Netflix is bringing “Full House” back, and fans of one of the ultimate terrible-yet-beloved late-1980s/mid-1990s sitcoms are happy. That’s cool, I guess, whatever, I was never a fan of the show, but nostalgia is personal.
For fans of the original, “Fuller House,” as the reboot will be called, will be produced by none other than the still lustrous-locked and ever-handsome John Stamos, who played Uncle Jesse in the first incarnation and will again co-star.
In the same vein of sitcoms that were the guilty pleasures we watched as energetic kids, awkward pre-teens or uncomfortable teenagers, here is my list of shows from the ’80s and ’90s that should come back before the “Fuller House” reboot.
“MARRIED WITH CHILDREN”
Family patriarch Al Bundy, played expertly by Ed O’Neill, is still working on “Modern Family,” but who wouldn’t want an updated version of this 1980s show with the still spandex-wearing Peggy as the wisecracking grandparent to Kelly and Bud’s unruly kids? Well, maybe not Bud. He never could get a date, so maybe in the reboot he still lives at home like a grownup man-child.
“THE DUKES OF HAZZARD”
Hot car, hot chick Daisy Dukes … this can’t be very hard to recreate. Some of the humor poking fun at rednecks — they prefer to be called “Sons of the Soil,” my bad — might be a bit on the nose, but surely a re-launch with Jeff Foxworthy involved and added cameos by country stars could get done with minimal offense.
“THE A-TEAM”
This might skew a bit young, but isn’t that who loves explosions and bawdy humor? Surely some rapper has enough gold chains around to ably play Mr. T’s famous B.A. Baracus. And for an update, instead of being Vietnam veterans, the A-Team could have served in any war this country has started since then.
“ROSEANNE”
If anything, the beleaguered parents and mean kids of the ’80s would be even more relatable today. With budgets stretched Fruit Roll-Up thin and the stresses and issues of the modern world as a backdrop, this reboot would be a winner.
“THE WONDER YEARS”
Maybe the best situation comedy/drama of the 1980s — though it was set in the late ’60s and early ’70s — “The Wonder Years” could really be adapted to a young person’s coming-of-age at any time in the 2oth century. How about some kids in Brooklyn in the ’80s, and I’ll write it? Just e-mail me those six-figure offers, and I’ll get right to work. I’ll take the checks in advance, please.
“MARTIN”
Insert hilarious and effusively energetic minority comedian here. This ’90s show would be easy to re-launch, and for an update, the main character could be a television producer on a fringe cable network dealing with low budgets and wacky coworkers.
“SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST”
What’s better than an obscure comic superhero character with a late-night-style format television talk show? It’s absolutely genius! Because the show was animated, it was low on overhead, and it’s not like there is a lack of lesser-known characters to choose from. Hawkman anyone?
“THE CRITIC”
Voiced by Jon Lovitz, rotund movie critic Jay Sherman was the ultimate kvetcher but for far too short a time because the show was cancelled in 1995 after 23 episodes. I always thought it was funny, and it would be easy to bring back. Just find someone critical to voice a an unhappy, New York City-based culture snob who says, “It stinks!” to just about everything.
“SAVED BY THE BELL”
Growing up, what boy didn’t want to be Zack Morris? Anyone who dated Kelly Kapowski — the cutest and sweetest teen-crush — was pretty damn cool. I think young guys still would like to be the guy with the awesome hair who dated a cheerleader.
“MY SO-CALLED LIFE”
Ahh, the zenith of shows about anxiety-riddled teens. Who couldn’t relate to hating their parents, wanting to stay out late with your friends or feeling totally misunderstood? That stuff is just timeless, and I don’t think teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 have changed that much since “My So-Called Life” aired from 1994-1995. I’m pretty sure any television executive behind the idea of rebooting this one could once again capitalize on teen-angst while not losing much on the idea.
Noah Zuss is a reporter for TheBlot Magazine.
