https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/entertainment/icarly-reboot-trnd/index.html
This is old news at this point, but yes, iCarly is another show in a long line of shows over the past number of months to get cleared for a reboot. It will begin airing on Paramount+ next year, with Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress, and Jerry Trainor reprising their roles. Jay Kogen (former Simpsons writer, but has since went on to work for a variety of shows) will serve as a producer.
When I first found out about this reboot, I really didn't know what to say. But I can tell you that I wasn't happy or excited or interested. I was confused and irritated more than anything else. I felt like this was another show that didn't need to come back, because I don't know what else you can do with the iCarly characters that the original show didn't touch on. From Kogen's tweet, it looks like the show will be for an older audience, which is the only way that a reboot like this can sustain itself. But considering all the other shows that have been rebooted already, and the shows that are going to return in the months to come, this isn't something I have high expectations for. Or any expectations, really.
Let me put this in perspective: Last month, the Animaniacs reboot began airing on Hulu, and the Saved by the Bell reboot started airing on Peacock. Since the announcement of the iCarly reboot, I've read about a Firefly reboot, a Night Court reboot, and a Behind the Music reboot. There is a remake of Revenge of the Nerds on the slate, it was mentioned by Flex Alexander that he has written a script for a potential One on One reboot, and that doesn't even go into the reboots that have been in the works for a while like Rugrats and Frasier. We're living in an era of entertainment where the current trend is to take something popular from the past, and bring it back in a different form which is almost guaranteed to pale in comparison to the original version. This is the era of the reboot, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
I'm just trying to understand why this trend exploded the way it did. This is really only something that started picking up steam in the late 2010s. Before that, I don't think Hollywood was so eager to bring back existing properties like this. Think about the shows that could have returned years ago, but the pitches were shot down because networks were uninterested in digging up the past. Then an actor from one of those old shows dies, usually an actor that was part of the main cast and an integral part of the show's success. Fast forward a decade or so later, and the show gets a reboot without that particular actor, so you're not even getting the show you remember. You're automatically getting an inferior version before you even see a trailer. Then the show has to learn how to navigate through our current era, despite the fact that a lot of the show's success and quality came from the specific era it came from. It has to modernize itself enough to not alienate new viewers, but also cannot be unrecognizable from the old show because the target audience is people who grew up with the original. It's like that joke in the first episode of the Animaniacs reboot where they have to really think about what their first lines should be, except it's every show that has to think about it now. Over and over and over again.
Back in 2012/2013, I remember hearing about the idea of Girl Meets World. I thought it was really interesting that a show from the past was going to return in a completely new form. Of course, Girl Meets World was an entirely different show, not just Boy Meets World coming back with more episodes. Still, it was one of the shows that was part of the trend in the beginning. Then I remember hearing about Fuller House, which was a huge deal at the time. I grew up watching Full House constantly, and the reboot was something that gained a lot of attention (mostly negative, but still). It definitely felt like Fuller House was a reboot that the world in general was anticipating, not just a niche audience. And it made sense to do it because Full House was doing great numbers on Nick at Nite. This was also around the time of The X-Files returning to Fox as a revival, which I remember being a big deal as well.
Four years later, the novelty's worn off and these reboots no longer have that must-see appeal. Which means that you have to make more, at a time when people are starting to get sick of them so you can run them into the ground and move on to something else, preferably in the late 2020s.
It might sound like I hate the idea of reboots, but I don't. Some of the shows that are part of this trend are shows that I care about, like The Boondocks. I always hated the way season four turned out and I'm genuinely curious to see if the HBO Max reboot can redeem the original show's ending. There are some shows that were mistreated in their first run, and didn't get the opportunity to continue because of low ratings or constantly changing time slots. It makes sense for a show like Firefly to get a reboot, because of its huge cult following. And then there are shows like Girlfriends, which didn't even get a proper series finale because after the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, CW decided to cut its losses and end the show early, before it could finish its eighth season. If it was announced that Girlfriends was coming back for a one-off finale or even a limited season of episodes, I would have no problem with that.
The issue I have is with the abundance of reboots. At this point, it's hard to even know which ones are genuine creative attempts and which ones are just encouraged by executives to make money. It's almost like your show is really unappealing if it hasn't been green-lit for a reboot yet. There must be something wrong with the people behind that show if they haven't gotten the call to come back for another run.
That's why I can at least respect the creators and cast of Friends because they have no interest in making a reboot, at least at this current point in time. It's simply because they don't see the need to come back. The original show was about six young adults going through life, and a reboot would go against that idea of what the show was about. The pressure and expectations for a Friends reboot would be massive, and the people behind the show know that whatever they make will be scrutinized and picked apart for years to come. A lot of money will be invested into the project, and the cast would likely be paid at least $2 million just for one episode. As much hype as a Friends reboot would generate, everybody involved knows that it's not worth doing something that won't warrant that kind of hype.
I've said all that without even getting to my feelings about the iCarly reboot specifically. Is it going to work in 2021? I honestly don't know. My view is that the original show ended perfectly, and by 2012, it had already said everything it needed to say. You can even see it in the actors' performances that they were ready to move on. It won't even feel like the original show since Jennette McCurdy won't be a part of it. I understand that she's not in a place mentally where she can even consider doing the reboot, but that's the reason this is automatically going to be a lesser version of the iCarly we grew up with. Sam was a very important part of the dynamic, and without her, you need someone that can pick up her slack comedically. I don't know if this reboot will have anyone like that.
Regardless, I hope the reboot turns out well and doesn't affect the legacy of the original series. I may or may not watch it, but I will say this: I never thought I would be living in a world full of remakes of shows I grew up with. Makes me feel like I need some adult diapers and a cup of applesauce.
