More than twenty years after Jerry Seinfeld’s puffy shirt and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the ’90s live on. With reboots of TV classics from networks and streaming services like Netflix, young and old viewers alike can revisit their favorite characters as they embark on new adventures.
“The X-Files”
- This 1993 science-fiction drama follows FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigate unsolved, abandoned cases involving paranormal phenomena, otherwise known as the X-Files. Agent Scully, a skeptic of the existence of extraterrestrial life, is assigned to work with Agent Mulder and perform scientific analysis on his findings. After being manipulated and used as pawns, the two detectives learn to trust only each other. The 2016 “X-Files” reboot premiered on Fox on Jan. 24. The six-part reboot takes place 14 years after the events of the first nine seasons, when the X-Files are reopened. In this new crop of episodes, Fox Mulder has a theory that the conspiracies against mankind are not actually being executed primarily by aliens, but by people with access to alien technology.
“Powerpuff Girls”
- 2016 will see a whole new generation of kids exposed to this trio of badass crime-fighting girls. Their father, Professor Utonium, created Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup in an attempt to form the perfect girls out of “sugar, spice and everything nice.” The girls are called upon to protect the city of Townsville, USA from a string of supervillains while also dealing with the often humorous struggles of children, from bed wetting to sibling rivalries. “Adventure Time” animator Nick Jennings will produce the reboot without the help of original creator Craig McCracken or the original three Powerpuff Girl voice actors Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong and E.G. Daily. The show will feature the girls with entirely new looks and voices and is set to premiere in April on the Cartoon Network.
“The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”
- This beloved NBC sitcom stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself. After getting into a brawl on the streets of his hometown of West Philadelphia, Will’s mom gets scared and sends him to live with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air. During his stay, Will becomes close friends with his comically nerdy cousin Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), and the two find themselves in the middle of a series of absurd situations. The storyline, network and release date have not yet been confirmed, but the production company has stated that the story will most likely follow a “fish out of water” situation similar to the original.
“Gilmore Girls”
- “Gilmore Girls” is a dramedy that follows mother and daughter Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) Gilmore in their hometown of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The show, famous for its fast-paced and reference-filled dialogue, was cancelled in 2007, only a year after original writer Amy Sherman-Palladino left the project. In January, Netflix and Warner Bros. announced that they would bring the series back in the form of four 90-minute episodes viewable on Netflix. This time around, Sherman-Palladino will give the series the ending she intended from the start. The reboot will include most original cast members, and is currently called “Gilmore Girls: Seasons,” with each episode taking place in a different season of the year.
“Fuller House”
- Following the death of his wife, Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) calls upon his suave brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) and best friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) to move in and help take care of his three daughters: D.J. (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson). The new show will feature a similar storyline to the original and bring back most of the original cast, though not the Olson twins. When D.J. becomes the widowed mother of three kids, she recruits the help of her sister Stephanie and best friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber) to help raise her family. Stamos led the project’s negotiations, and the 13-episode series, called “Fuller House,” comes to Netflix in February.