Television remakes and movie sequels are possibly the worst things to ever happen to the concept of creativity, especially in the entertainment industry. While the notion of continuously cashing out on what works isn’t something new, it seems as if we have arrived at the repetitive content peak in 2019.
Originality is now classified as if it’s a thing of the very distant past. Consumers instead are now constantly being force-fed the same content time and time again.
While earlier entertainment endeavors may have made a more honest attempt at reviving beloved content, it is becoming more and more blatantly evident that the main goal corporations have today is to bank off of viewers’ nostalgia and dedication to once-cherished characters or storylines.
A perfect example of this is the multiple reincarnations of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” Originally, Sabrina made her television debut as a doe-eyed animation in the late 1960s. Some years later, she returned to television in the iconic remake of the cartoon and was played by an actual woman, Melissa Joan Hart.
Looking back today, this 1990s hit show is what many classify as a fond memory from their youth. While it was technically a “remake,” it took the concept of a cartoon from a far different time and brought it to life for a whole new generation.
So, what’s the natural next step for a successful ’90s hit? The answer: an edgy, less-than-spectacular Netflix remake 20 years later.
Sequels and remakes have the power of potentially ruining an entire franchise. Examples of this can be found in abundance every year, but some of my personal favorites are “Grease 2”, “The Next Karate Kid” and most controversially, 2016’s “Ghostbusters.”
Additionally, with the announcement of Disney+, Disney’s new streaming service, I anticipate late 2019 to bring home the year’s bad remakes with shows such as “Lizzie McGuire” and the new “High School Musical” series.
Not only is Disney killing off Netflix with Disney+, but it’s also planning its own demise. By repeatedly recreating old hits, it is effectively turning its own hourglass and dodging any room for new content. This begs the question: What will they have to remake in 20 years?
This doesn’t apply to just Disney. The entertainment industry seems as if it is plagued with this methodology of money making, which leaves the future of content in a gray area.
So, where do we go from here? I say that now is the time for independent streaming services to shine and make new, never-before-seen content.
This way, there will not only be more competition, but more artistic integrity in a world that’s quickly losing it.
Gabrielle Martinez is an 18-year-old mass communication freshman from Gonzales, Louisiana.