5 Classic TV Shows We’d Love To See Revived On Netflix

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Dark Shadows was only ever a movie starring Johnny Depp. However, for a period in the sixties and seventies, it was a hugely popular gothic soap opera about a wealthy family in Maine, and their many trials and tribulations. Things became increasingly interesting though when the showrunners introduced the enigmatic vampire Barnabas Collins into the mix.

Dark Shadows became synonymous with wobbly, poorly made sets, and its revolving door of cast members, not that any of this hurt its ratings. By offering an alternative to the soap operas running at the time, and throwing in werewolves, ghosts, and parallel dimensions, CBS managed to keep the world hooked for a number of years. If this was adapted into something more like the 2012 movie and kept Barnabas as a key protagonist, then it would fit right in with some of Netflix other darkly comedic efforts, like A Series of Unfortunate Events.

ALF is the tale of Gordon Shumway, a hairy, sarcastic alien who crash lands his ship in the garage of the Tanner family and turns their peaceful suburban life into absolute chaos. Gordon – who the family nickname ALF (alien life form) – is quickly accepted by the family, who split much of their time hiding him from the Alien Task Force and preventing him from eating their cat.

The show ran on NBC from 1986-1990, with an animated series, a Marvel comic book, a talk show, and a spin-off movie all following in the decade or so after NBC pulled the plug. Over the course of 4 seasons, ALF was tied with shows like The Wonder Years and even Monday Night Football for audience share, and despite not featuring heavily anywhere since 1990, the character remains as ingrained in American culture as the fanny pack, making him a prime candidate for a revival – especially in today’s political climate.

For a generation of nerds and geeks, Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett traveling through time and righting wrongs was the coolest thing ever to land on a television set. Developed by NBC in 1989, Quantum Leap saw the aforementioned Sam Beckett as a physicist who accidentally discovers he can ‘leap’ into the bodies of troubled figures from the past, after a botched experiment with time travel.

You only need to look at the advances in SFX and high-concept programming to see how well Quantum Leap could be received by a modern audience. The showrunners could even have a new ‘leaper’ as the focal point as he or she travels through time trying to rescue a long-stranded Dr. Beckett and encountering all manner of adventures along the way. AT least that way it might prevent the small-minded “Well it’s not as good as the original” bashing that would likely follow.

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, and for almost 50 years the Addams Family have been the world’s favorite frightful family.

There have been previous failed attempts to bring Charles Addams’ creations back to the small screen, but for whatever reason, it simply hasn’t come close to recapturing the magic of the original sixties TV series – or the movies for that matter. With the right writing staff, a reasonable budget, and a producer like, oh we don’t know, Bary Sonnenfeld perhaps, it could be the biggest thing on television once again.

Bear with us on this one. After successfully reviving the Ash Williams character for Ash vs Evil Dead, why can’t Bruce Campbell bring back another of his popular alter-egos in Brisco County, Jr., a Harvard lawyer turned wild west bounty hunter?

Although The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. only ran for one season, it proved to be something of a cult classic over time, and although nowhere near as well known as anything Evil Dead, there are enough fans out there that would be willing to see Bruce reprise the role for a modern era. C’mon, wouldn’t you want to see a curmudgeonly Bruce Campbell forced back into the saddle for one last ride?

Which classic TV shows would you like to see resurrected? Let us know in the comments section below.