For Its Values, TV of Old to Be Treasured

“Frasier” and “Monk,” two popular TV shows of the past, have recently been brought back to life.

The original “Frasier” series ran from 1993 to 2004, earning 37 Emmys in its run.

In October of 2023, a “Frasier” reboot made its debut on Paramount+, featuring the same character as seen in the original, i.e., the one and only Frasier Crane, who this time is dealing with life while in his 60s.

The producers were able to snag much of the original cast, with six-time Emmy winner Kelsey Grammer in the title role, along with Jane Leeves playing Daphne Moon, Peri Gilpin portraying Roz Doyle, David Hyde Pierce reprising Niles Crane, and Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Sternin.

The reboot has been met with great success. The first two episodes of the show were the most-watched original series premiere on Paramount+, and as a result the new “Frasier” has been renewed for a second season.

Meanwhile Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub can soon be seen in a new upcoming feature film, “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie,” which premieres December 8 on Peacock.

Shalhoub portrays Adrian Monk, the same loveable neurotic savant detective character that he played in the original TV series. The show ran for eight great seasons on the USA Network.

In addition to Shalhoub, “Mr. Monk’s Last Case” includes many of the actors that appeared in the original series, including Traylor Howard playing Natalie Teeger, Ted Levine as Leland Stottlemeyer, and Jason Gray-Stanford as Randy Disher.

Peacock’s movie reboot comes almost 14 years after the final episode of the original “Monk” series aired, which in its run took home eight Emmys, including three for Shalhoub for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Reboots are part of a current Hollywood trend of reaching back in time to find material to produce.

A few examples include a sequel to the original Full House called “Fuller House,” a revival of the original series “Gilmore Girls” titled “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” a reboot of the original “Roseanne” with the same title, and a spin-off of the original “Roseanne” called “The Connors.”

Television shows of bygone eras actually comprise a significant portion of today’s entertainment programming, and the public’s interest itself seems to be on the rise.

Networks such as MeTV, Antenna TV, Cozi TV, Uptv, Encore Classic, Encore Black, and TV Land are dedicated to serving up classic fare to their respective audiences.

Nick at Nite, TBS, TNT, AMC, and the Hallmark Channel have reserved spots in their lineups for TV shows of old as well.

And not to be left out, services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are also streaming the classics.

Why would there be such a demand to see shows that were produced decades ago?

Here’s my theory.

These are tough times we are living through in many ways. The changes we have experienced have occurred more rapidly than we could even process.

It is a truism that a common set of values is what holds a society together. The unspoken bond.

What were some of the values that in the past we collectively held as ideals? Ones to which we agreed that we would all strive to uphold?

Honesty, fairness, kindness, loyalty, perseverance, courage and respect to name a few.

Something happened to that vessel of shared values. Cracks appeared.

Some values eroded. Some were supplanted. And some were merely lost in the fog of the culture war.

Classic TV at its finest had our common set of values embedded within its story lines, and within the minds and hearts of the characters that were living out the comedies and dramas.

While these television shows may have been set in a bygone era, the values contained within them are timeless.

Here’s to the people who cling to their favorite shows and to the values that are worth their weight in gold.

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax TV Hollywood. Read James Hirsen's Reports — More Here.