‘Dexter,’ ‘Friends,’ and More Reboots, Reunions & Spinoffs Heading to TV
A new year means plenty of new reboots, reunions, and spinoffs as old favorites return to the spotlight in varying ways, and 2021 is no exception.
Whether you’re counting down the days to Jared Padalecki‘s CW return in Walker or patiently waiting for that long-promised Friends Reunion, there’s something for everyone. Below, see a roundup of reboots, reunions, and spinoffs that are heading to TV.
Walker
Supernatural star Jared Padalecki saddles up in a reimagining of the 1993–2001 CBS drama Walker, Texas Ranger. The action begins with Cordell (Padalecki) returning home to Austin after two years of undercover work and hoping to reconnect with his family. Look for the actor on the cover of TV Guide Magazine‘s January 18 issue, where he’ll tell all about updating the indelible Chuck Norris character. (Thursday, January 21, 8/7c, The CW)
Punky Brewster
Soleil Moon Frye reprises her role as the sassy Punky in this grown-up sequel to the Emmy-nominated 1980s NBC comedy. Punky (er, Penelope?) is raising three kids solo, hanging with best friend Cherie (Cherie Johnson also returns) and still sometimes mixing up the colors of her Converse kicks. (Thursday, February 25, Peacock)
Dexter
Fans of the bloody 2006–13 drama will learn what happened to serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), presumed dead after he went missing in the eye of Hurricane Laura in the series ender. He’s now living under an assumed name, far from Miami and also not in the Pacific Northwest, where viewers last saw him. Still with him: the “dark passenger” that drives him to murder. (Fall, Showtime)
Bel-Air
NBC’s popular ’90s comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air gets turned upside down in a dramatic retelling of a teen’s move from West Philadelphia to the rich Los Angeles neighborhood. Original star Will Smith is an exec producer on the series, which tackles issues like police brutality and inequality and has already received a two-season order. (TBA, Peacock)
Friends Reunion Special
They swear they’ll be there for you this time! The eagerly awaited gathering of Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Courteney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matt LeBlanc (Joey), Matthew Perry (Chandler) and David Schwimmer (Ross) — delayed because of the pandemic — will finally happen. The actors are set to catch up on the beloved NBC sitcom’s original soundstage and reminisce about making the seminal 1994–2004 hit. (TBA, HBO Max)
Gossip Girl
Listen up, #UpperEastSiders. You think the original oh-so-fabulous New York teens on the fashion-forward 2007–12 CW series had problems? Wait until you see the next-level drama that unfolds for a new group of private school students in a world consumed by social media. XOXO, Gossip Girl. (TBA, HBO Max)
In Treatment
Tell us how this makes you feel: Orange Is the New Black alum Uzo Aduba takes the lead as therapist Dr. Brooke Lawrence in the fourth season of the emotional drama, which ran from 2008 to 2010. She counsels three patients and, naturally, also deals with her own problems. (TBA, HBO)
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Dedicated, taciturn detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), who stopped solving crimes with SVU‘s Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) in 2011, returns in the highly anticipated spinoff from producer Dick Wolf. Stabler leads a new elite task force within the NYPD. As he struggles with the transition of being back on the job, he also copes with a haunting personal loss. (TBA, NBC)
Untitled Leverage Revival
Gina Bellman (as grifter Sophie), Beth Riesgraf (thief Parker), Christian Kane (weapons expert Eliot) and Aldis Hodge (hacker Alec) all return in this update of TNT’s breezy 2008–12 crime drama, which picks up eight years after the finale. Timothy Hutton won’t be back as team leader Nate, but Noah Wyle (The Librarians) joins the crew as remorseful corporate lawyer Harry Sullivan. (TBA, IMDb TV)
