What do you do when a computer crashes? Correct, reboot! Restarting is the best way to solve a system problem like lack of capacity, bugs or overloading. The process takes patience and time. But users often lose their nerves and look for better and trendier options.

Our TV system is now overloaded. Competition and development of digital technology have led to oversupply of content available anywhere, at any time. The user is driven to overconsumption and uber-demand for “the latest, coolest, best”. The result is a malfunctioning system as it lacks the capacity to produce enough product to satisfy the superconsumer and generate profit. Suppliers start looking for faster and cheaper solutions to keep up the pace in the fierce competition. Bugs start popping up: more new shows means a bigger number of flops and failed investments. Eventually, the resources are exhausted and rebooting is the only solution.

This is what we see happening to TV in 2015. Broadcasters are looking to catch their breath, win some time, as they are not able to adapt and produce fast enough to the changing market. Rebooting old shows with cult status becomes the most logical solution– refreshed well-known stories, old favorite TV heroes and creators who have done this before.

Reboot is the key word of the year: Twin Peaks, The X-Files, The Odd Couple, The Saint, Thunderbirds Are Go, The Muppets, etc. One might argue that this is mainly the problem of traditional broadcasters. But look at what Netflix (the main global driver of oversupply and overconsumption) is doing…a reboot of Full House! They can’t handle the situation as well? Despite multi-billion investments?

House of Cards and Game of Thrones are getting old and they won’t be around forever. Marvel and DC Comics are also running out of superheroes. We have yet to see a new global blockbuster hit series. No one knows when this will happen. So why not go back in time and remember those days… The days of Mulder and Scully and Agent Cooper. Nostalgia and wishful thinking for the good old analog times; rebooting as a remedy for ailing TV.

Will viewers remain patient while the system reboots?


TVBIZZ:Magazine MIPTV 2015 Special is out now.