Hulu’s Reboot: What does it take to remake a show?

Hulu’s Reboot comments on entertainment’s trend of rebooting popular shows of the past. In this case, the situation is also comically meta, as Hannah, a television writer, wishes to reboot the previously successful and fictional sitcom, Step Right Up.

The fictional series starred a group of actors who, in the present day, have amounted to almost nothing. Leading man Reed had left the series, leading to its cancellation, due to his wish to star in an unsuccessful movie. The leading woman, Bree, had given up acting after getting married and becoming a Duchess. Another series lead, Clay, had become problematic in Hollywood following a string of failed stand-up acts and a series of arrests due to his behavior. Meanwhile, the youngest actor, Cody, had starred in a list of teen movies.

Given the original cast is alive and not too busy with their careers, the group is all willing to return to the show. However, it is not the goofy and over-the-top sitcom it had once been with its original showrunner, Gordon. Instead, the show’s reboot has been recreated with more exciting character relationships and dark twists, written with Hannah at the helm.

Reboot follows the cast and the conflicts that follow them after reuniting so many years after having last worked together. For Reed and Bree, it means dealing with any emotional fallout that may be left over from their previous failed romance. However, the actors are not the only ones dealing with conflicts.

Hannah’s thoughts on the fictional Step Right Up are more nuanced, wanting to take the show in a new and potentially darker direction for a comedy. Comedy has evolved since the last show, and Hannah wants to explore what these characters are up to years later from a different perspective. But, the original showrunner, Gordon, has trouble following that mindset, wanting a show more similar to what his initial sitcom had been.

The first three episodes go into depth on the conflicts between Hannah and Gordon, personally and professionally, as they try to figure out who to co-write the reboot together when their perceptions of comedy are so different. How do they build a bridge to create the best show when their ideas of what makes a good show differ so much?

Hulu’s Reboot shows the intricacies of what it takes to recreate a series and the effort and conflicts that go into it, whether it be the actors or the writers trying to find what type of series they are building.