8 TV reboots we actually wouldn’t mind seeing

TV reboots we’d actually like to see: Birds of Prey (2002-2003)

Long before Margot Robbie and company. graced the silver screen in 2020’s Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn),  television channel The WB, now known as The CW, developed a live-action series loosely based on the comic book series of the same name.

That Birds of Prey ran for only one season from October 2002 to February 2003. The show featured a trio of female crimefighters who step up to protect Gotham City following Batman’s unexplained disappearance. The series largely followed a Smallville-like creature of the week format, with an overarching storyline running in the background.

The cast included Ashley Scott as Helena Kyle, aka the Huntress, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, Rachel Skarsten as Dinah Redmond-Lance, a young telepath, and Dina Meyer as Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl/Oracle. Rounding out the supporting cast was Shemar Moore as a police detective named Jesse Reese who frequently worked with Helena to solve crimes, Ian Abercrombie as loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth, and Mia Sara as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, the civilian alter-ego of Harley Quinn. Soap opera alum Shawn Christian also had a recurring role as Wade Brixton, Barbara’s colleague and love interest.

Despite the series debut garnering over 7 million viewers (at the time, The WB’s largest premiere in the 18-34 demographic), the series was canceled after ratings fell sharply in subsequent airings. There was plenty of chemistry between the three lead actresses, who are all still close friends to this day, the show suffered from a bit of an identity crisis as it seemingly bounced back and forth between a superhero version of Charlie’s Angels and a Sex and the City crime procedural. In spite of the talented acting, Dina Meyer’s portrayal of Barbara Gordon is still widely praised as one of the best live-action depictions of the character, poor writing and a general lack of direction left the show dead in the water.

While we’ve now seen female-fronted superhero shows, such as Jessica Jones, Batwoman, and Supergirl, what made Birds of Prey special was that it was a team of women, who didn’t always get along, but nevertheless persisted, working together to save Gotham City from its criminal underbelly. The brief appearance of a version of the team in the Birds of Prey film was nice, but their story is best told in an episodic format, giving each team member the rich character development they deserve. Following The CW’s decision to not move forward with the female-centric Green Arrow and the Canaries, making a Birds of Prey reboot would be the next best thing.