Over the past few years, TV and movie reboots have become all the rage — but reviving a beloved film or television show can be tricky! While it’s always uncertain whether old fans will love the new version of their favorite media moments, sometimes it’s actually the original actors who aren’t on board!
Before the reboots even get the chance to hit the big or small screen, these stars speak out to let everyone know that it doesn’t have their support. Whether it’s because they didn’t agree with the plot, didn’t think the show needed to be revived, or they just straight up didn’t like it, they were very clear about their opinions. Unfortunately, the original actors didn’t get much of a say in what went down and had to accept whatever happened with the reboot.
Find out what these actors had to say about reboots of their TV shows…
1. Larry Wilcox & Erik Estrada – “CHiPs”
“CHiPs” stars Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada weren’t pleased when they learned there was going to be a big-screen reboot of their beloved show. When the Dax Shepard-directed film hit theaters, Larry and Erik couldn’t hold back their disdain. While Erik reshared tweets from fans condemning the movie, Larry was pretty straightforward about how he felt.
“Way to go Warner Bros – just ruined the Brand of CHIPS and of the Calif Highway Patrol. Great choice!” Larry tweeted.
The actors weren’t the only ones who weren’t fans of the flick. It only earned $18 million at the US box office and earned a measly 18% on Rotten Tomatoes.
2. Angela Lansbury – “Murder, She Wrote”
Angela Lansbury starred on “Murder She Wrote” for 12 seasons but when she found out that NBC was planning to bring the show back to television, she wasn’t happy. The series was set to star Octavia Spencer, who was going to play a hospital administrator turned amateur murder detective. Angela explained that although she loved Octavia’s acting, the reboot wouldn’t have the spirit of the original show and shouldn’t carry the same title.
“I think it’s a mistake to call it ‘Murder, She Wrote’ because ‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person. So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right,” she told the Associated Press at the time.
NBC ultimately didn’t move forward with the series and Angela admitted she was “terribly pleased and relieved” as she knew the reboot would have been a “mistake.”
3. Richard Dean Anderson – “MacGyver”
Richard Dean Anderson starred in “MacGyver” from 1985 to 1992 and in 2016, the show was given a reboot with Lucas Till in the titular role. Before its premiere, Richard was asked to make a cameo in the new series, but he reportedly turned it down. When asked what he thought of the show, he didn’t have the nicest things to say.
“I’m not real crazy about it, I’ll be honest. They approached me at some point early on – they had done some testing for the show, and found out that it wasn’t as attractive as they wanted it to be – and then they called and asked if I wanted to have anything to do with it. And I said, ‘Noooo.’ And I’m glad,” Richard said during a convention, via Cinema Blend.
4. Shannen Doherty & Holly Marie Combs – “Charmed”
In 2018, “Charmed” got a reboot but some of the show’s original stars weren’t completely on board. Shannen Doherty was the first cast member to speak out and although she was intrigued by the concept of a reboot and hoped it was “respected,” she had some reservations when it came to the show’s description as “fierce, funny, [and] feminist.”
“Their wording is terrible and a bit offensive. But, everyone makes mistakes. Perhaps with the backlash they will be more thoughtful in future,” Shannen wrote, adding that calling the reboot feminist was “very ignorant stupid comment.”
Then, several months later, Holly Marie Combs spoke out, writing, “I appreciate the jobs and opportunities the ‘Charmed’ reboot has created. But I will never understand what is fierce, funny, or feminist in creating a show that basically says the original actresses are too old to do a job they did 12 years ago. I hope the new show is far better than the marketing so the true legacy does remain.”
5. Lindsay Wagner – “The Bionic Woman”
Back in the 1970s, Lindsay Wagner played the world’s first female cyborg in “The Bionic Woman” and in 2007, the show was given a reboot. Unfortunately, it got canceled midway through the first season, which made sense to Lindsay, who didn’t like the new show.
“It’s very much like what the shows are today, kind of dark and broody and violent — what people seem to be getting off on these days. So, it’s not at all what we were doing. We were doing a show for kids intentionally and making it fun and made it in such a way that adults could enjoy it, too,” Lindsay said, according to TV Series Finale.
6. Ian Ziering – “Beverly Hills, 90210”
“Beverly Hills, 90210” may have been a pop culture phenomenon but its reboot didn’t fare as well…if you ask some of the original cast, anyway. In 2008, just eight years after the original show went off the air, the CW debuted “90210” which followed the same premise as its predecessor. Former star Ian Ziering wasn’t pleased with the reboot, and said he felt that the plot had strayed from the original show’s “substantive” and “issue-oriented” storylines.
“That show you saw…wasn’t really an iteration. They were using ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ to lure people in. As soon as I saw that pilot episode, I realized it had nothing to do with what we created. That was more of a soap opera, while the original ‘90210’ was more substantive, much more issue-oriented. I feel like people related to our show much more than that because of that…We were on 10 years and they were on for five, which is a success, but no one is going to make a remake of that show. With all due respect, [we are] always imitated, never recreated,” Ian said during the Television Critics Association summer press tour.
7. Micky Dolenz – “The Monkees”
In the late 1960s, the Monkees rose to superstardom both on television and in concert — so it only made sense that someone would eventually want to recreate their success down the line. That’s exactly what happened in 1986 when TV producers gathered together a new group of actor-musicians for a “Monkees” reboot. While it may have seemed like a good idea, original member Micky Dolenz wasn’t on board for “New Monkees.” When he and the rest of the original band were asked to be in the reboot, they turned it down and Micky even said he “felt sorry” for the new cast.
“They asked me to direct the pilot. [The original Monkees] were on the road at the time, in ’86, selling out 10,000-seaters. They said, ‘You guys should be in it, and you can sort of hand the baton over to [the new guys].’ I was like, ‘Screw you! I ain’t giving the baton to nobody!’ Micky told Yahoo! Entertainment.
8. Gordon Thompson – “Dynasty”
When 1980’s soap opera “Dynasty” got a reboot by the CW, one original cast member in particular wasn’t very pleased. Before the new show even hit the air, Gordon Thompson, who played villain Adam Carrington, completely trashed the reboot. He even called the acting “truly dreadful” and the writing “appalling.”
“I have had a look at the new ‘Dynasty,’ and I am appalled. What the f— is The CW doing? It’s utter s—…Why call it ‘Dynasty’? It’s nothing to do with ‘Dynasty’ at all. It’s insulting. If the afterlife exists — it doesn’t, but if it did — [executive producer] Aaron [Spelling] would be having major fits in his grave. And the audience the CW is aiming for is going to think it’s s— because it is such s— that a cretinous 6-year-old would not be interested. It’s abominable,” Gordon told The Daily Beast.
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