Hot on the heels of the "Beverly Hills, 90210" spin-off, aptly titled "90210," the CW TV network announced plans to explore a spin-off of Melrose Place, a popular soap opera from the early '90s. With the announcement came some renewed scrutiny on a new Hollywood trend - updating and repackaging old hits.
"90210" is just one of such show this year - the other being NBC's TV update of "Knight Rider," a modern take on the '80s drama. Last year, NBC attempted to update the '70s hit "Bionic Woman." Both NBC shows were met with disappointing ratings.
Although "Bionic Woman" was canceled after one season, "90210," has been considered a hit for the CW network, averaging upward of 3 million viewers each week this season, according to TV data website Tvbythenumbers.com.
"Today, the stakes are a lot higher, and there is so much competition," said communication studies professor Murray Forman, who teaches classes like Media, Culture and Society and Theories of Media and Culture at Northeastern. "[These shows] already have a leg up on the competition. They have an established audience."
For the CW and NBC, bringing back an established audience may be a necessity. This season, the CW is ranking fifth in viewers and in demographics, averaging little more than two million viewers a week, according to Tvbythenumbers.com.
Prior to the network's formation, the stations that birthed the CW, the WB and UPN, were averaging four million viewers each, according to the site. There had been hope that a merger would combine each network's audiences - not cut a single networks' audience in half.
These misfortunes may have led to the exploration of remakes like "90210." Although the remake is one of the CW's more successful shows, by comparison, six years ago the WB canceled once-popular shows averaging so few viewers, like "Felicity," according to Tvbythenumbers.com. The CW declined to comment to The News.
NBC is facing similar woes. Ten years ago it was one of the strongest networks on TV in terms of ratings, boasting hits "ER," "Law and Order," "Friends" and "Seinfeld." While "Friends" and "Seinfeld" rode off into the sunset on high ratings, "ER" and "Law and Order" have shriveled, going from Top 10 hits to resting outside the weekly Top 40.
This season, NBC is averaging between six and seven million viewers a week, coming in at No. 4 behind CBS, ABC and Fox, according to Tvbythenumbers.com. NBC also declined to comment to The News.
Some viewers, however, said they are not fooled.
"It just proves further that there isn't any creative thought left at those networks," said senior English major Abby Zorbaugh. "Instead of working to come up with something new, they're doing remakes."
Murray, however, said this is not a novel trend.
"This isn't new," he said. "They've been remaking films and spinning off shows for decades. They remake films from the '40s, which themselves were sometimes remakes from the '30s. Or they make films based on stories that [predate film.]"
A sterling example would be the film "A Star is Born." The film has been made three separate times in 1937, 1954 and 1976, according to IMDB.com, each enjoying success. A fourth remake is being planned with actor Jamie Foxx as the lead.
And while some students said they don't favor the lack of originality, Forman said networks are always exploring ways to capture teens' and young adults' attention.
"Before this it was 'The O.C.' This idea of a television show aimed at that [demographic] is recurring," Forman said.
While revivals have met mixed results with the TV medium, other avenues seem to be working well - like music.
Last week, '70s and '80s band AC/DC released its first album in eight years, Black Ice. The album has since shipped more than 5 million copies worldwide, selling more than two million in two weeks, according to Billboard.com.
AC/DC's success is not unique. Late last year, when '90s band the Spice Girls announced a new tour, merchandise, CDs and tickets sold quickly, and this year '90s boy band New Kids On the Block had a reunion tour.
"There is this sense of nostalgia and memory recall. People want to re-experience these things," Forman said. "They've been gone long enough to miss them."
With two successful first albums in the '90s, the Spice Girls were the fastest selling British act since the Beatles, according to Billboard.com. With their third and final album, however, they were met with more disappointing sales, according to the site.
Like the TV networks, the motives of these resurgent musical acts may be less than noble, and, Forman said, easily pegged.
"They've been outside the revenue stream for quite a while," he said. "After time away, there's all this new earning potential."
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