A psychopath who murders his mother in a motel; a crime-fighting trio called “Angels”; two feuding families on the ranches of Texas; a brilliant psychiatrist turned flesh-eating serial killer; a bunch of good-lookers in a Beverly Hills high school; and a special state police unit that fights the underworld in Hawaii. The vividness of these images that imprint in our minds, and the ease by which we can recall their series names are hallmarks of why these shows are so iconic, and probably why they deserve a comeback on the small screen.
Take the iconic Ewings from Dallas, who are back for a second round of battle for power, love and money. The original Dallas, a primetime soap which aired for 14 seasons on CBS from 1978 to 1991, was a hit in its day and has since become an iconic part of American pop culture. In 2007, TIME magazine named the series one of the “100 Best TV Shows of All-Time”. Throw in Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray from the original 1978 version with an all-new cast consisting sexy Desperate Housewives alumnus Jesse Metcalfe and Josh Henderson and you’ve got yourself a definitive hit.
Ratings in the U.S. suggest that the new incarnation has met TV execs’ expectations and has also helped to introduce a much-beloved classic to a whole new generation. According to TNT in the U.S., Season 1 premiered in June with 6.9 million viewers among adults 18 – 49 and adults 25 – 54 for the year-to-date, making it the number one cable series of 2012 then. On the back of this performance, TNT renewed the series for a second season, which is slated for a January 2013 premiere. Asian audiences would have just begun their tour of Dallas when the brand new series premiered on WarnerTV beginning November 29, 2012.
Executive producer Cynthia Cidre believes there is a place in the market for remakes. “Bringing a show like Dallas into the 21st century has been both exciting and daunting,” said Cidre. “It would have been very easy for the show to devolve into camp or cheap melodrama. But instead, we decided to concentrate on making a smart, passionate family drama told on an epic scale.” Cidre also maintained that the series works because while it remains largely true to the original with the title unchanged; it is not a remake but a continuation of the story. “It is Dallas 20 years later.”
Even icons from the big screen have found their way into television.
Marie Jacobsen, Executive Vice President, Programming & Production from Sony Pictures Television (SPT), Networks that picked up Hannibal (the new TV series based on Thomas Harris’ famous creation, Hannibal Lector) to be aired on AXN in 63 territories, shares Cidre’s sentiment on the viability of revivals.
“The story of Hannibal, which Anthony Hopkins brought to life in the classic feature film, is a well-known name that viewers of all ages recognise and appreciate,” explained Jacobsen. “There was certainly a consideration for this appeal to a wider demographic when bringing the Hannibal adaptation to the small screen.” And the “rebooting” trend seems to be gaining momentum. Besides Dallas and Hannibal, Hawaii Five O, 90210, BBC’s Doctor Who and Sherlock, and The Carrie Diaries, a spin-off on Sex and the City, are all examples of recent successful remakes.
Then there’s Bates Motel, an original series ordered by A&E Networks based on the character of Norman Bates from the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic, Psycho, premiering in the second quarter of 2013.
Bob DeBitetto, President and General Manager of A&E Network and Bio Channel, said the network was set on developing the project from the get-go because of its thought-provoking subject matter, a quality the network is always looking out for in its content. “It’s a provocative project from two of the best storytellers in the business (EPs Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin),” said DeBitetto. The network’s confidence saw the title bypassing the pilot and into series production of 10 episodes – a move DeBitetto considers risky but one he strongly believes will pay off because of the infamy of Norman Bates and the sustaining power of the plot.
But where some remakes have popped, others have tanked and arguably should be been best left untouched. Industry observers theorise that big debut ratings are a result of a combination of factors: nostalgia among older viewers and initial intrigue among younger viewers who are aware of the show’s reputation. Unfortunately for some, ratings soon slide when older viewers realise they are not getting the same experience and younger audiences are not invested to stay on.
Take the remake of the 1976 crime drama series Charlie’s Angels for example, which even a cast of eye candies cannot save. Initially ordered by ABC in 2011, the reboot got cancelled after four episodes because of waning ratings. Charlie’s Angels opened with a hopeful 2.1 ratings among adults 18 – 49, but plummeted to 1.2 after two weeks – a contrast to its original, which lasted five seasons and became one of the most loved TV shows of all time. At one point, it even inspired Madonna to don the Farah Fawcett hairdo – an icon’s salute to an even larger-than-life icon.
Charlie’s Angels’ fall from grace has less to do with casting but more with how different the characters are from those in the original. The plot for the new “Angels” features the girls as ex-cons, which did not sit well with both critics and viewers. Both camps were also dissatisfied with the violent take of the remake. Other examples of failed attempts at franchise reboots was a forgettable 2007 Bionic Woman (was there one?), which was taken off air after eight episodes; and a 2008 Knight Rider, which fizzled out after one season. Another noteworthy failure was Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. According to ABC Medianet, the series premiered in the U.S. in 2008 to 18.6 million viewers and averaged 10.8 million viewers over the course of season 1, before dropping more than half to an average of 5.37 million viewers by season 2. Needless to say, that one’s not going to be saying “I’ll be back”.
The CW’s 90210, despite surviving a fifth season, had also struggled with ratings. Since a series high of 4.7 million viewers during its premiere, ratings have since taken a huge hit – only 0.94 million viewers saw the first episode of season 5, according to Nielsen. The teen drama was also not as well received in Australia. Network Ten aired the first season for six episodes before pulling it off air due to low ratings.
Based on the trajectory of some of these remakes, spin-offs are not always as successful as their originals. As of now, there is no evidence to suggest that any remake has surpassed its original. With renewed interest in the psychological thriller genre though, it remains to be seen if Hannibal and Bates Motel may outlive the very short life spans of the slash victims that reside in their shows.
