TV opinion: Sequels galore - Are we saying goodbye to original television?

TVTV seriesTV opinion
Written By Evie Scroggie

Have you ever been sitting on the couch watching a new TV show and swear you’ve seen it before?

That’s because we are living in an era of television déjà vu. 

The Big Bang Theory is now Young Sheldon, That '70s Show is now That '90s Show, Game of Thrones is now House of the Dragon, and who knows how many more examples you could list, writes Film News Blitz’s Evie Scroggie.

Allergic to risk

Sequels are being recycled left, right and centre. 

If a series does well and creates any form of fanbase, writers are then already planning their next move. 

The characters’ lives when they were kids, the next years of a character’s life, the family of one of the characters, just anything they can grasp.

READ MORE: TV news: ‘The Paper’ trailer - What is the new ‘The Office’ spin-off all about?

It seems writers are scared to try something new; they’d rather just expand on the old. 

Why risk the failure of a new show when you can grow from something already so loved?

It’s hard for an audience to feel that complete satisfying closure from a TV show, when the audience knows there’s no doubt a sequel coming soon, about to ruffle all the feathers that had just settled peacefully. 

As much as I would love to watch the storyline of Emma all grown up with Ross and Rachel, I couldn’t imagine a Friends ending that isn’t Chandler’s iconic “where?”.

The love of nostalgia

Though we can’t pin this pattern all on the writers, it’s as much down to the audience and the collective craving for nostalgia.

I often find myself rewatching the classics over and over again when I’m craving comfort, so if those shows create a spin-off, you best believe I’m going to give it a go.

Nostalgia is one of the most powerful human emotions; it provides comfort and security, so if we can get that from a TV show, we will.

Watching a sequel isn’t all about the curiosity of seeing what the characters are up to nowadays; it's about the comfort in recognising that safe, familiar face.

Sometimes they hit, sometimes they miss

It’s not uncommon for writers to give sequels, prequels and extensions a good go, and sometimes they work out. Sometimes they don’t.

Better Call Saul, the spin-off series of Breaking Bad, has become just as popular and is still one of the most-watched shows on Netflix.

But then there are sequels like How I Met Your Father. They gave it a good go for two seasons, but yeah, that was just… that wasn’t it. Cancelled and not at all missed.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Film and TV news: What to watch this August - Shows and features

With the sequel-verse expanding, it's hard to know whether TV originality is over. 

Maybe we’re out of ideas, or maybe it's just a phase.

I suppose time is the only thing that will tell. 

So, for now, just kick back and relax in front of the TV, and try your best to figure out what timeline you are in!

READ NEXT: Film opinion: ‘Barbenheimer’ two years on - How the cinematic phenomenon shocked the film industry

Evie Scroggie

Evie Scroggie is currently studying Journalism at the University of Leeds, though originally from the Wirral. On the Merseyside derby days, she’s on the blue side.

Evie grew up in dance classes since she could walk and also dabbled in other sports such as gymnastics, trampolining, netball and volleyball.

Though it sounds like she can never sit down, her favourite thing to do is get cosy in bed with a cup of tea and a good movie.

You won’t ever find her in silence, she constantly has music playing (pop and house are her favourites).

She loves to read and is determined to travel the world.

Family is the most important thing to Evie and every spare second she has is spent making memories with them.

Next

Film opinion: ‘Barbenheimer’ two years on - How the cinematic phenomenon shocked the film industry