A few weeks ago, all of the following appeared in my Twitter feed or my Facebook timeline:

• An NBC Trailer for the new Will & Grace show
• An article about a reboot of Roseanne on ABC
• Something about Dynasty on the CW network posted

Aren’t there any unique ideas anymore? Is digging in the cemetery of TV Shows cancelled the only fertile ground available for ideas? (Please don’t get me started on what they are doing with movie adaptations of TV shows)

Revisiting families from TV shows past is not an original idea. Once upon a time the networks would produce a 2-hour holiday movie to revisit the family. I remember watching the Brady Bunch TV movies and a Growing Pains reunion. In these specials, the TV family members, usually the original cast, comes home for a holiday, they’d bring their spouses and children. There may be some sort of drama that eventually draws the family closer but there would be a happy ending at the end of the show. After the reunion, the viewer would feel caught up and happy that the family would still be doing well. The only full season revival I can think of is Brady Brides; it wasn’t that interesting and only lasted half a season.

In the shadow of recent successful season long revivals of Fuller House and The Gilmore Girls on Netflix, I guess the traditional networks fells the need to follow with this type of programing. I’m wondering if all of what they are planning is wanted or necessary.

In my opinion, the Will and Grace reboot is pointless. I watched the series finale when it aired back in 2006; it was wonderful flash forward providing a peek into the lead character lives 20 years into the future. Their stories felt complete. What is there to explore?

The Roseanne release states the entire cast will be back, how is possible when Dan is said to have died at the end of season 8? Are we in for a how is the family fairing 20 years later? Can’t this be done in a TV movie? Is an entire 13 to 22 season of episodes necessary?

I refused to allow the CW’s retooling of Dynasty to occupy any space in my brain, especially after I learned they cast Grant Show to play Blake Carrington. Blake Carrington, HOW?!? I’m confused, even in the most generous of TV timelines, Blake would be dead. Are they just revising the scripts from the 80s into to contemporary themes? They can keep that mess. If I want to watch Dynasty I’ll watch the original episodes on Amazon Prime. UPDATE: I have just watched the trailer, yup that is what the producers did, take the exact same story and make it contemporary. I’m not sure they have changed the names.

Now I can admit I may be a little guilty of what I am railing against here, I have wanted to see a mini-series of my favorite show, The West Wing. I think 4-hour mini-series would be doable with that size of an ensemble cast and it would be awesome. My craving has grown since I started listening to The West Wing Weekly podcast. The show’s host have interviewed Aaron Sorkin and he has said he would write the show if he came up with an innovative idea. How about something like this Mr. Sorkin, Former President Bartlett and his staff come together during the inauguration of the new President Will Bailey. He would be taking the oath of office after an unpopular administration. The mini-series would be a mix of what have they been up to since leaving public service and what President Bailey’s plans are for the future. Mr. Sorkin I’ll wait.

What do you think, are the studios running out of stories to tell? Are these season long reboots really what we want?

And for fun, is there a show or cast of characters you would like to revisit? What do you imagine the story to be about? Leave me your thoughts in the comments.