SHOULD TV REBOOTS BE GIVEN THE BOOT?

DALLAS REBOOTED: Most of these revivals are just the result of creative laziness.

DALLAS REBOOTED: Most of these revivals are just the result of creative laziness.

We’re living in an age of endless TV reboots with news that there are currently plans for a new series of 40 year-old ‘Bergerac’, based again on Jersey.

But reboots are invariably disappointing because the original was part of its time that can’t be recreated second time round. Everyone’s moved on and the world’s a completely different place today. Alternatively, they weren’t brilliant shows even back then.

In theory, I’ve nothing against remaking movies or TV shows. It’s not unlike a fresh restaging of a Shakespeare play – if something new and different is added to the production. In practice, though, the major problem with reviving 80s TV is that our tastes have fundamentally altered as have our TV viewing habits.

In the 80s, there were very few channels so shows like ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Dallas’ (likewise rebooted) became popular because there wasn’t much else. And provocative, challenging, creative TV’s moved on from the predictability of the hourly slot where the same thing happens every week.

Most of these revivals are just the result of creative laziness, because either nobody can dream up any fresh ideas, or the bean counters in charge won’t take the plunge with new ones. They’d rather just rely on rewrites and hope enough people have been born who can’t remember the old series and will be presented with something ‘different’.

Basically, recycling old themes rarely works. Shows that were popular by default not merit then, rarely ‘ignite’ now. There are plenty of new concepts to exploit, but everyone’s too frightened of ‘offending’ the easily offended, so nobody takes chances anymore.

Which reminds me, the arctic blasts hitting the UK must be due to climate change, right? Or is it all down to Brexit, again? But it’s not all bad – it should suit the snowflakes, provided they’ve safe spaces where the temperature’s mild and nobody’s talking about this ‘offensive’ weather or any ‘scary’ stories.

In fact, even thinking about my own scary thrillers is sending icy, blood-curdling shivers down my spine…

Nurse! That’s better, now I’m back on the meds!

Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Sentinel’, ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.  

Nora Johnson’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

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Nora Johnson

Novelist Nora Johnson offers insights on everything from current affairs to life in Spain, with humour and a keen eye for detail.

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