TV | Everything Old is New Again

REBOOT CASTS OF 'WILL & GRACE' 'ROSEANNE' & 'MURPHY BROWN'

It started with the return of 'Will & Grace'. The original order was for 12 episodes. After the first episodes hit the airwaves, 12 episodes became 16.  Ratings soared (it became NBC's top comedy) and a second season of 16 episodes were ordered.

Last week, NBC announced they've given the go ahead for a third season of 'Will & Grace'. The reboot of  'Will & Grace' is a massive hit.

Shortly after they announced the return of 'Will & Grace', ABC made a big announcement of their own. After 20 years off the air, the network was bringing 'Roseanne' back for 9 episodes. It launched Mar. 27th and scored big in the ratings, with over 18 million American households tuning in.

THE ORIGINAL 'CAGNEY & LACEY' & 'MAGNUM P.I.'

Many longtime 'Roseanne' fans were upset when it was announced that - just as she had done in real life - Roseanne's TV character voted for Trump. In the first episode of the reboot, it is revealed that her sister Jackie was a Hillary supporter and she has not talked to Roseanne since the election.

The exchange between the sisters as they took jabs at each other over Trump & Clinton was balanced and kept to a minimum.

It's been 20 years since we last saw the Conner family, so things have changed a bit. Roseanne and Dan are grandparents to grown kids. Darlene has a daughter named Hannah - who looks a lot like Sara Gilbert when he was a teen. Her 9 year old son Mark likes to wear "girls" clothes, which lends itself to more humour and acceptance.  Roseanne's son Deejay is married to the black girl he didn't want to kiss in a school play back in the 80's and they have a young daughter.

Will 'Roseanne's' 9 episodes be extended?  I'm guessing with those kind of ratings, the answer is yea but  we will have to wait and see.

Meanwhile in the works, the original cast of 'Murphy Brown' has agreed to return for a reboot of that series, which aired on CBS.

And it's not just sitcoms who are coming back. Remakes of 'Magnum P.I.' and 'Cagney & Lacey' are also in the works.

It is indeed the era of TV reboots.