Reviving a TV Series (Like Roseanne or Will & Grace) in a Few Not-So-Easy Steps
The execs who brought those shows back explain how they pulled it off
Murphy Brown, Last Man Standing and Will & Grace are all back in prime time.
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The strong ratings for this season’s returns of Roseanne and Will & Grace have prompted several rivals to revive other past-hit shows. “Right now, a lot of people are rushing to say, ‘Let’s dust this off, let’s remake that,’” says ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey. Already set for next season are Murphy Brown, which will return to CBS on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m., and Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing, which Fox resuscitated one year after ABC canceled it. Those will likely be followed by Mad About You; Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser recently closed deals with Sony Pictures Television to star in new episodes of the sitcom, though it hasn’t yet landed at an outlet.
This story first appeared in the May 21, 2018, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
