With original ideas so hard to come by within the film and television industry, existing stories don’t stay untouched for long. Reboots and spinoffs have taken up more and more space within the catalogs of streaming companies in recent years.

Not wanting to start from scratch, media giants like Netflix and HBO Max take advantage of pre-existing storylines and fanbases, creating shows like “Girl Meets World” and the modern adaptation of “Gossip Girl.” Despite the seemingly huge market for this type of entertainment, reboots like these aren’t always a success.

Remaking shows and movies comes with both risk and reward. With film and television, production companies run the risk of damaging a story’s reputation by taking inspiration from an already used idea. However, according to box office numbers, putting a storyline’s reputation in danger seems to be worth it since the ten highest grossing movies of 2022 were all sequels and reboots.

Success also exists for rebooted television series as well, with shows like “Cobra Kai” receiving incredible ratings for its adaptation of the “Karate Kid” movies.

The 2007 teen drama “Gossip Girl” was rebooted in July of 2021 on HBO Max after much anticipation from lifelong fans waiting to see more of the notorious Upper East Side teenagers.

Sophomore Leigh Batzar of Middletown was one of many excited for the reboot of this adored 2000s drama.

“I really like the ‘Gossip Girl’ reboot,” Batzar stated. “The original ‘Gossip Girl’ is one of my favorite shows and was just so good. Learning about the new one coming out was so exciting. I loved that the legacy was being continued into something new, even though it did end up pretty terrible.”

While this reboot was acclaimed for its diverse cast and modernized ideas, it still fell flat according to critics. Jenna Guillaume of the Sydney Morning Herald rated the teen drama as a one star.

“The reboot added in a layer of power and race dynamics that it doesn’t seem fully capable of unpacking,” Guillame said.

“Girl Meets World” was a reboot of “Boy Meets World,” an ABC 1993 Sitcom about Cory Matthew’s journey to adulthood. Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World” aired in 2014 and followed Cory’s daughter Riley and her best friend Maya as they navigated middle school in New York City. With some returning actors from “Boy Meets World,” the reboot allowed for a newer audience while also drawing old viewers in with the nostalgia of old faces.

However, this was another reboot that didn’t hit the mark. According to fans, it was too full of life lessons with an overbearing theme of the meaning of life, which many felt ruined the charm of the original show.

Sophomore Bailey McBride of Aberdeen spoke about her love for the original 1990s show and expressed how the reboot was a disappointment.

“I expected way more from it,” McBride stated. “‘Girl Meets World’ tried way too hard to be deep, and it came out cringe and hard to watch. ‘Boy Meets World’ talked about real life lessons in a seamless way that ‘Girl Meets World’ couldn’t even come close to. I just really don’t think that remakes ever live up to the original in any case.”