by Marcia Studley

Created on: June 02, 2009

The subject is the best revivals of classic TV shows; yet I find myself questioning exactly what that means. It's the word 'revival' that gets to me first because there just aren't that many shows that have been redone on television. Is this referring to a show that is reborn strictly as itself, or one that spawns spin-off after spin-off? Is a revival a show that is the basis for a theatrical film? Or is it a production that returns years later to tell us what our favorites have been up to?

Then there's the 'classic' element. Does it mean shows from the golden age of television, a show that was in the top twenty throughout it's run, or just a show with a cult following and enough fan support to talk a studio into revisiting the show via a reunion movie? Who defines what is or isn't classic?

For now, I suppose that would be me since I'm writing this, and frankly, I'm torn on just what should be included here. So, I'm simply going to discuss some of what came to mind when I considered what would be the best revivals of classic TV.

One of the classic shows on television during the fifties was Father Knows Best. It ended in 1960. Seventeen years later, two wonderful reunion movies were filmed which included all of the original cast. We caught up with the Anderson family and learned the good and the bad of their lives. In a brilliant twist, Jim and Margaret decide to sell the house and go see the USA. The buyer brings us full circle. For me this was a marvelous revisit to a golden oldie.

A few shows have actually tweaked themselves to fit into a slightly new age. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet returned to television a few years after its 14-year-run with a show called Ozzie's Girls. Ozzie Nelson updated this show to fit the era. Topics were a part of the new show that never would have been on the original. With their boys gone, the Nelsons rented a room out to two college girls, one of whom was black. I liked this show quite a bit and was sorry that it didn't stay on the air longer than it did. Make Room for Daddy, also known as The Danny Thomas Show, also returned as a reinvented Make Room for Granddaddy. It was the same premise as before, except now Danny Williams was a grandfather. The classic crime drama Adam-12 returned, too, but it wasn't the more family drama that it had been originally. The gritty feel of The New Adam-12 just didn't go over with fans, though it managed a two-season run. The New Love Boat set sail with a new cast that

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