In the past decade, some really beloved TV shows have gotten the ax before their time, and it's tempting to long for some kind of cast reunion special just to see everybody together again. They used to do this all the time, and despite their good intentions, it almost never came off well. Here's our list of The Most Depressing TV Reunions that were probably best left to the optimistic imagination of longing fans.
Most Depressing TV Reunions
It's always bittersweet when a favorite show reaches its final episode. But when it comes to reunion shows, sometimes it's better to have no show at all.
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By Evan Saathoff January 18, 2012 |
Gilligan's Island |
The Gilligan's Island crew got back together on three horrific occasions, the last of which featured the Harlem Globetrotters helping Gilligan and the other castaways defeat a bunch of evil robots in a game of basketball. It seems impossible to dislike something that features both Martin Landau and Scatman Crothers, but this horrible reunion special manages to be completely unlikable and without charm.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show |
In 2000 ABC broadcast a TV movie featuring Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper reprising their Mary Tyler Moore characters, Mary Richards and Rhoda Morgenstern. Audiences eager to see other old cast members were disappointed. They weren't even referenced in dialogue. In fact, very little of the two characters' shared TV history together is actually mentioned in the movie, a fact which alienated all the fans it could have potentially pleased. It was geared to be a new TV show, but horrible critical reaction put an end to those plans.
The Dukes of Hazzard |
The original good old boys from Duke of Hazzard got together for two separate reunion films. The second film, Hazzard in Hollywood! featured the boys traveling to L.A. in an effort to sell a bunch of Hazzard County country music so they can build a new county hospital specializing in snake bites and moonshine-related accidents. This 2000 film trades the antagonistic Boss Hogg for, of course, Russians, and is just as silly and stupid as you'd expect a Dukes of Hazzard film made in 2000 to be. Luke Duke in particular looks a little old to still be jumping into cars when he can just open the door instead.
Cheers |
Pretty much everyone involved with Cheers stopped by its popular spin-off, Frasier, at one time or another. But in the episode "Cheerful Goodbye" we get a whole group of characters. Cliff, Carla, Norm, and even the lesser-known Paul show up to chat with Frasier and his family. It's awful thanks to its blatantly artificial premise and the awkward mixture of personalities at play. It's just embarrassing to watch.
Credit: Squidoo
Green Acres |
If anyone was asking for a Green Acres reunion movie in 1995, they likely regretted it when Return to Green Acres came down the pike. Instead of the fun city-meets-country comedy exploits one would expect from the show, this TV movie added unneeded and unasked for drama into the mix with it's overly dark story of land swindling. On top of that, it makes Hooterville look like a community where nine out of ten residents are elderly people. Except for Arnold the Pig, of course. They probably got a different actor for him.
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