A reboot of Babylon 5 is in the works, but there are other spaced-based sci fi TV shows that would be better candidates for a complete reworking.
News broke this past week that a “ground-up” reboot of Babylon 5 is in the works at The CW. Creator J. Michael Straczynski is closely involved with the project and has tried to calm the fears of fans of the original series. But does a complete reboot of a classic like Babylon 5 really need to happen? (I will be looking at that in more detail in an upcoming post.) There are plenty of other properties out there much better suited to a reboot and that fans would certainly embrace. These typically were cut short or did not have the budget to fully bring to life their stories, and a modern version with current CGI technology would certainly be welcome. Here are five space-based shows that would benefit from a ground-up reboot and that would not necessarily tarnish what came before. And no, I am not including Firefly in the list because suggesting a reboot of that one would lead to a revolt of that very dedicated fanbase.
Blake’s 7 (Aired: 1978-81, BBC, 4 Seasons Totaling 52 Episodes)
This British series takes place seven hundred years in the future when the tyrannical Federation has a tight grip on Earth and its colonies. Blake is arrested on false charges and sent to a penal colony, but he and six other criminals escape and take charge of a powerful alien spacecraft they dub the Liberator. They become fugitives and rebels and they they fight against the totalitarian threat of the Federation. While this one is considered a classic by many, it has not dated well due to its low production values (typical of the BBC at the time it was made). It struggled to bring to life the concepts of its rather ambitious stories and it would certainly benefit from a reboot with modern day special effects. It would actually be quite good if they stuck close to the original stories, and just updated the visuals, but almost certainly a reboot would take it in different directions. There have been rumors mulitple times that this one is in the reboot queue, but nothing is currently in development at this point that I am aware of.
Andromeda (Aired: 2000-05, Syndicated/Sci Fi Channel, 5 Seasons Totaling 110 Episodes)
This show may be the perfect example of a long-running sci fi TV series that deserves a ground-up reboot. Based on a concept by Gene Roddenberry, it follows Captain Dylan Hunt who commands the powerful starship Andromeda Ascendant and both get caught at the edge of a black hole and are frozen in time for three hundred years. When they are awoken, they find the galaxy in ruins, and with a ragtag crew Hunt sets off on a mission to “rekindle the light of civilization”. This series combined some ideas from Roddenberry’s failed ’70s pilot Genesis II with some Buck Rogers and other sci fi tropes and actually had a decent premise along with some good characters. But it suffered from poor production values, poor writing, and frequent changes behind the scenes. It did produce a decent season or two, but overall the show’s run was unnsatisfying. It developed a small following but hardly counts as a sci fi classic. There are certainly those who would object to a “ground-up” reboot of this show, but I believe it would work. And it could be similar situation to the campy original Battlestar: Galactica getting rebooted into a show now considered one of the best sci fi TV shows of all time.
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Space: Above and Beyond (Aired: 1995-96, FOX, 1 Season Totaling 23 Episodes)
This military sci fi series takes place in the near future and focuses on the United States Marine Corps 58th Squadron of the Space Aviator Cavalry, aka the “Wildcats” as they fight against an alien species referred to as the “Chigs” that has invaded the solar system. The original series is considered somewhat of a genre gem and it still has a dedicated fanbase. But it would be hard to revive this one since twenty five years have passed since it was cancelled and a reboot would be the best way to revisit the show. And it does not necessarily have to be a “gound up” reboot as it could continue the war at a later timeframe than the original series. It would bring in new actors but continue the story of the struggle of humanity against the alien invaders. Or starting over again would be an option as well. They could completely reboot the series and retell the story from a fresh perspective with hopes that it could continue longer than the original truncated run and have a proper resolution. In either case, this one is definitely worth revisiting.
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 learn the truth, though, and also discover 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 (later remade as a graphic novel), 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. There have been rumors that a reboot is in the works, but news has been sparse on that of late. (Read more about the series at this link.)
Flash Gordon (Aired: 1979-82, NBC, 2 Seasons Totaling 32 Episodes)
Flash Gordon is of course the quintessential comic strip sci fi hero who has fought against Ming the Merciless and other villains with the help of his companions Dale Arden, Dr. Zarkov, Prince Barin, Prince Vultan, and more. The character first appeared in the newspapers, then in movie serials, and is probably best known to modern viewers from the 1980 camp-classic film that starred Sam J. Jones. Among its TV incarnations, the 1979 Saturday Morning animated series is probably the best-remembered version. But there was also a live-action 1950’s series that is mostly forgotten, a ’90’s animated series that is best forgotten, and a disappointing 2007 live-action series that aired on the Sci Fi Channel for one season before disappearing (for good reason). So one of the greatest sci fi characters of all time, has yet to be featured in a good live-action series, and really only the first season of the 1979 animated series is worth watching. There is certainly plenty that could be done with Flash Gordon, and the character has name recognition worldwide. A reboot of Buck Rogers is currently in the works, and it certainly seems like bringing his comic strip counterpart back would be a good idea as well.
What space-based sci fi TV shows do you believe need to be rebooted? Chime in with your comments below.
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