Last Tuesday I had three packages to drop off in the same apartment complex, but the elevator was busted and I had to haul a 50-pound box up four flights of stairs. Right after that, I sat down to watch the revival of that '90s sci-fi series I was hyped about, only to find out Netflix axed it after one season. Has anyone else had a solid plan ruined by something stupid happening the same week?
I rolled my eyes so hard when they announced a reboot of that old sitcom from 1987. But after catching three episodes on a rainy Saturday in Portland, I was hooked. The new cast actually has chemistry and the jokes don't feel forced like most revivals. Anyone else get blindsided by a remake they thought would bomb?
Sat through the pilot between pool games and realized I had been overthinking the weirdness this whole time, anyone else have a show that only made sense after watching it in a random setting?
I was at a record shop in Portland last fall flipping through vinyl when this guy unloading a box of sitcom DVDs saw my Frasier t-shirt. He goes, "You know the new one won't hold a candle to the old episodes. No way they capture that Seattle vibe in Boston." He had this total certainty about a show that hadn't even dropped yet. Made me wonder, are some of us so attached to the original run that we write off revivals before giving them a fair shot? Has anyone else met someone who judged a comeback show before watching a single scene?
I was scrolling through a deep-dive article on TV theme songs last night, and I found out that the iconic opening to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is actually a cold open that describes a real fight Will Smith got into back in Philly. Apparently the taxi driver from the song was a real guy who just drove off (typical). The original writers of the theme are Quincy Jones and DJ Jazzy Jeff which blew me away because I thought Will wrote it himself. Has anyone else stumbled across a random fact that totally changed how you see a show you've seen a hundred times?
My friend kept calling the new BSG a reboot last week while we were rewatching the miniseries and I got so annoyed I had to pause it. A reboot would be like the 2021 MacGyver where it's basically the same idea just updated. But Ron Moore literally took the original concept and asked 'what if we went dark and gritty and made it about 9/11 and torture?' I know because I watched all the DVD commentaries back in like 2008 and he flat out says 'this is a reimagining, not a reboot.' Even the Cylons are completely different from the original tin can robots. It matters because if you call it a reboot you're setting expectations that it follows the same story beats which it absolutely does not. Has anyone else had this argument with their watch party group?
I thought I was getting a steal on eBay for the complete series, but two episodes skip so bad they freeze up. Anyone else regret buying old physical media instead of just streaming it?
I was talking to my nephew who's 14 and he asked why KITT talked so slow. Made me realize how fast everything is now with cell phones and AI. We watched the episode where KITT drives through the wall in that warehouse and he was still impressed by the stunt work. Made me wonder what old shows actually hold up for younger viewers or if it's all nostalgia.
I finally sat down to watch the new Frasier revival last night after putting it off for months. Honestly it felt like watching a cover band at a county fair that's trying really hard but missing the original's soul. The new cast is fine and all but the timing is off on the jokes and the apartment doesn't have that same lived in feel. My buddy Dave said I was being too harsh but I told him it's like when a landlord paints over old cabinets instead of replacing them. The whole thing just feels hollow even though the actors are trying their best. Maybe I'm just getting old but some shows should stay in their era you know? Has anyone else tried the new episodes and felt this way or am I just being a grump?
I was settling in to watch an old M*A*S*H episode last Tuesday and my streaming service swapped it out for some reality show reboot. Has anyone else had their go-to comfort episode just vanish like that?
I watched the new Saved by the Bell reboot last Tuesday expecting to hate it, but I actually laughed out loud twice. The scene where Mac Morris tries to explain TikTok to Principal Belding felt like a real moment that got the old show's spirit right. Has anyone else found a reboot that surprised them like this?
When they first announced Fuller House back in 2015, I rolled my eyes so hard. I thought it was just a cash grab and would ruin my memories of the original. But I gave it a shot after my sister begged me to watch with her, and by episode 4 I was hooked. The chemistry between the actors is still there after all those years, and they actually made the jokes land without being too forced. Now I've watched the whole series twice and it feels like hanging out with old friends. Did anyone else change their mind about a reboot after initially hating the idea?
He kept saying the UK Ricky Gervais version was pure genius and I thought he was just being a snob. I finally watched 3 episodes last night and honestly I was bored stiff, not a single laugh. Is there some secret to liking that show or am I just not getting the humor at all?
I was grabbing coffee in the break room yesterday and my coworker Jen goes on about how Friends is so much better than anything on Netflix now. I asked if she'd actually watched any new shows and she said no. She just assumed. That got me thinking. We all romanticize old TV because we watched it when we were kids or teens. Nothing hits like nostalgia. But I went home and put on an episode of some random 90s show and half the jokes were dated or straight up offensive now. Plus the quality is so grainy. I don't think old shows are better. I think we remember them being better. Has anyone else caught themselves defending a show you haven't seen in 10 years?
I bought this so called professionally restored VCR off a guy on Facebook Marketplace last week for $60 based on the photos and good reviews. Pop in a rare copy of The Muppet Movie that I wanted to rewatch and the machine just chomped on the tape and warped it beyond use. Has anyone else gotten burned by fake restorations on old electronics?
She told me she still watches the 'Fawlty Towers' box set I gave her in 1998 every single year, which felt crazy but also kinda made my week. Has anyone else had a classic show you recommended come back around like that?
So my mom and I have this thing where we watch old shows together on Sunday nights. Last week she wanted to start the original MacGyver from scratch, the one from 1985. I pushed back and said let's try the 2016 reboot instead, you know, just to see if it holds up. She looked at me like I kicked her dog. We watched the first episode of the new one and she spent the whole time pointing out how the guy doesn't look right and the theme song is wrong. After 3 episodes she got up and said she's watching the rest alone in her room. Now she's on season 4 of the original and I'm stuck halfway through the new one by myself. I get it, the old one has that charm, but the new one moves faster and the action scenes are way cleaner. Has anyone else had a family member totally reject a remake even when you tried to meet in the middle?
I was stuck deciding whether to rewatch the 90s show from scratch or jump straight into the new revival episodes. I went with rewatching the whole original series first, all 6 seasons over about 8 weeks. Now I'm noticing every little callback in the revival and it's kind of nice but also the new pacing feels super slow compared to what I just finished. Has anyone else gone back and watched the old episodes before the new ones? Did it help you or just make you compare everything?
Everyone keeps telling me the special editions look better but I finally tracked down a used copy of the original 1977 VHS release at a flea market for $5. The color is all washed out and there's this weird tracking line that drifts through the whole movie. But you know what, I actually prefer it because the cantina scene has that raw feel without the CGI added later. My nephew laughed at me when I popped it in the old CRT TV in my basement. He said the lightsaber colors look like melted crayons and I told him that's exactly the point. The sound has this soft hiss underneath that makes me feel like I'm watching it on a living room floor in 1983. Has anyone else stuck with an older version of a show or movie even when a cleaner copy exists?
I spent $80 on the complete DVD collection last year thinking I'd rewatch every season. But half the discs are scratched and two episodes skip in season 4 alone. I should have just stuck with streaming on Paramount Plus for $6 a month instead. Anyone else regret going physical over digital for a classic show?
I used to think the Roseanne revival was just a cash grab, but after watching The Connors for a few episodes last week, I get why they kept going without her. The writing felt more focused on the family drama instead of trying to push one viewpoint. Has anyone else found a spinoff or reboot that actually improved on the original?
I was sitting on my couch Tuesday night watching the new Frasier reboot on Paramount Plus and when that new theme song kicked in I actually yelled at the TV. The old one had that jazzy saxophone feel that set the whole mood for the show. This new version sounds like generic elevator music with a keyboard. My wife asked if I was okay and I said no, not really. Am I the only one who thinks messing with the original theme is a dealbreaker for a revival?
My friend visited last week and said my old loveseat was making my living room look like a waiting room. I got defensive at first, but then I realized she was right. The cushions were all flat and worn down from years of watching reruns of The Office every night. So I swapped them out for firmer ones and suddenly my whole setup feels different. Has anyone else had a friend give them feedback that actually improved how you experience your favorite shows?
I was hanging out with my friend Dave last weekend and he told me the 1960s Speed Racer episodes are way better than the live action remake from 2008. I laughed at first because I thought he was crazy. But then he pointed out that the old show has that raw goofy charm and the new movie feels like a 2 hour long CGI toy commercial. I went home and watched three episodes on YouTube and he was right. The scene where Racer X saves Speed in that junkyard still gives me chills. Has anyone else gone back to an old cartoon and realized the remake just missed the point?
I was dead certain there was an episode where a guy gets trapped in a phone booth that keeps shrinking, but after digging through all 5 seasons on Paramount Plus and even checking some old TV guide listings from the 60s, I found out it was actually from a different anthology show called One Step Beyond. Has anyone else spent way too long searching for a specific rerun scene that turned out to be from a totally different series?