A West Wing 2.0 with President Charlie Young? The Office: 2017 with Regional Manager Dwight Schrute?
NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt certainly hopes so, telling Deadline that he would like to see revivals of some of the network’s more recent classic shows, along the lines of the return of Will & Grace scheduled for September 28. The shows Greenblatt specifically mentioned are 30 Rock, The Office, The West Wing, and ER.
While no definitive plans have been announced to revive any of these shows, the network is moving full steam ahead with Will & Grace (even ordering a second season already!), and a planned reboot of Miami Vice is in the works as well.
As arguments rage about whether we’re in the midst of a second Golden Age of Television, less debatable has been the proliferation and popularity of reboots. And now with Greenblatt’s comments, the Will & Grace surge, Twin Peaks on Showtime, and ABC ordering new episodes of Roseanne, revivals seemed poised to catch fire as well. We might be living during a time of Peak TV, but there’s no questioning what many audiences want: reboots, re-do’s, and reunions.
Is an NBC “Must See TV” revival in the works?
If Greenblatt gets his wish, NBC will soon be throwing back to its “Must See TV” days, and he’s been hard at work getting the ball rolling.
Regarding 30 Rock and discussions he’s had with its star and creative force Tina Fey: “I’d say to Tina, ‘Hey, you think some more 30 Rock makes any sense?’ She’d say, ‘I don’t know. Maybe.’ … If Tina called and said, ‘I’d do 30 Rock,’ I’d do it in a heartbeat, even for a limited run. The same about The Office.”
Greenblatt has had similar discussions with Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing: “I keep saying to him, ‘Do you want to do The West Wing again? Wouldn’t it be great to do it?’ He says, ‘You know I love that show, and some day I’d love to revisit it, but it’s not going to happen right now.’”
Time will tell how much success the Will & Grace revival brings to NBC this fall, but clearly, enthusiasm abounds. Returning to a hopeful, optimistic political drama (The West Wing) might go very far these days, and there could never be enough zany madness and Liz Lemon wisdom coming from 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
The West Wing star Richard Schiff, for one, is ready to go:
The West Wing alum Richard Schiff talks reboot possibility https://t.co/SWQVK78qIh
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) August 10, 2017
According to Greenblatt, it’s time to revisit these old friends: “I think that to me is the best way to go. You have the original DNA of the creators, you have the director, you have the cast, you have the set—everything is what it once was.”
What do you think about this new revival wave? Which shows would you like to see brought back?
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