Don't Reboot Battlestar Galactica, Reboot Buck Rogers, The Invaders, The Questor Tapes, and More Instead

NBC has announced the launch of its new streaming service to be titled Peacock and has revealed that a reboot / revival of Battlestar: Galactica will be one of its first original series (which executive producer Sam Esmail insists is not a reboot). I understand the desire to have some big-name shows as part of the slate of originals to draw new subscribers (DCU had Titans, Disney+ will have Star Wars entry The Mandalorian as well as the MCU shows, HBO Max will have Dune: The Sisterhood), but BSG has already had its remake and that is considered a sci fi classic by many. So instead of bringing that series back, here’s a few suggestions on properties that are more suited for a reboot / revival:

Buck Rogers (Aired 1950-51, ABC, 1 Season totaling 36 episodes then 1979-81, NBC, 2 Seasons Totaling 37 Episodes): Television audiences best know this character from the late 70’s series starring Gil Gerard and Erin Gray, but Buck Rogers has been around since the late 1920’s and has name recognition worldwide. And the nice thing about this one is that it presents a blank slate. You can still use the template of a 20th century (or perhaps 21st century) person waking up in the future, but then take it any direction from there. It could still tap into the camp fun of the 70’s series (as well as the 30’s movie serial), or it could just go straight sci fi action. This one would draw plenty of attention because the character is so well known, and Buck Rogers truly deserves a first-rate adaptation. Plus, if the rights aren’t available, Flash Gordon brings pretty much the same appeal. You can read more about 1979’s Buck Rogers in the 25th Century at this link.

The Invaders (Aired 1967-68, ABC, 2 Seasons Totaling 43 Episodes): This series goes all the way back to the 1960’s and only lasted a season and a half, but it still has name recognition today. Plus, its story about a silent alien invasion can easily be updated to the modern world, whether it is done as a reboot or sequel to the original (I particularly like the latter idea). The classic series had its moments, but followed a rather formulaic approach to make it more palatable to Prime Time audiences, never really taking advantage of the paranoia and fear at the core of its premise. A remake could do just that and this one would definitely fit in well with the current socio-political climate. You can read more about the original series at this link.

Land of the Giants (Aired 1968-70, ABC, 2 Seasons Totaling 51 Episodes): Sure, this series is not as well know, especially to younger audiences. But it still brings some name recognition and plenty of potential. The original show followed a group of space travelers that get caught in a space warp that takes them to an Earth-like planet populated with giants. That offered plenty of opportunities for action-adventure stories, but the show also had an interesting setting in a totalitarian world that was never fully explored. A revival / reboot could explore that which offers interesting parallels to our own socio-political climate. I would love to see this one, but I’m guessing this property is low on the reboot priority list. You can read more about the original series at this link.

Gene Roddenberry’s The Questor Tapes (Aired 1974, NBC, Pilot Only): You can’t get much better name recognition than Mr. Roddenberry, and this failed pilot from the 70’s offers the perfect opportunity to revive one of his earlier works. It follows an android who is part of a long line of beings created by a mysterious race known as “The Masters” to serve and protect mankind. The original pilot actually still holds up quite well and this property is definitely ripe for a revival. Gene’s son Rod Roddenberry was attempting to get a series started some years back, but nothing has come of that. Now is the perfect time to tap into the Roddenberry vault once again. You can read more about The Questor Tapes at this link.

Gene Roddenberry’s Genesis II (Aired 1973, CBS, Pilot Only): And if there is doubt about The Questor Tapes, then this is another Gene Roddenberry pilot that is equally primed for a reboot. Following the Buck Rogers template of having a man from the past awake in the future, Dylan Hunt survives suspended animation to find that the world has been devasted by a third and final World War. He joins up with an organization known as PAX that plans on rebuilding the world through the proper use of technology and by adhering to the principles of peace. The original plan for the series would essentially deliver “Land Trek”, with the PAX team traveling to different parts of the world and encountering new societies by using a system of underground subshuttles. A second pilot was made titled Planet Earth (along with a third, semi-related attempt titled Strange New World), but this one never made it to series. It had plenty of potential, though, and a reboot would be welcome and deliver good name recognition. You can read more about Genesis II at this link.

Babylon 5 (Aired 1993-97, PTEN/TNT, 5 Seasons Totaling 110 Episodes): Now before anybody has a conniption, I am suggesting a Star Trek: TNG-style continuation of B5, NOT a reboot (which would be sacrilege). J. Michael Straczynski created a rich universe for this series which gives it all sorts of spin-off and sequel opportunities. Plus, the first sequel series Crusade was cut short, and the pilot Legends of the Rangers never flew, so a new series could pick up unfinished storylines from one or both of those. And Straczynski’s truncated Lost Tales anthology series had plenty of story ideas as well. This is a well-known and well-respected sci fi franchise and brings plenty of name recognition. I would not expect to see it on Peacock because B5 is owned by Warner Bros, but perhaps the next generation for the series could head to HBO Max which launches in Spring 2020. Read more about the classic series at this link.