Bring Back That TV Show!!

For an upcoming episode of ‘The Pop Culture Pub Podcast’ we are discussing TV shows we would like to see brought back. Here are a few I will be discussing on that episode:

Stark Raving Mad:

It was an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1999 to July 13, 2000. The series starred Tony Shalhoub and Neil Patrick Harris

Shalhoub stars as odd horror novelist Ian Stark, who is obsessed with practical jokes, and whose first book Below Ground was a best seller. Neil Patrick Harris is Stark's reluctant editor Henry McNeeley, who has a variety of phobias and possibly obsessive–compulsive disorder. On January 10, 2000, the sitcom won a People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy Series. The sitcom premiered on September 23, 1999 and was officially cancelled by NBC on April 15, 2000 despite having a 10.7 average household share and being ranked 15th among all programs.^[1]

Margaret 'Maddie' Keller was to be played by Jessica Cauffiel as she appears in several early cast photos.

 

 

 

The X-Files:

A soft reboot with a new cast playing a new set of agents working on The X-Files for the FBI. Mitch Pileggi as AD Skinner would act as the bridge. Mulder and Scully may guest star. I would love to see some new agents take on the paranormal and government conspiracies. Maybe this new show could create its own mythology too.

 

 

 

The Flintstones and The Jetsons:

Animated and done in the Hanna Barbara style done in the tradition of the original, with no crude humour. It should be a family friendly remake like the originals.

 

 

 

Star Trek Deep Space Voyager:

This series would be a joint continuation of both series taking place the exact amount of years since the Voyager series finale (in 2001). This would be a 4 season limited series with 10 episodes per season. Will feature some classic characters returning and introduce some new.

On DS9: focus on the return of Captain Sisko. What’s happening with the Dominion now? Cardassia? Jake Sisko is working on ways to get his father back (much like the episode ‘The Visitor)

Voyager: a new ‘Voyager’ is commissioned with some of the original crew members and some DS9/TNG people (Commander Wesley Crusher, Commander Nog, Captain Worf…all these actors have expressed interest in returning to Trek)

-          Worf’s brother returns

-          Thomas Riker is rescued from an old abandoned Cardassian prison camp

-          Garek becomes leader of Cardassia

 

 

Babylon 5 & Babylon Prime:

A reboot done by original series creator JMS. This “new” series would use some classic scripts and some new ones. With new special fx technology and no pressure to fill syndication commitments this would be an ideal show to do on a streaming service. Maybe follow the original plan to have 2- 5 season shows with about 10 episodes per season (no filler episodes required). JMS originally wanted Babylon 5 to have 5 seasons with the last season ending with the station being destroyed by the Minbari Warrior Caste, then the time displaced ‘Babylon 4’ would be brought to the present and renamed ‘Babylon Prime’, and would be used in the current war against The Shadows. If you have no idea what I am talking about you should look the original series up and go online and read JMS’s original outline for what he originally wanted to do.

 

Mental illness affects many people, maybe even someone you know…

Despite 'Babylon 5' not being in the Trek Universe, and in a way competition to Deep Space Nine, B5 has a special place in my heart. It was truly a great space sci-fi series that was way ahead of its time. It was a series that was better than Star Trek: Voyager or Enterprise.

On September 28, 2012, J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) posted that Michael O'Hare (Commander Sinclair, the series lead in season one) suffered a heart attack on September 23 and had remained in a coma until the 28th, when he died. 

I was very sad to hear this. I was and still am a huge fan of the 'Babylon 5' series and I really enjoyed Michael O'Hare as Commander Sinclair. I remember when season 2 started being devastated that O'Hare would not be returning. I had no Internet back then and had no way of knowing Bruce Boxleitner would be replacing him on the series until the 30 second preview aired. He did make a brief return appearance in Season 2 but made a big splash in the 3rd season 2-part episode 'War Without End'. I had always wished they would have had him back more on the series, especially when they started doing TV movies. I had wanted them to do a 'Babylon 4' movie which would have focused on O'Hare as 'Valen', who was Sinclair transformed into a Minbari. JMS did do a comic book series based on the B4 concept, but I really wished it had been filmed with O'Hare starring in it.

But what we didn’t know at the time was that Michael O’Hara left the series because he was suffering from a mental illness. According to an interview with JMS; O’Hara began to exhibit signs of mental illness. He was seeing conspiracies where there was none, he began to hear voices that were not there. JMS recognized the symptoms of this mental illness and offered him help and they kept what was happening a secret so not to jeopardize the series and everyone else’s employment associated with the series.  O’Hara held it together until the end of season one then they agreed to part on good terms and give another “official” reason for the departure of Commander Sinclair.

Truth is there was and still is a stigma associated with mental illness. Had JMS and O’Hara been honest and went to the network producing B5 at the time they probably would have flipped to hear their leading man was mentally ill and probably would have cancelled the series to save money, thus hundreds of other people depending on B5 for employment would be out of work.  Also, JMS didn’t want O’Hara to lose future acting prospects due to his illness even after seeking treatment.

Even now people hide their illness for fear of losing their jobs or losing respect of those around them. Well if you are one of those people I can tell you not to be afraid, be proud of who you are.

Rest in Peace Commander Sinclair, may you find the peace you sought.

  

Goodbye to Michael O’Hare, Babylon 5’s Commander Sinclair

On September 28, 2012, J. Michael Straczynski posted that O'Hare suffered a heart attack on September 23 and had remained in a coma until the 28th, when he died. 

^{Very sad to hear this. I was and still am a huge fan of the 'Babylon 5' series and I really enjoyed Michael O'Hare as Commander Sinclair. I remember when season 2 started being devastated that O'Hare would not be returning. I had no Internet back then and had no way of knowing Bruce Boxleitner would be replacing him on the series. He did make a brief return appearance in Season 2 but made a big splash in the 3rd season 2 part episode 'War Without End'. I had always wished they would have had him back more on the series, especially when they started doing TV movies. I had wanted them to do a 'Babylon 4' movie which would have focused on O'Hare as 'Valen', who was actually Commander Sinclair transformed into a Minbari.}

^{Rest in Peace Mr O'Hare, you will be missed and never forgotten.}