20 TV shows that made major comebacks decades later

Jeff Franklin Productions As humans, we just can’t help but feel drawn toward nostalgic content. Going back in time and reminiscing about the good old days can put a smile on just about anyone’s face. Nostalgia can be found in all forms, from fashion trends to music to the fine arts–and, of course, television. There have always been TV shows that seek to tug at our heartstrings by appealing to a romanticized past (think “Stranger Things”). And networks in the 21st century took viewers’ love of nostalgic content one step further by reviving some of the most iconic TV shows of yore. Some of these series picked up where the original left off while others fast-forwarded the clock to the modern day, amping up the nostalgia factor by retaining the same cast members. Others took a different approach, retelling the original story through a modernized lens. Then, of course, there are the game shows that don’t tell a story at all–or anthologies that don’t tell the same story twice–which nevertheless received the reboot treatment. Like anything, some of these revivals absolutely worked, while others … not so much. Stacker compiled a list of 20 TV shows that made major comebacks decades later using various sources and databases. To make this list, the reboot had to premiere at least 20 years after the original aired its final episode. Let the nostalgia commence. You may also like: 100 best Western films of all time Animaniacs Amblin Television If you’re a child of the ’90s, you’re probably familiar with “Animaniacs.” The satirical animated series aired from 1993 to 1998 on Fox Kids and WB Kids. And luckily for fans who now have kids of their own, Hulu rebooted the series in 2020. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are all back to take on new zany adventures and are voiced by their original actors, Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, and Tress MacNeille, respectively. The megalomaniacal duo Pinky and the Brain are also back and voiced by their original actors, Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche. Battlestar Galactica British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) Turns out Dwight Schrute of “The Office” wasn’t the only superfan of the sci-fi show, which originally aired from 1978 to 1979 on ABC before being canceled after 21 episodes. The “BSG” reboot is more of a reimagining of the original than a continuation and ended up being wildly successful. It ran from 2004 to 2009 on the Sci-Fi network and took home numerous awards, including three Primetime Emmys and a prestigious Peabody Award. Dallas Cyntax Productions The Ewings and their familial feuds (not to mention famous cliffhangers) hooked viewers on “Dallas” when it premiered on CBS in 1978. The prime-time soap opera ran for an impressive 12 seasons and more than 350 episodes, making it one of the longest-running television shows of all time. The show was revived by TNT in 2012 and brought back a good deal of the original main cast members, including Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, and Larry Hagman. But the interest just wasn’t the same, with the continuation lasting only three seasons before getting canceled for declining ratings. DuckTales K/O Paper Products “Hawaii Five-O” was a prolific police procedural that aired for a whopping 12 seasons on CBS between 1968 and1980. Decades after its last episode, CBS rebooted the show with a notable difference, switching out the “O” in the title with a “0.” Like the original, “Hawaii Five-0” had a lengthy run, airing for 10 seasons between 2010 and 2020. It shared the original series’ premise of a major crimes task force operating on behalf of the Hawaiian government and featured the same characters, though played by different actors. The Joker’s Wild