turborobb

I was talking about TV shows with my friends last night and how cool it was that they brought back Doctor Who over 15 years after it got cancelled and it's still the exact same show with old characters and storylines returning, not a spin off or a redo.

Star Trek the Next Generation takes place in the Trek universe, but it's a different show about different characters. the new Battlestar Galactica is a complete remake. But we couldnt think of any other show that was cancelled for years and returned as the same series about the same character.

Lee Harvey Oswald

Family Guy (unfortunately).

Futurama is coming back later this year or next year.

What about What's Happening and What's Happening Now? Was that brought back, or did they make some kind of change?

Brent L

Alien Nation...sorta.

The series ended, but a few years of complaining by the fans the show was brought back in the form of yearly TV movies to complete the story.

mrhan

The Bionic Woman is coming back and I don't know why.

Red Dog

Same question for WKRP. However, only 3 of the original 8 returned for that.

Shannon Nutt

I think Doctor Who is definitely a record...Alien Nation and Family Guy both came back after only a few years off the air. It ALMOST happened with Star Trek (with the original crew, I mean), but Star Wars came along and they decided to take Star Trek: Phase II (proposed TV series) and make it Star Trek: The Motion Picture. That would have been roughly 10 years between series had it had happened.

I know one series I'd LIKE to see it happen for (although a few of the cast members are no longer with us): Twin Peaks.

al_bundy

twilight zone

Doc Moonlight

THE PAPER CHASE was brought back on cable a year or two after being cancelled by CBS.

riley_dude

Batllestar Galactica is a reboot but so is Doctor Who.

Josh-da-man

The new Doctor Who is a continuation of the original series.

SlingshotBandit

McGuyver is coming back on the air soon, with Richard Dean Anderson reprising the same role.

Jay G.

Doctor Who is unique in that the new show is both a reboot and a continuation. Due to The Doctor's regenerative ability, they could introduce a whole new cast, including a younger actor for The Doctor, and still have The Doctor be the same character.

As for the OP, Leave it to Beaver was canceled in 1963, only to be brought back 22 years later as The New Leave it to Beaver, with the original actors reprising their roles aged approx 22 years.

Star Trek also experienced this. Star Trek was canceled in 1969, while 4 years later Star Trek: The Animated Series appeared on the air with the original actors reprising their roles.

And while not technically "canceled," there was a gap of over 3 years between the 6th and 7th season of Red Dwarf.

There was also a gap of almost 5 years between an Absolutely Fabulous special and the start of season 4 of that series.

British shows often have gaps of a year or two between what we consider seasons of a show, owing a lot to differences in their production methods.

The Canadian show The Newsroom had a 7 year gap between the initial run in 96-97 and it's revival in 2004, although there was a TV movie made between the two runs in 2002.

Get Smart was canceled in 1970 and was revived in 1995 with the original staring actors Don Adams and Barbara Feldon in supporting roles as their original characters 25 years on.

The Valeyard

There's also been the various Brady Bunch reunion shows/series:

The Brady Bunch
(The Brady Bunch Variety Hour)
The Brady Girls Get Married/The Brady Brides
A Very Brady Christmas
The Bradys

All in continuity of the original show (with the bizarre exception of the Variety Show).

gatoinfeliz

My understanding is that the British do not cancel shows. They usually order a number of series depending on the show's popularity and their (BBC, ITV, etc.) scheduling needs. So I think Doctor Who could vary well not have been cancelled but a renewed interest could have been a determining factor for bringing it back.

Baron Of Hell

Dark Shadows though I'm probably the only one that seen the original and the remake.

Super X

Leave It To Beaver came back decades later as The New Leave It To Beaver with the same cast members reprising their original roles (except for the deceased ones, of course).

Tscott

Hart to Hart (79-83) had eight made for TV movies in the 90s.

starman9000

Really?

story

The Outer Limits.

nateman

Indeed, I guess it confirms that some people like shit TV a little too much.

Mama' family was cancelled in 84' by NBC but then CBS picked the show up in 86' for 4 more new seasons before eventually ending for good.

DRG

Hunter with Fred Dryer aired on NBC from 1984-91. After a few tv movies, NBC actually made and aired four new one hour episodes in 2003.

Shannon Nutt

I think shows like TWILIGHT ZONE and OUTER LIMITS don't count, since they're anthology shows. I'm sure there's a ton of game shows too, that could be listed, but don't really fit what we're discussing.

rfduncan

Wow... talk about a thread where people are reaching. As far as I can see, other than Doctor Who (and I agreed that's a semi-reboot), Family Guy and the upcoming Futurama there are any "genuinely" cancelled series that were resurrected to continue as that same series.

obscurelabel

Burke's Law aired from 1963-1966 and was brought back for 13 new episodes in 1994. As far as I know, Gene Barry as Amos Burke was the only returning cast member. So that's 28 years.

Shannon Nutt

I wonder if Newhart counts as a continuation of The Bob Newhart Show?