In the age of reboots and revivals I have realized that some of them work and some do not. I think the key is that many fans of the original are only interested in the original characters. The main reason that Girl Meets World did not keep my interest was because I was only concerned with what the original characters were doing. Boy Meets World was a great show to watch growing up because it was relatable and had so many important lessons. It was not interesting to me to watch a girl go through junior high because I already lived it.
However, Fuller House, the Netflix spinoff of the classic 90s show Full House, seems to understand how to do a revival right. The show's main focus is what the original characters are doing, without focusing too much on their children.
Season two of the Netflix original was even better than season one because so many lovable characters from the original made an appearance. In season one we got to se the original family, in addition to DJ's first love, Steve, and Stephanie's childhood best friend, Henry.
In season two we not only met Joey's wife and children, but also got to see Stephanie's troublemaker friend from junior high, Gia. And the best episode of the season was, "DJ and Kimmy's High School Reunion". In this episode all our favorites from DJ and Kimmy's high school days returned. In addition to Steve, DJ's boyfriends Nelson and Viper were in attendance. We also saw Kimmy's almost-husband, Duane. And their old friend, who was often spoken about yet rarely seen, Kathy Santoni.
Netflix knows how to revive old favorites correctly. They understand that successful reboots are focused on the original characters and the twists and turns their lives take.
However, Netflix cannot take all of the credit. The key is bringing back the same writers and conveying the same message. Fuller House utilized the original producer, Jeff Franklin and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life had Amy Sherman-Palladino.
One thing that really worked for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life was that it was seen as more of a way for fans to get closure and say a proper goodbye, in addition to being blessed with the final four words that Amy Sherman-Palladino came up with when she created the original series.
Which should be the whole purpose for a revival, to give the fans a chance to see what the characters have been up to. Thankfully, Fuller House has been renewed for another season, and hopefully we will see more Gilmore Girls in the future.
