7 TV Remakes That Are Somehow Even Better Than the Originals

As a movie and TV reviewer, I’m seeing a huge trend of bringing back old shows, and honestly, it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. We’re about to be flooded with revivals – a Malcolm in the Middle reunion is happening, Scrubs is coming back, and they’re even working on a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer! While these announcements get people talking, they also make me a little nervous. I remember how badly Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop flopped – canceled after just a month! – and the mixed reactions to the Gossip Girl reboot. Those are stark reminders that a familiar name doesn’t automatically equal a good show. It’s hard not to see all this recycling of old ideas as a lack of creativity. It feels like studios are playing it safe, choosing the guaranteed attention of a known brand over the risk of something truly original.

While many remakes are seen as just attempts to make money, some truly succeed when a new creative team brings a fresh perspective. History shows that revisiting established stories can be amazing if the creators have a clear and compelling vision for why they’re doing it. Sometimes, a good idea just needs updated technology or a better understanding of current social issues to really shine. Other times, changing the genre can reveal deeper layers to the story. The following TV shows proved the doubters wrong, becoming the best versions of their original stories.

7) The Tick

The Tick, a superhero created by Ben Edlund, has appeared in several different forms over the years, including a popular cartoon in 1994 and a live-action series in 2001. However, the 2016 version on Amazon Prime Video really hits the mark, expertly blending comedy with genuine emotion. The show centers around Arthur Everest, a shy accountant who believes a supposedly deceased supervillain is secretly controlling the city. He teams up with The Tick, a powerful but bewildered hero who doesn’t remember his past and loves making grand pronouncements. Unlike earlier versions that relied mostly on silly physical humor, this series sets its comedy against a surprisingly gritty backdrop, acknowledging the serious consequences – like injuries and emotional scars – that come with superhero fights.

What makes The Tick so good is that it playfully takes apart superhero tropes while still being a really fun and exciting adventure. Patrick Warburton is fantastic as The Tick – he’s hilarious, but also surprisingly heartfelt, and clearly cares about his sidekick. The show also gives Arthur a surprisingly deep and sensitive story, handling his mental health with respect instead of making it a joke. This makes the action feel more meaningful because you genuinely care about the characters behind the masks.

6) Voltron: Legendary Defender

As a lifelong fan of giant robots, I always had a soft spot for the original Voltron from the ’80s, even though it was famously stitched together from different Japanese shows and could be a bit of a mess story-wise. But Netflix and DreamWorks really blew me away with Voltron: Legendary Defender. They kept all the awesome robot action, but gave it a genuinely compelling and sprawling space opera storyline. It follows five incredible pilots – Shiro (Josh Keaton), Keith (Steven Yeun), Lance (Jeremy Shada), Pidge (Bex Taylor-Klaus), and Hunk (Tyler Labine) – who find the Lions and have to team up to save the galaxy from the Galra Empire. It’s a fantastic reboot that really does the original justice.

Unlike the original, Voltron: Legendary Defender takes full advantage of streaming to deliver a continuous story with characters who change and grow, and villains with understandable reasons for their actions. The animation is incredibly smooth and exciting, combining classic art styles with computer-generated imagery for impactful action scenes. The show goes deeper than just visuals, tackling serious topics like war, sacrifice, and the complicated difference between right and wrong. It also gives new depth to characters who were simple stereotypes in the 1980s, giving them compelling backstories and personal challenges that make their triumphs feel deserved. Ultimately, Voltron: Legendary Defender successfully pays tribute to the original series while offering the complex storytelling that today’s viewers have come to expect from high-quality animation.

5) Queer Eye

The original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, a popular reality show from the early 2000s, was important culturally, but it mainly dealt with outward appearances and simply getting people to tolerate differences. The new version, now just called Queer Eye on Netflix, goes much deeper. It’s about full acceptance and focuses on helping people improve their lives from the inside out. The show’s hosts – Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, and Jonathan Van Ness – travel across the United States, often to more conservative areas, to help individuals who are facing challenges and need a boost in self-confidence.

You know, the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was fun – mostly about clothes and getting a little grooming help. But this new Queer Eye on Netflix? It’s a whole different level. It uses the makeover thing, sure, but really it’s about digging deep and helping people work through some serious stuff. The Fab Five aren’t afraid to talk about anything – politics, faith, who you are as a person – and it leads to these incredibly real moments where you see genuine connection happening, even between people who seem totally different. Honestly, the chemistry between those five is amazing, and they’re so genuinely empathetic. It’s a seriously emotional show – I often find myself tearing up! It’s moved beyond just being a makeover show; it’s really about self-love, mental health, and promoting kindness in a world that really needs it. It’s a powerful message about inclusivity, and I’m here for it.

4) DuckTales

Bringing back DuckTales – a beloved cartoon from the late 1980s – was a gamble, but the 2017 version actually proved to be even better than the original. This was largely due to its focus on family, portraying Scrooge McDuck (voiced by David Tennant) and Donald Duck (voiced by Tony Anselmo) along with Huey (voiced by Danny Pudi), Dewey (voiced by Ben Schwartz), and Louie (voiced by Bobby Moynihan) as a genuinely close-knit group embarking on exciting adventures around the world. The new series also improved on the original by giving each of the triplet nephews – Huey, Dewey, and Louie – their own unique personality and purpose, rather than treating them as identical troublemakers.

The reboot of DuckTales featured a compelling, ongoing mystery surrounding the disappearance of Della Duck (voiced by Paget Brewster), giving the show a heartfelt emotional core that the original series lacked. This central storyline helped develop the characters and emphasized the importance of family over wealth. The animation cleverly blended the classic style of Carl Barks’ comics with updated techniques for exciting, smooth action. Combined with a talented voice cast that brought enthusiasm to every performance, DuckTales demonstrated that a cartoon can be both intelligent and emotionally engaging for audiences of all ages.

3) One Day at a Time

Norman Lear’s classic 1975 sitcom, One Day at a Time, was notable for portraying a divorced mother, and the 2017 version updates that idea by focusing on a Cuban-American family. The show centers on Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado), a single mother and Army veteran, who is raising her two children, Elena (Isabella Gomez) and Alex (Marcel Ruiz), with help from her lively mother, Lydia (Rita Moreno). While keeping the familiar feel of a classic sitcom with its multi-camera setup and laugh track, the series bravely addresses important modern topics such as PTSD, immigration, racism, and LGBTQ+ issues.

Justina Machado is phenomenal in One Day at a Time, effortlessly moving between funny and heartfelt moments. The show beautifully portrays the bond between three generations of women and how their cultural heritage intersects with contemporary American life. What’s refreshing is that the series doesn’t shy away from complex issues or offer simple solutions, trusting viewers to think for themselves while still being genuinely funny.

2) The Office

Remakes rarely become more popular than the originals, particularly when the original is a beloved, critically praised British comedy like the one created by Ricky Gervais. But the American version of The Office did just that. It took the world of Dunder Mifflin and developed its characters over nine seasons. While the first season closely followed the dry humor of the British series, the American Office quickly developed its own style. Writers realized American viewers needed to like the boss, even if he was flawed, to stay invested in a long-running show. They softened Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) character, making him well-intentioned despite his mistakes. This change created a heartwarming feel that was deliberately missing from the original series.

The connection between Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly quickly became one of TV’s most memorable romances. Beyond them, the show’s talented cast transformed quirky side characters into fan favorites. With so many episodes, The Office really let viewers get to know characters like Dwight Schrute, making the show feel relatable and like a comfortable, familiar place.

1) Battlestar Galactica

The original Battlestar Galactica from 1978 was an enjoyable but over-the-top show created to take advantage of the popularity of Star Wars, known for its flashy costumes and even robotic pets. However, the 2004 reimagining by Ronald D. Moore completely changed the tone, turning it into a realistic and intense military drama about the potential end of humankind. The story begins with a nuclear attack by the Cylons, leaving the remaining humans to escape across the galaxy in a makeshift fleet, guided by Commander William Adama (Edward James Olmos) and President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell).

What made the Battlestar Galactica remake so brilliant was its choice to portray the Cylons as indistinguishable from humans. This created constant suspicion and spying, affecting every relationship in the show. Using a science fiction backdrop, the series tackled difficult issues like the aftermath of 9/11, including torture, religious fanaticism, and the loss of freedoms during wartime. Unlike the original, the characters were realistically flawed, making big mistakes and challenging simple notions of right and wrong. By combining gritty realism with thought-provoking political ideas, Battlestar Galactica raised the bar for science fiction on television, and few shows have reached that level since.

Which of these remakes do you think improved the most on the original concept?

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2025-12-16 00:12