With streaming becoming bigger and bigger every year, more services (and networks) are producing TV show revivals that either continue the story from the original series or continue in that world. TV revivals - which are different from reboots in that they're not recreations or have new casts - have grown in popularity in recent years, with high-profile revivals of Roseanne, Murphy Brown, and Party of Five. While some revivals are critically-acclaimed and considered worthy extensions of the series, such as Twin Peaks: The Return, most of them fail to capture the magic that made the original series so good, such as Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life.

There's a reason that TV revivals are becoming increasingly common. Original shows have a difficult time finding an audience and take a while to cultivate a following - and with a historic number of shows available to watch, audiences are not sticking with a series that takes a while to find its groove. Reviving a TV show is a more attractive option for a studio, who know that the show will already have a built-in audience. It's a great option for a series that might have been cancelled before its time or ended with a disappointing finale - like in Dexter's case.

Although Dexter is the latest revival to be announced, many of them are already in development or already slated to premiere. Although production on many of these shows have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of them are still expected to premiere in the near few years.

The Boondocks


The Boondocks originally ended in 2014, and HBO announced in 2019 that they had picked up a revival of The Boondocks for the streaming service HBO Max. The revival is expected to consist of two twelve-episode seasons and was originally scheduled to premiere in Fall 2020. Originally showrunner Aaron McGruder is returning as showrunner for the revival, and is serving as an executive-producer alongside Norm Aladjem, Seung Kim, and Meghann Collins Robertson. The Boondocks revival hasn't been given an official premiere date.

Dexter


Showtime announced that Dexter is returning with a 10-episode season, and production is slated to begin in early 2021. Star Michael C. Hall is returning for the revival alongside original showrunner Clyde Phillips, who departed in the original run of the show after season 4. The Dexter revival takes place 10 after the events of the controversial series finale, and is not expected to change the events of that episode.

Frasier


Kelsey Grammer, who played Frasier Crane in Frasier and Cheers, has publicly announced that he is developing a Frasier revival. Although Grammer's team hasn't officially announced any details about the revival, the actor stated in 2018 that he would only revisit the series on the condition that fellow co-stars David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin also returned. Although none of them have publicly confirmed their involvement in the revival, Gilpin teased the revival in April 2020 and Bebe Neuwirth, who played Frasier's ex-wife Lilith, has confirmed she is open to reprising her role.

Gossip Girl


HBO is reviving Gossip Girl, with a 10-episode order that will premiere on HBO Max. Gossip Girl is expected to premiere in 2021, and will begin filming in New York City in October 2020. The revival will focus on a new generation of teenagers, and is set eight years after the events of the original show. Original showrunner and series writer Joshua Safran is involved in the revival, and is working with Gossip Girl co-creator Josh Schwartz and Stefanie Savage's production company. Original costume designer Eric Dana has also confirmed that he will be joining the revival.

The cast of Gossip Girl includes Emily Alyn Lind (Code Black, Revenge), alongside Whitney Peak (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Eli Brown (Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists), Johnathan Fernandez (Lethal Weapon), Jason Gotay (Peter Pan Live!), Tavi Gevinson (Enough Said), Thomas Doherty (High Fidelity) and Zion Moreno (Claws). The cast also includes relative newcomers Savannah Smith, Evan Mock, Jordan Alexander, and Adam Chanler-Berat. Kristen Bell (The Good Place, Veronica Mars) is returning as the narrator of the show.