What’s with All the 90’s TV Reboots?

In May this year, thousands of David Lynch fans celebrated the return of the cult classic show, Twin Peaks. It has been 28 years since the show first aired on television and time has done nothing to dampen the excitement of its return. Back in the 90’s the show was cancelled after its second season, ending on a serious cliff-hanger and leaving audiences wondering about their place in the universe.

Despite running for just two years, Twin Peaks became an instant cult-classic with re-runs working their way through the networks for decades. Speaking about its return, co-creator, Mark Frost said that the reboot wasn’t just an exercise in nostalgia, it was more about exploring one of the most significant themes of the show – the passage of time. According to reports, the new series will tie up loose ends and at the same time create more questions about the main characters. For some it will be more confusing than sports betting NZ at first, but for others it will offer some sort of closure.

Whether the reboot lives up to the marketing hype and the expectations of millions of fans, remains to be seen. Twin Peaks is just one many 90’s reboots working their way back into our lives. Shows that are going to be, and have already been rebooted include the Gilmore Girls, Pokémon, the X-Files, Full House, Baywatch and Will and Grace. Even a few films are coming back for a second attempt including Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Nostalgia

But what is the reason for the sudden remake boom? Were shows really so much better in the 90’s that we would rather bring them back than create new ones? Or are their other reasons why we hold onto the past? Nostalgia is a powerful thing it seems and in fact was deemed a disease back in 1688 when the term was first coined. From its Greek roots, the word roughly translates to a painful longing of home. 

Today, nostalgia is seen as a natural part of growing up. Our addiction to the past stems from the fact that we feel a natural affinity for products, novelties and entertainment from our youth. Every generation has their decade of fond remembrance. The 60’s had their moment, the 70’s made brief comeback before dying a horrible death and the 80’s continue to linger in fashion and film. However, when it comes to television and film, it is now the turn of the 90’s. 

In pop culture, the 90’s have been dubbed as the last great decade. Presumably, everything went pear-shaped thereafter? This fascination with the pre-2000’s is not just a western phenomenon. In Japan, 90’s memorabilia and shows such as Dragonball Z and Sailor Moon have made a huge comeback. One popular theory thought to have driven this 90’s reboot craze is the archival technology of the web. Social media has a huge impact on pop-culture with dedicated sites for 90’s remembrance.

Whether the Internet or a fond remembrance for the 90’s played any role in the proliferation of TV reboots, the fact remains that the past is comfortable terrain with an almost automatic acceptance of quality. That being said, we have to remember that reboots are not the same are the original shows. They often take place in a different time or place and take new age issues rather than transporting us back to the happy days of our past.