Heroes, Firefly, and 5 popular TV shows that deserve a reboot

2. Heroes

Around the world, people achieve superpowers, but what they do with them could change the fate of the planet and impact everyone’s futures.

The show that started so well but became oh, so bad! Heroes was all the rage when it first launched—you could barely turn a corner without hearing someone yell, “Save the cheerleader, save the world!” Heroes also launched the careers of many well-known faces—Masi Oka, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Hayden Panettiere, Santiago Cabrera, and Zachary Quinto have all become household names thanks to this show. If only Heroes had managed to continue in the same vein as its first season.

To say Heroes was canceled is an understatement—the first installment was a massive success, followed by a slower second season, and two more seasons that were so awful, they ruined the whole show.

People no longer talk of Heroes with the sense of awe that they used to in 2006—it’s considered more of a joke now. Even a short-lived revival in 2015 couldn’t save the image of the show.

That’s why we need a complete reboot of Heroes right now—as we said, superpowers are in, and people can’t get enough of shows about them. Plus, the extensive cast of characters will ensure that audiences are never bored.

However, we suggest avoiding the flaws of the original—make it into an anthology series focusing on different sets of characters and their own trajectories, a la True Detective and The Sinner. Make this happen, world! Heroes may have already had a “revival,” but we feel it is one of the most obvious TV shows that deserve a reboot.

You can stream Heroes on Amazon Prime Video.

1. Firefly

In a dystopian future, a ship of smugglers tries to make their way in space while harboring a fugitive who could prove that everything in the galaxy is a lie.

No list of modern TV shows would be complete without Firefly. A favorite for geeks in the 21st century, Firefly was praised for its unique concepts and unusual characters. However, on closer inspection—and rising skepticism from feminists—Firefly was found to be disturbingly misogynistic, appropriative, and filled to the brim with tropes.

It didn’t help that Joss Whedon, creator and purported feminist, turned out to be exactly the kind of man that the #MeToo movement would pivot on years later.

Plus, despite Firefly’s cancellation, the show got its farewell in a film, Serenity, in 2005, that wrapped up the primary storyline—and killed off some fan-favorite characters in the process.

Despite Serenity’s success with fans, Firefly continues to be on everyone’s revival lists—hence it’s on ours. But it’s high time to move away from the problematic origins of the show, and its creator—a reboot of Firefly would have to start with a clean slate.

For one, no more appropriation of Asian language and culture while completely ignoring the Asian community—the cast would need to be much more diverse. The misogynistic language would definitely have to go—it didn’t work in 2002, it definitely won’t work now. Some of the concepts, such as the Companions, need serious revision. And no more waifus!

The aesthetics, ethos, and general tone of the show would translate well. Still, for Firefly to work in 2020, it needs to be updated for a more diverse audience by adding marginalized people in front of and behind the camera. Firefly is one of the top TV shows that deserve a reboot.

Firefly is available for purchase on iTunes and Google Play.

Which popular TV shows that deserve a reboot which you like to see most? Tell us in the comments below.