Revival productions shine up olden but still golden TV gems

Lucas Till as MacGyver

The eagerly anticipated comeback of the hit ’90s sitcom, “Will & Grace,” later this season has whetted viewers’ desire to see the return of other well-loved TV productions from the past.

Before “Will & Grace,” “MacGyver” made a reappearance with a younger protagonist, and other once-popular programs have their own loyalists who are haranging the networks to breathe new life into “olden but still golden” shows and formats.

An informal poll of mature televiewers’ preferences has resulted in a short list of fave revival prospects: Topping the list is “Friends,” the fans of which have periodically mounted comeback campaigns.

The series remains popular partly because its stars, paced by Jennifer Aniston, have sustained their stellar appeal and drawing power through the years.

Jennifer Aniston in “Friends”

On the other hand, their very popularity and bankability have doused all hope of revival for the sitcom, because their current talent fees have become dauntingly prohibitive.

Next on viewers’ wish list is “Seinfeld,” the hit TV show “about nothing at all” that ruled the US TV screen for over a decade.

At first, when Jerry Seinfeld concluded its highly profitable storytelling, he “swore” that he would never agree to a revival, for the simple reason that he had no more “ordinary” tales to tell and share.

But, five years after he retired from TV, he got bored counting his millions and did a small show featuring old comedians “just driving around and shooting the breeze” with him.

So, his interest has been revived—and it could be just a matter of time before he comes up with new “nonstories” to tell.

Other TV buffs are plugging for new seasons of “West Wing,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “My So-Called Life,” “Arrested Development,” “Ugly Betty,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Lost” and “Friday Night Lights.”

As for the most iconic comedy show of them all, “Saturday Night Live,” it’s still alive and kicking politicians and other targets’ butts after many decades, so hip, hip, hooray!

On the local TV scene, the revival pickings are slimmer, but campaigns have periodically been mounted for the revival of “Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata,” “Ryan, Ryan, Musikahan,” “The Probe Team,” “Palibhasa Lalake,” “Two for the Road,” “Pedro Penduko” and good children’s shows like, “Atbp.,” “Batibot” and “Sineskwela.”

TV franchise owners are supposed to allot a significant percentage of their programming to quality and substantial shows for children, but have not been doing what they promised.

So, parents, educators and young viewers themselves should keep complaining and demanding what’s due them.”

Local TV buffs should realize that, if they keep quiet, absolutely nothing will happen.

So, they have to rediscover the persuasive strength of their collective Viewer Power to “force” our TV networks to do what they’ve pledged.