It's well-known that during times of trouble, such as a global pandemic, nostalgia becomes a comfortable place to dwell, whether that's finding comfort in the foods you used to eat as a child or setting your Spotify playlist to '90s tunes. And Hollywood has welcomed the collective global nostalgia trip we're all currently on with open arms.
Following in the footsteps of Saved By The Bell, which was successfully rebooted under the premise that Zack Morris became the governor of California, and in a bid to make Bayside High more inclusive introduces a new group of working class students to the school who clash with the rich kids, it seems that every network and streamer is currently on a major reboot kick.
Here are some of the new versions of old favourites coming to the small screen in 2021 …
'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'
Last year, a fan-made film written and directed by Morgan Cooper reimagined a prequel to the lighthearted series about Will and the Banks family as a gritty drama, in the vein of the types of films made by Black Panther director Ryan Coogler. The four-minute-long trailer, called Bel-Air, caught the attention of Will Smith who also found himself wondering what led the Fresh Prince to Hollywood in the first place.
The recent reunion, during which Smith sat down with his co-star Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv for three seasons of the show, saw them hash out a two-decade long feud, and set the scene for a reboot. And based on the work of Cooper, who co-wrote the show, it will air on Peacock next year.
'Walker'
After 15 years of playing Sam Winchester in the long-running fan favourite Supernatural, Jared Padalecki takes over the mantle of Walker the Texas Ranger, who was last seen on screen in series form back in 2001.
Last played by Chuck Norris, the original series ran for 196 episodes, from 1993 to 2001, and spawned a number of made-for-TV films. The reboot follows Padalecki’s widowed Cordell Walker as he moves back to Austin, Texas, to try and reconnect with his children and get to the bottom of his wife’s death. The pilot is set to air on January 21, 2021.
'Gossip Girl'
The lives and loves of the impossibly good-looking, designer-clad teens at Constance Billard School for Girls and St Jude's School for Boys held fans in thrall for five years between 2007 and 2012. Launching the careers of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley and Ed Westwick, the show, which aired on The CW, is being rebooted by HBO Max.
Set eight years after the original show ended, it will follow a new, and more diverse, bunch of rich kids in their Upper East Side playground. Filming was due to begin in March this year, but the release date has been pushed back to 2021.
'True Blood'
The show that made Alexander Skarsgard a star is currently being rebooted at HBO. Following the lives of vampires who live alongside humans in the deep American south, the show was based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, and ran for seven seasons between 2008 and 2014.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who oversaw Riverdale's transition from comic book to small screen, is set to co-write the script, while original series creator and showrunner Alan Ball returns to executive produce.
The show starred Anna Paquin as waitress Sookie Stackhouse, as well as Alexander Skarsgard, Joe Manganiello, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten and Nelsan Ellis.
'iCarly'
The popular Nickelodeon show is set to be revived, with a series ordered at Paramount+. Fans of the original series will be thrilled to learn that stars Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress are all set to return in the reboot. The original series ran for six seasons and 97 episodes between 2007 and 2012, and broke ratings records for Nickelodeon.
'Clueless'
Still famously quotable a full 25 years after its 1995 release, Clueless is set to be rebooted as a series. Amy Heckerling's era-defining update of Jane Austen's Emma starred Alicia Silverstone as high schooler Cher, who navigated her teenage years while meddling in the love lives of everyone around her.
The show will play on NBC's streaming service, Peacock, and is described by Deadline as a "baby pink … tiny sunglasses-wearing, oat milk latte and Adderall-fuelled look at what happens when the high school queen bee Cher disappears and her lifelong number two Dionne steps into Cher's vacant Air Jordans".
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Read More:
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As a 'Dexter' revival is announced, here are the other TV shows we'd like to come back
Actor, singer, comedian and chat-show treasure: Is Jamie Foxx Hollywood's most underappreciated star?
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3
Producer: JAR Films
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi
Rating: 3 star
Results:
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
