​Rebooting a beloved television show is always a gamble. Not only does the show in question have to live up to outsized ratings expectations, it also has to please very devoted fans with new stories for their precious characters.

Lucky for marketers, this often works in their favor.

The list of rebooted shows now in the works at networks and streaming platforms range from cult hits to ratings darlings to syndication dreams, but they have one thing in common: The viewers who watched them are now of age to make big purchasing decisions, including signing up for those cable and streaming subscriptions the new versions of the shows are soon to live on. Their audiences also tend to be vocal about what they like and do not like with so many online outlets, so campaigns and content can get immediate feedback for future decisions.

Several of the reboots (Gilmore Girls, The X-Files, Full House, Twin Peaks) have fandoms who may have watched the original runs between after-school jobs, but who can now afford their own Netflix subscriptions or cable packages, making them a particularly attractive target for television marketers.

The reboots are relying on those audiences—teenagers who grew up with Gilmore Girls or kids who grew up with the Tanners on Full House— because they can re-introduce their channels to this demographic and then hopefully convince them to stay. If nothing else, fans of the originals may drop by for the pilot out of curiosity and see what else that network/platform has to offer. After that, it’s largely up to the story to earn its audience back.

Rebooted shows also have a long-standing history to draw on for marketers, who don’t necessarily have to re-introduce every character and premise. Marketers can draw on nostalgia and the love fans have for the characters to let them basically sell themselves.

The same goes for rebooted movies that are now turning into series on TV: Wet Hot American Summer, Ash vs. Evil Dead, Cruel Intentions and My Best Friend’s Wedding allow networks to re-introduce familiar plots and characters for a safe way to appeal to viewers who grew up with the titles.

Read more at the Washington Post.

Image courtesy of Warner Bros.

Tags:


  Save as PDF