Yahoo News 13 TV classics from the '90s that are coming back
It's not just the movies that likes to revel in past glories. Following the success of The X-Files and Twin Peaks, there are a load of other classics from the '90s that will soon be making a comeback on your telly.
In case you've not been able to keep up with all the nostalgic goodness, here's a handy list:
1. Blind Date
You'd think that in an age where all we do is swipe left or right to find our potential spouse, that a show like Blind Date wouldn't work. But judging from the first show of the revival, it does.
Originally running from 1985 to 2003 with the late, great Cilla Black as host, the show features a contestant posing questions to three hopeful partners, whom they can't actually see. Whoever they choose after a series of double entendre-filled Q&As, they then win a luxurious holiday. Though, in the latest series, not so much.
Paul O'Grady has brought back the ITV series, and it aired its first episode on Channel 5 last weekend.
2. The Crystal Maze
This Channel 4 game show couldn't be more '90s if it tried. Richard O'Brien was the host, as he whisked a team of clumsy contestants through puzzles in an underground bunker, with the help of his trusty harmonica. It was bonkers, but brilliant.
After a successful live experience was launched last year in London and Manchester, it was only a matter of time before they created a brand new series.
There's already been a one-off special hosted by Stephen Merchant, and now Richard Ayoade will present a full series of 20 episodes, starting with a celebrity special on Friday, June 23.
3. Streetmate
This reality dating series was one of Davina McCall's first gigs, and she hosted it on Channel 4 from 1998 to 2001. Holly Willoughby also hosted a short series in 2007 on ITV2. Davina also hosted a special episode for Stand Up to Cancer last year.
The series sees the host picking an eligible male or female from the streets (so they tell us), and then with their help, they approach random members of the public for a cheeky date.
Gogglebox favourite and I'm a Celebrity queen Scarlett Moffatt will host a brand new series on Channel 4 later this year, though it will be a daytime series this time around.
4. The Price is Right
This national institution of a British TV series is getting yet another revival. Leslie Crowther hosted the original series, before Sir Bruce Forsyth put his own stamp on it from 1995 to 2001. Joe Pasquale also hosted a short-lived run in 2006.
The latest reboot will see Alan Carr as host, as contestants hope to win money and other prizes by guessing how much items cost.
"This is proper bucket list territory for me," Alan said. "I loved it when I was growing up and now for me to be at the helm of such a legendary show is a dream come true."
5. SM:TV Live
It's actually happening. Ant & Dec and Cat Deeley's Saturday morning show is coming back for a one-off 20th anniversary special.
The duo previously stated that Cat Deeley would be involved and it would probably air some time in 2018 to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary.
And speaking to Digital Spy and other media following their BAFTA TV Award win for Entertainment Programme earlier this year, they narrowed it down for us.
"We've had discussions about it, and it looks like it's gonna go ahead – not this September, but next September," said Dec. "Next August/September," Ant added. "We can't have the same studios unfortunately but we're getting the team back together and we're gonna have a bit of fun!"
The duo reiterated that it would definitely be on a Saturday morning, and they're aiming for 9:25am, joking that it was the earliest wake-up call for them in ages.
The show was first broadcast on August 29, 1998, so the closest Saturday morning to the actual anniversary they can do is September 1, 2018, so our money is on it being either then or the Saturday before, on August 25, 2018.
6. Ducktales
Yep, Scrooge McDuck and his pesky nephews are coming back for a brand new series of swashbuckling fun.
David Tennant will voice McDuck, while the series will also feature Lin-Manuel Miranda, Allison Janney, Danny Pudi and Big Bang Theory star Kate Micucci.
In the US, the series will debut with a one-hour movie – called Woo-oo! – on August 12, and begin regular episodes on September 23. Unfortunately for UK fans, the series won't premiere on Disney Channel over here until early 2018. Bah, humbug.
7. The Worst Witch
CBBC is conjuring up a brand new version of the beloved books series (and TV show) The Worst Witch. Jill Murphy's books bewitched generations of kids worldwide, and now those stories will be adapted for TV again.
CBBC has ordered 13 half-hour episodes about witch-in-training Mildred Hubble's studies at Miss Cackle's academy for the supernaturally gifted, and it's coming in January 2018.
Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey (Lady Mormont) will play Mildred, while the show will also star the likes of Raquel Cassidy, Kacey Ainsworth and... Amanda Holden.
8. Hey! Arnold
TWO Hey Arnold! TV movies are on the way. The first upcoming special, called Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, is expected to air on Nickelodeon around Thanksgiving 2017.
It's written and executive produced by the series' original creator Craig Bartlett, and the original cast will be back too – including Arnold voice actor Lane Toran.
Split into two films, the movie will be a sequel to 2002's Hey Arnold!: The Movie and the two-part series finale 'The Journal', which also premiered in 2002 on Nickelodeon, as part of the fifth and final season. The movie will serve as the definitive series finale, and will answer all unanswered questions, including what the hell happened to Arnold's missing parents.
9. Animaniacs
Since arriving on Netflix in the US last year, Animaniacs has seen a huge resurgence in popularity, and this has led to bosses at Amblin Television and Warner Bros to consider remaking the classic cartoon.
Steven Spielberg developed the original version after the success of Tiny Toon Adventures, and the director is expected to be involved in the creation of this new version.
Animaniacs was made up of a range of mini segments, all brought together by the odd Warner siblings – Yakko, Wakko and Dot – who had been trapped in the watertower at the Warner Bros film lot since the 1930s, until their escape.
No dates have been confirmed for the potential reboot, but early signs are good.
10. Roseanne
Perhaps the most unexpected TV reunion is Roseanne Barr's quirky family, who are definitely reuniting for new episodes. It's currently in early development stages at ABC.
On board for the ABC reboot will be Barr's on-screen husband John Goodman and their TV daughter Sara Gilbert (aka Darlene), plus Sarah Chalke, who played the second Becky Conner after original cast member Lecy Goranson left in 1992. In a surprising twist, early word is that she won't actually be playing Becky in the upcoming episodes. Instead, original Becky actress Goranson will return along with Michael Fishman (D.J. Conner) and Laurie Metcalf (Jackie).
And if you're wondering, the bizarre finale which revealed that John Goodman's Dan was dead and everything that had followed didn't actually happen? Yeah, the revival will ignore it completely. That's handy.
11. Will & Grace
After the cast of this popular 1990s sitcom reunited for a 10-minute online special ahead of the 2016 Presidential election, NBC announced plans to bring it back properly.
12 brand new episodes will air on NBC from September 28, 2017. Not only are all the cast back, but series creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, as well as original-run director James Burrows, are all involved in this new batch of episodes.
Mutchnick recently teased that the new series will in some way involve a wedding, but all will be revealed soon.
12. The League of Gentlemen
It looks like that League of Gentlemen revival is actually coming along very swiftly. Reece Shearsmith, who created the original comedy classic alongside Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Jeremy Dyson, tweeted that he had been writing for the show again:
Fun and strange to be writing "The League of Gentlemen" again. Evidently it's true.... we'll never leave.
- Reece Shearsmith (@ReeceShearsmith) June 20, 2017
Rumours of a revival were sparked earlier this month, after Mark Gatiss revealed The League would be returning during a talk at the Oxford Union. He claimed that the group had a number of pretty good ideas, and they were all hoping to shoot new material sometime this year.
The dark sitcom ended in 2002, and we've had nothing since since the movie The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse in 2005. Shearsmith and Pemberton have continued to work together on the excellent Inside No. 9 and Psychoville, in which Gatiss also made an appearance.
13. Fun House
We all loved this '90s anarchic kids' game show, and were jealous of anyone who got to take part and meet Pat Sharp and the twins. It isn't officially coming back to TV screens *yet*, but Pat is now backing a fundraising drive to turn the classic '90s kids show into a live attraction for adults, much in the same way as The Crystal Maze did. Complete with the obligatory Fun Karts, ball pit and inflatables – but sadly no gunge – Destination Entertainment has promised to rerun the fun in the most authentic way possible. Meanwhile, Pat has spoken of his hopes of bringing back Fun House on the telly, perhaps as a segment in Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
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