Why blasts from the past are providing the best TV of the year
The word “reboot” might sound like something you do to a dodgy old computer, but it’s also the TV buzzword of 2024.
Netflix’s adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel One Day, which was first turned into a film in 2011;
Prime Video’s new take on the 2005 blockbuster Mr & Mrs Smith; and the new black-and-white reimaginingofThe Talented Mr Ripley on Netflix, now just called Ripley, offer just a few examples. And far from rehashingtiredstories we’ve heard before, they are proof that this is the year of the reboot, and we should all be payingattention.
DÉJÀ VU ERA
One Day, Mean Girls, Road House, Ripley, Mr & Mrs Smith and even the BBC’s revival of the ’90s game show Gladiators are some of the biggest films and TV shows of the year so far. Evidently, there’s a strong appeal for creators, streaming executives, and audiences to invest in things we’ve seen and heard before. But that doesn’t mean it’s the lazy, easy, or even the boring option – in fact it’s often the opposite. heat’s very own TV expert Boyd Hilton agrees. “Some of the very best TV shows and films of the year so far have been remakes, which only proves it’s misguided to assume brand-new stuff is somehow inherently better than reboots and reimaginings,”hesays. “In fact, I reckon writers and directors work even harder to make new versions of existing stories because the pressure’s on to prove that remakes aren’t just the lazy option.”
THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
One Day is a perfect example. It’s been in Netflix’s Top 10 since it aired on 8 February, was watched by more than 15million people in the first ten days (including KimKardashian), and #OneDay has received more than five billion views on TikTok. Why? Because it’s a brilliant series.
David Nicholls, who wrote the 2009 book and executive produced the series, has been taken aback by the response from new fans – fans who may have easily skipped the (lightly disappointing) 2011 film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.
He’s said, “I was writing the book for my generation. Now, my daughter comes in from school and tells me her friends are watching and falling in love with Dexter and Emma, even though their story is receding further into the past. That’s really thrilling.” The new script is sharp, the cast is diverse, and the producers had 14 episodes to play with instead of 107 minutes – proving that sometimes remakes
