We have known for a long time that the movie industry has been running low on ideas. You only need to look at the constant stream of remakes, re-imaginings, sequels, and prequels to know just how bad it has become. But television is suffering the same fate. There have been eras of television remakes in the past, but there is a whole new one going on right now. Shows like “Hawaii Five-O,” “Charlie’s Angels,” and “Bewitched” are all getting the television relaunch treatment. That doesn’t say much for future of scripted television.
Scripted television has picked up some steam in recent years. The emergence of reality television led to a real threat against scripted shows. Most networks pursued the next reality craze because it was cheaper to make and would bring in a large audience. While reality shows still draw ratings, they seemed to have reached their peak in terms of popularity. Because of that, a new wave of scripted dramas and comedies became network hits. Ratings that plummeted after shows like “Seinfeld” went off the air were starting to creep up. But instead of striking with new ideas to keep the ball rolling, the networks seem to be looking for recycled stuff. That is disappointing to say the least.
I understand what the television networks are thinking. They assume a “Bewitched” remake might be a safe play. Viewers are familiar with the subject matter and might be more open to watching something they already know. But while the return of “Hawaii Five-O” was successful, there were a number of other television remakes that flopped. The rehash of “Knight Rider” comes to mind. Remakes usually don’t offer fans anything that they didn’t already get from the original. Therefore, networks are taking a great risk by bringing back these shows.
What’s more troubling is that there seems to be a lack of good ideas for anything new. If the networks are bringing back old shows, what does that say about the original ideas they are getting? I find it hard to believe that there wasn’t a new idea out there better than a remake of “Bewitched.” Maybe there were but the networks are simply too afraid to take any risks. Scripted shows are rarely given time to grow anymore. If they don’t perform right away they usually get canned. Networks might be too weary of risking that. But they need to take chances and they need to give new ideas a chance. Otherwise, television networks will only give viewers reality shows sprinkled in a lineup that resembles the one they used in the 1960s and 1970s.