Five of Our Favorite Childhood Shows Making a Comeback

Grab your favorite nineties snacks and relax!

Gone are the days of wearing pajamas and sitting on your parent’s couch binge-watching Saved by the Bell, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Spongebob Squarepants

Well, maybe not… 

Streaming services like Disney+ and NBC’s recently launched Peacock have made it easier for adults to access some of their early favorites. And now, many of those streaming platforms are rebooting or creating spinoffs of some of your favorite childhood shows. 

 

Saved by the Bell

Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkeley are making a return to Bayside High for this 1990s TV-show reboot. The series takes place almost 30 years after the original series ended. Many original stars are making a return along with a whole host of new talent such as former Disney Channel actress Josie Totah in the leading role of popular-girl Lexi. Totah’s casting and involvement in the series is making waves for trans-representation on television, specifically for youth programming. 

“[Lexi’s] in theater, evil and the most popular girl in school — she just happens to be transgender and I feel that getting to that is an incredible opportunity and I can’t wait for people to see themselves on screen in that way,” Totah said during a panel interview at CTAM. 

 

 

 

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Filmmaker Morgan Cooper released a trailer for his film Bel-Air last year and now streaming services are looking to turn the viral drama trailer into a series. Cooper’s film is a dramatic and darker take of Will Smith’s Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which was a 90s sitcom about a Black teenager whose mother takes him off the streets of Philadelphia and sends him to live with his rich uncle. The Hollywood Reporter said that Cooper is taking the reins on this reboot which has reportedly been in the works for over a year.

 

 

 

Spongebob Squarepants

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Well, still Spongebob. But a new spinoff by Nickelodeon won’t have Squarepants at its lead. 

Creators of this beloved yellow sponge are producing a spinoff called The Patrick Star Show which stars — you guessed it — Patrick Star himself. Variety confirmed the Nickelodeon spinoff earlier this week and reported that the show will take a deep dive into Star’s family and career as a talk show host. 

The Patrick Star Show marks the second Spongebob spinoff as Kamp Koral — a prequel to the series with a 10-year-old Squarepants at its lead — plans to hit CBS All Access in 2021. 

Spongebob Squarepants first premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999 and quickly became a fan favorite consistently ranking as the number-one kids’ animated series. Since its debut two decades ago, Spongebob Squarepants has had three hit movies and a total of 12 seasons. 

 

 

Gossip Girl

This CW series is moving to HBO Max and getting a reboot just eight years after the final season ended. The new series will take place in New York and follow a group of private school teens navigating the world of social media. Original series creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are set to head the rebooted show and promise ten new episodes.

 

 

Wonder Years

This 1990s sitcom, originally about a white family navigating the ‘60s and ‘70s, is getting a reboot with a new cast and director. Lee Daniels, who directed the hit Fox series Empire, landed a pilot production commitment at ABC back in July. The reboot will now focus on a Black family living through turbulent 1960s in Montgomery, Alabama. Fred Savage, the original series’ star, is set to direct the first episode of this soon-to-be half-hour episode comedy series.

 

UNITED STATES – NOVEMBER 30: THE WONDER YEARS – “The Heart of Darkness” – Season Two – 11/30/88, Paul (Josh Saviano, left) and Kevin (Fred Savage) wanted to join the in-crowd with Winnie (Danica McKellar). , (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)

 

 

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