Revival (television)


In television, a revival is a television series that returns to produce new episodes after being off the air for a certain amount of time, particularly due to cancellation. Network executives may decide to attempt to revive a television program when they feel that a market once again exists for it. It is one of several programming strategies television networks employ to capitalize further on successful programs; among the other methods are spin-offs, reboots, remakes, cast reunions, television movies and sequels.
Unlike spin-offs, in which a television network creates an entirely new series around an existing character, a revival reintroduces most or many of the original program's storylines, characters, and locales, and usually attempts to resolve story arcs that the original run failed to complete, as opposed to a sequel that may introduce a new storyline with some of the same characters after the previous series' story ended. Revivals usually take place at some point after the original series ends. By contrast, reboots and remakes may feature many of the original characters differently, but are usually played by new cast members and without taking into account events or continuity that occurred during the original series.
For the sake of simplicity, game shows, due to the large number of international franchisings and the much greater rate of cancellation and revival among them, are largely absent from this list. Anthology series revivals, though they may include episodes that are remakes of ones from the earlier series, are generally included.

List of television series revivals

Legend: "—" = denotes shared name with original work.
Original workStart dateEnd dateRevivalRevival start dateRevival end dateCountry of originReferences
12 oz. Mouse20052007—2018; 2020—United States
2420012010'20142014United States
Absolutely Fabulous19921996—20012004United Kingdom
Alfred Hitchcock Presents19551965Alfred Hitchcock Presents19851989United States
All Creatures Great and Small19781980—19881990United Kingdom
All That19942005—2019presentUnited States
American Dad!20052014—2014presentUnited States
Arrested Development20032006—2013presentUnited States
Are You Afraid of the Dark19902000—2019presentUnited States
Beavis and Butt-Head19931997—20112011United States
The Brady Bunch19691974The Bradys19901990United States
Burke's Law19631966Burke's Law19941995United States
The Carol Burnett Show19671978—19911991United States-
Clifford the Big Red Dog20002003—2019presentUnited States-
Columbo19681978—19892003United States
The Comeback20052005—20142014United States
Dallas19781991Dallas20122014United States
Doctor Who19631989—2005presentUnited Kingdom-
DuckTales19871990DuckTales2017presentUnited States-
The Expanse20152018—2019presentUnited States
Fantasy Island19771984Fantasy Island19981999United States
Family Guy19992002—2005presentUnited States
Figure It Out19972000—20122013United States
Futurama19992002—20102013United States
Get Smart19651970Get Smart19951995United States
Gilmore Girls20002007—20162016United States
Ghost Hunters20042016—2019presentUnited States
The Liver Birds19691979—19961996United Kingdom
Johnny Test20052014_2021TBAUnited States
'19661973'19881990United States
Murphy Brown19881998—20182018United States
Mystery Science Theater 300019881999—20172019United States
The Outer Limits19631965The Outer Limits19952002United States
Prison Break20052009—2017presentUnited States
Reno 911!20032009—2020—United States
Roseanne19881997—20182018United States
Rugrats19912004—2020—United States
Samurai Jack20012004—20172017United States
'20082013—20202020United States
Till Death Us Do Part19661968—19721975United Kingdom
Till Death Us Do Part19661968Till Death...19811981United Kingdom
Till Death Us Do Part19661968In Sickness and in Health19851992United Kingdom
Trading Spaces20002008—2018presentUnited States
The Twilight Zone19591964The Twilight Zone19851989United States
The Twilight Zone19591964The Twilight Zone20022003United States
The Twilight Zone19591964The Twilight Zone2019presentUnited States
The X-Files19932002—20162018United States
Teletubbies19972001—2015presentUnited Kingdom
Twin Peaks19901991—20172017United States
Veronica Mars20042007—20192019United States
Whose Line Is It Anyway?19982007—2013presentUnited States
Will & Grace19982006—20172020United States
WKRP in Cincinnati19781982The New WKRP in Cincinnati19911993United States