Ten Sci Fi TV Shows That Should Be Rebooted

The entertainment industry continues to look back into its vaults for properties that have some name-recognition and that can be rebooted for modern audiences. And while it would sure be nice if they would deliver more in the way of original productions, there are some past TV shows (or attempts at shows) that could feed this reboot fever with modern production values applied to them. These are shows that did not quite succeed in delivering the great series they could have been the first time around (or were never given the chance) and a second try just might turn them into sci fi classics. Here is a list of ten shows and pilots from the past that I consider to be good candidates for a reboot.

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Land of the Lost (Aired: 1974-76, NBC Saturday Mornings 3 Seasons Totaling 43 Episodes)

This Saturday morning series about a family lost in a mysterious dinosaur-filled land was one of the few sci fi options on television when it first aired. The show was definitely super-cheesy, even for its sfx-challenged era (though they did do a bang-up job on the dinosaur stop motion). And it also had plenty of cutsey and/or angsty stories that skewed to the family-friendly side. But Star Trek veteran David Gerrold had been brought onboard to flesh out the mythology of the Land of the Lost and also to establish an over-arching theme for the series. That became the strength of the series and helped it rise above being just another kids’ show on Saturdays. And that’s what the reboot could key on. There was definitely some good world-building in this show and it had science fiction writers penning some of the scripts. Give it a better budget and a more mature focus, and you could have a hell of a good sci fi show coming from this.  Read more about the series at this link.

ALF (Aired: 1986-90, NBC, 4 Seasons Totaling 102 Episodes plus a TV Movie)

This alien-among-us comedy delivered one of the all-time funniest television characters in ALF (aka Gordon Shumway), but sadly waisted him with by-the-numbers sitcom stories. A reboot for this show is actually in the works, and hopefully they get it right the second time around. ALF and his snarky wit can provide comedy gold, and he actually did shine in the original series despite subpar scripts. If they can get a better writing team and a network that does not try to turn this into just another sitcom-with-a-twist, then perhaps they can deliver the classic that the original series should have been. Paul Fusco will be returning as the voice of ALF, so there is plenty to look forward to if this reboot actually happens.  Read more about the series at this link.

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 (there was also a short-lived 50’s TV series), 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. Preferably it would not be a dark reboot, though, as we have had enough grim sci fi lately.  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. Read more about the series at this link.

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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 some 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. Read more about the 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 who 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 delve further into that, perhaps offering some 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.  Read more about the 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.  Read more about the TV movie at this link.

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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.  Read more about the TV Movie at this link.

Cliffhangers (Aired: 1979, NBC, 1 Season Totaling 11 Episodes)

This short-lived series offered a modern day take on the old movie serials and it combined three ongoing segments into each episode: the action/adventure Stop Susan Williams, the sci fi/western The Secret Empire, and the supernatural tinged Dracula 79. In many ways, it was well ahead of its time with serialized episodes and season-long story arcs, and it would work perfectly in the current television environment. There are any of a number of well-known sci fi characters from the old serials that could lead this show off (such as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon mentioned above). Plus, it could mine the old pulps and comics–a ton of those characters are in the public domain these days. It could also be used as a try out for original ideas with the ones that register well with audiences possibly spinning off into their own shows or sticking around to headline this series. And really, there’s no reason to keep the original title if there are copyright issues since the show is not well known which means a completely new series with a similar format could be produced. This is definitely a reboot that needs to happen.  Read more about the series at this link.

The Starlost (Aired: 1973-74, Syndication, 1 Season Totaling 16 Episodes)

This mid-1970’s TV series was set on the multi-generational colony starship named Earthship Ark that loses its way after abandoning a dying Earth.  The people aboard live in domes that have been cut off from the main ship and they no longer realize that they are traveling through space.  Three people discover the truth, though, and the fact that the ship is on a perilous course.  The original series had a promising concept as evidenced by the award-winning Harlan Ellison-penned pilot script, but it suffered from behind-the-scenes tinkering. The studio dumbed-down the vision for the show and cut the budget, resulting in Ellison removing his name from the production. But an updating of this with modern special effects and better writing could do justice to the original idea and potentially deliver a great sci fi series.  Read more about the series at this link.

The People (Aired: 1972, ABC, Pilot Only)

This is another failed pilot (though not from Gene Roddenberry this time) that deserves to be revisited. It is based on the Zenna Henderson sci fi stories about a group of people living in a secluded village who are actually aliens trying to keep the truth of their origins unknown. It starred Kim Darby and also had William Shatner in the cast (the two previously paired up in the Star Trek episode “Miri”) and the pilot showed promise.  If done right it could have delivered a very unique type of sci fi TV show. The original movie is mostly forgotten now, so it has little in the way of name recognition. But it had a solid story built on an intriguing sci fi premise and would still work well if expanded into an ongoing series. This is one that might fit well into the three-season model that the streaming services seem to prefer, and a reboot would definitely be welcome.  Read more about the TV movie at this link.

What sci fi TV shows do you believe need to be rebooted? Chime in with your comments below.