Which old TV show would succeed now

[aktarian]

Yes. But "Emergency's" bread and butter were the rescues. Particularly the "danglers". People trapped on cranes and building ledges and stuff.

About all the medical stuff the paramedics actually did was CPR and inserting IVs.

That said I've listed Emergency as one of the most influential television shows in the U.S. of all time given it sparked the massive increases in the creation of EMS services around the country.

Note, Emergency was a very heavily based in reality show. The fireman who drove the fire engine was Fireman Specialist Mike Stoker who used his real name on the show, was certified to drive the engine in real life and had an SGA card which meant the show didn't need a separate person to drive the engine for filming. He later retired as a captain in the LAFD. The captain on the show for the first season was a real life captain in the LAFD.

And teen idol Bobbie Sherman after guest starring as a doctor on Emergency was inspired to change careers and become an emergency first responder himself.

All fine and well but currently market is full of medical dramas. Not ER, EMT but medical ones in general. When this show came out it was probably only one with such theme, something not true today. So it's not about quality, it's about getting enough audience.

To give you related example, look at how many police procedurals are out there and each season there is at least one new one (or at least LE related). And yet most get axed because market is so saturated with them it's hard for them to draw in enough audience.

 

[Dayton Kitchens]

All fine and well but currently market is full of medical dramas. Not ER, EMT but medical ones in general. When this show came out it was probably only one with such theme, something not true today. So it's not about quality, it's about getting enough audience.

To give you related example, look at how many police procedurals are out there and each season there is at least one new one (or at least LE related). And yet most get axed because market is so saturated with them it's hard for them to draw in enough audience.

There were a lot of medical dramas in the 70s. And there are more police procedurals today than medical dramas and yet they continue to create new ones.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

There have been attempts to revive The Sweeney and The Professionals, but they didn't work. However, if they were done as period pieces, i.e. set in the 1970s when the originals were made, they could get away with the violence and sexism by saying that was what it was like at the time or by saying its ironic as with Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.

 

[aktarian]

There were a lot of medical dramas in the 70s. And there are more police procedurals today than medical dramas and yet they continue to create new ones.

And most police procedurals last one season.

As for 70s dramas, I don't know. were there really that many of them compared to today, considering there was, to my knowledge, less TV programs to begin with.

 

[NCW8]

There have been attempts to revive The Sweeney and The Professionals, but they didn't work. However, if they were done as period pieces, i.e. set in the 1970s when the originals were made, they could get away with the violence and sexism by saying that was what it was like at the time or by saying its ironic as with Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.

I've seen an interview with the producers of Life On Mars where they said that it was their way of doing a remake of The Sweeney.

Cheers,
Nigel.

 

[NamelesStatistic]

Update MASH from the Korean War to a hospital in Iraq or Afghanistan or Syria and you would have an instant classic.

 

[Dayton Kitchens]

Update MASH from the Korean War to a hospital in Iraq or Afghanistan or Syria and you would have an instant classic.

I've suggested something like this many times on various forums and it seems almost everyone thinks it would be all but impossible to replace Alan Alda.

I do not agree but I understand their thinking.

 

[warlock]

How about ,It takes a thief ,The Champions ,or Kindred the Embraced ?

 

[wietze]

bewitched/ I dream of jeannie

the fugitive

addams family

columbo

the outer limits

 

[HARRY]

Most already have similar shows today.

M.A.S.H.- Combat Hospital (Canadian, set in Afghanistan military hospital) Off the Map (USA, Volunteer doctors in South American hospital).

Happy Days made in the 70's set in the 50's- "The Wonder Years" made in the 80's set in the 60's, That 70's Show and newest is The Goldbergs set in the 80's.

The Bill Cosby Show- was just the long time formula of father knows best but with a black family has be redone as a latino family "George Lopez" and the latest "Fresh of the Boat" with Chinese americans.

Cheer- Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mixology and Sullivan & Son comedies set in bars are still with us.

Little House on the Praire- nothing like this for a while the closest wholesome western I can think of is DR Quinn and that ended in the late 90's.

 

[phx1138]

There've been a couple of "updates" of "To Catch a Thief", with a slightly different spin, most recently "White Collar".

I wonder if something like "Route 66" could make it today.

As for "saturation" with procedurals, that's not the reason: 99% of all shows fail to survive past one season, even if they get picked up to begin with (and 99% don't).

Updating "UFO" could work nicely...

I don't suppose a reboot of "Bonanza" or "Gunsmoke" would survive...

 

[HonestAbe1809]

A reboot of Quantum Leap would be awesome. Provided the right casting, of course

I had an idea for a sequel to Quantum Leap where Sam's daughter Sammy Jo was the leaper. Her goal would be as much rescuing her dad as it was to "make right what once went wrong". Though a rebooted version of Quantum Leap might be the best option if the taint of Archer was too strong to use Scott Bakula. I literally can't see anyone other than Dean Stockwell as Al, though.

Far too cerebral for most current American audiences.... And I'm not kidding..... JeeBeezus, there's some truly awful shows that make it to production nowdays.

There's a animated children's show on today that prominently features a concept heavily symbolic of "intimate relationships", and another that turned it's main villain into a metaphor for the degenerative effects of Parkinson's. Children's animation has definitely grown up since Rocky & Bullwinkle, so I don't think that a Rocky & Bullwinkle remake is impossible in this day and age.

 

[dilbert719]

columbo

I am stunned it took this long for Columbo to come up. This one, given the right actor, could be a big success. It'd be tough to come up with a proper follow-up to Peter Falk, but if they can find the right guy, there's a ton that can be done with the "detective who trips people up using Obfuscating Stupidity and the Socratic Method" format.

Other thoughts I had: Dark Shadows (though this one, redone, might end up just being along the lines of True Blood), Quantum Leap (which others have mentioned), and (like Columbo, this one desperately requires the right actors to distinguish it from Law and Order) Dragnet.

Random ideas just came to mind: The Prisoner, Murder She Wrote, and the Twilight Zone IF someone can be found to fill the role of Rod Serling (which is going to be a killer.)

 

[aktarian]

Random ideas just came to mind: The Prisoner, Murder She Wrote, and the Twilight Zone IF someone can be found to fill the role of Rod Serling (which is going to be a killer.)

Twilight Zone was rebooted recently. And failed.

 

[jahenders]

MASH and Cheers might fly.

I'd love to see a reboot of My Favorite Martian with good special effects and some more X-file-esque story lines ....

Which of the following TV show from the past would succeed today?
M*A*S*H*
Happy Days
Bill Cosby show
Cheers
Little House on the Praire

 

[Dayton Kitchens]

The Fugitive would work (though the last attempt did not with Tim Daly).

But the story of being a good person wrongfully accused I think has the potential to work nearly anytime with the right actor. Tim Daly is a highly experienced actor but in my opinion a rather weak one.

 

[Kevin Renner]

Yes. But "Emergency's" bread and butter were the rescues. Particularly the "danglers". People trapped on cranes and building ledges and stuff.

About all the medical stuff the paramedics actually did was CPR and inserting IVs.

That said I've listed Emergency as one of the most influential television shows in the U.S. of all time given it sparked the massive increases in the creation of EMS services around the country.

Note, Emergency was a very heavily based in reality show. The fireman who drove the fire engine was Fireman Specialist Mike Stoker who used his real name on the show, was certified to drive the engine in real life and had an SGA card which meant the show didn't need a separate person to drive the engine for filming. He later retired as a captain in the LAFD. The captain on the show for the first season was a real life captain in the LAFD.

And teen idol Bobbie Sherman after guest starring as a doctor on Emergency was inspired to change careers and become an emergency first responder himself.

Emergency* is basically a reboot of "Rescue 8"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_8

 

[phx1138]

What about rebooting "Wiseguy"? It could be more closely based on the real stories of FBI undercovers... (Tho, TBH, "Falcone" didn't do so well...)

 

[omnimercurial]

I think Pace Above and Beyond would do better now than when originally broadcast.
Fox treated that Show Shamefully but then Fox seem to take a Dump on all their Sci Fi.

Sliders too would be great if it returned.... As long as it pursued the Season 1 & 2 style as opposed to the Awful later stuff.

Outer Limits would also be good.

American Gothic would be excellent if continued but by original showrunner.

Brimstone would be great too.

Oh if only we could get the creative team back together from the First Eerie Indiana! That would be amazing!

Twin Peaks too my Gods yes!

 

[Driftless]

I am stunned it took this long for Columbo to come up. This one, given the right actor, could be a big success. It'd be tough to come up with a proper follow-up to Peter Falk, but if they can find the right guy, there's a ton that can be done with the "detective who trips people up using Obfuscating Stupidity and the Socratic Method" format.

Other thoughts I had: Dark Shadows (though this one, redone, might end up just being along the lines of True Blood), Quantum Leap (which others have mentioned), and (like Columbo, this one desperately requires the right actors to distinguish it from Law and Order) Dragnet.

Random ideas just came to mind: The Prisoner, Murder She Wrote, and the Twilight Zone IF someone can be found to fill the role of Rod Serling (which is going to be a killer.)

Hallmark has several variants on the theme of the intelligent civilian part-time woman detective. Allison Sweeny, Lori Laughlin, etc as leads.