O'Connell except with a scar around his neck.

In fact, the majority of the cast looks like everyday normal people with the exception of Grandpa. This really takes away a lot of the fun of the show. Add to that the show became darker and much bloodier due to Grandpa, who oftentimes is covered in blood. In other words, not something appropriate for young audiences like the original series.

While some viewers liked it, others felt it lacked the charm and humor of the original series. The show only made it as far as airing the pilot.

10. Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998)

The original The Love Boat TV series saw a highly successful 10 year run. The show centered around the Pacific Princess cruise ship run by Captain Merrill Stubing and his colorful crew.

Each week a new set of passengers would embark on a journey in hopes of finding love. Guest stars on the show were the who's who of the entertainment world including Milton Berle, Gloria DeHaven, Pearl Bailey, The Temptations and many, many more. Carol Channing had a recurring role as the cruise director's aunt while Charro also appeared several times as a stowaway turned ship's entertainer.

In 1998, Aaron Spelling decided to bring his beloved series back to life with Love Boat: The Next Wave. Robert Urich portrayed Captain Jim Kennedy who, along with his crew, took passengers on ocean voyages in the hopes of couples finding love.

Viewers found the show to be cheesy and a cheap knock off to the original series. Although the show had various guest stars, it wasn't the same kind of line up that the original series had. While the original award winning series had a 10 year run, the reboot only lasted for 2 seasons.