Whenever a new reboot debuts, it’s more often than not trending on Twitter, and again more often not, for all the wrong reasons; trying too hard. Take the Sex and The City spin off series “And Just Like That”, while it’s not exactly a complete remake, it is returning it’s story to the screen, same characters, same city, yet why does it feel so different? The original series that ran from 1994-2004 was incredibly white and one dimensional, focusing on a certain version of a woman, in a certain version of New York. There was no way they would get away with that today, so they adapted, as they should. Each of the three white protagonists gets a person of colour as a friend. Carrie has Che, from Hispanic-Irish background and then goes on to meet real estate agent Seema. Miranda becomes close to her black professor, Nya and Charlotte establishes a friendship with black, filmmaker and fellow mom Lisa. While the objective to diversify the cast is applaudable, it’s not the cast that's the problem, it’s the writing. Constant jokes and mishaps centred around race, gender pronouns and homophobia comes across as cringey and too in your face. It clearly reads as an attempt to rectify the primarily white-hetero foundation of the show.
Another one that comes to mind is the new Gossip Girl, this unlike And Just Like That is a complete redo, with the same name as the original that ran from 2007-2012. HBO renewed the show and it premiered in 2021. Again the new show centres around Black voices unlike the original. From a critical standpoint, the show fell flat. Reviews described it as awkward, frantic, and disturbing. In its defence, the original Gossip Girl was so iconic it would have been nearly impossible to beat it, or even go up against it. When people think of Gossip Girl, they think of spoiled, rich kids getting away with all sorts. Remember when Blair exiled Jenny from the entire island of Manhattan, or when Serena skipped out on a guy's overdose and fled to boarding school. That's the trouble with reboots, how on earth can they compete?
The original series was a successful parody of white privilege as it was practised by real estate tycoons and wealthy heiresses but we are in an era in which all-white casts are considered vulgar. The Gossip Girl reboot is also preoccupied with privilege, but in a different way. The series may come across as ‘woke’, but that would be an overstatement.
The new Gossip Girl centres around Julien and Zoya, the opposing queen bees, slash sisters. Zoya is constantly involved in activism that irritates the rest of the characters. With all her activism, when is there room for a portrayal of a teenager? It’s understandable that she is passionate but it’s coming across as dull and negative and not at all what a show as light-hearted as Gossip Girl should be immersed in. One Twitter user said “I wish Gossip Girl would stop trying to be so self aware and go back to being the chaotic mess it’s meant to be”. Another added “why is Zoya so problematic? I get that she’s a typical gen z who cares about issues (i do too !) but she’s the most negative and boring person i’ve ever seen. I can't stand how the writers have decided to play up her activism, constantly moaning about everything and never seeing the funny side.”
Throughout season one and so far into season two, there is also constant name dropping of celebrities, Noah Beck and Lil Huddy are only a few of the celebs casually mentioned. It would be one thing if the celebs were mainstream, but they are referring to Tik Tokers and new influencers that represent today. The question is will they be around long enough to withstand tomorrow? The show doesn’t fail to acknowledge the original with remarks about Blair, Serena, Dan and Nate. Making clear it’s not trying to overstep, it’s revolved around a whole new generation while paying tribute to the past.
A case that got away with a reboot was Dynasty, the new series starring Liz Gillies ran for five seasons before being cancelled. It wasn’t trying to be something it wasn’t, it was an easy watch that had a comical element. Of course, the cast and storylines were more diverse than the initial show but the interest people had in the original, almost soap like series carried through. They didn’t touch on overly sensitive subjects or dive into current news or humanitarian issues because they knew that wasn’t their place.
Reboots are no doubt bowing out faster than the original series. A new show today will be lucky to see three seasons. When you compare that to the likes of the old Gossip Girl or Sex and the City that had six or seven seasons with twenty plus episodes in each, the audience isn’t where it once was. In a time where it seems everything and anything is getting a reboot, perhaps it’s time to leave them be and come up with something original.
