Oh my ‘lanta: on April 21, Netflix announced that a sequel series to the quintessential ‘90s sitcom “Full House” (cleverly titled “Fuller House”) will become available for streaming in 2016, sparking unabashed excitement from fans around the country.
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the original series; I’ve seen every episode more than once, I know all of the words to the extended version of the theme song, and any time someone mentions the name “Papouli” within earshot of me, a single tear always manages to find its way down my cheek.
However, as exciting as it is to know that key members of the cast will be reuniting for a 13-episode season, I can’t help but be slightly suspicious of the intentions behind this upcoming revival.
Twenty-one years have passed since “Full House” went off the air in 1994, so why does Netflix feel that it’s appropriate to revisit the Tanner house in 2015? The answer is simple: they want to cash out on our nostalgia.
“Fuller House” is not the only show of television’s past that Netflix plans on resuscitating in the near future. Reboots of the Saturday morning staples “Inspector Gadget,” “The Magic School Bus” and “Care Bears” will be making their way to the streaming service within the next year as well.
Netflix knows the hordes of fans who spent years making these programs a major part of their lives will instantly sign up for a subscription, proving once again how powerful nostalgia can be.
But why do they insist on feeding those emotions with material that may have the same components of the original, but ultimately is unable to capture the spirit of what made it great in the first place?
To me, nostalgia is one of the most intriguingly beautiful feelings that we can have as humans. It allows us to reminisce on remnants of our past with vivid recollection and a small amount of romanticism. Rehashing the shows that many have fallen in love with over the years just seems like a cheap way for networks to make a profit off our memories.
Long story short, I’m not the biggest fan of reboots for that reason alone, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be checking out “Fuller House” or any of the other “new old” series when they become available for streaming.
It’s too early to tell whether it will be quality programming or not, but the good news is that the original series, like Papouli, will live forever in reruns.
