We are well into the era of widespread TV reboots and revivals, with so many classic series making returns happen in recent years, either with a new cast or the cast we all know and love. NBC’s hit ’90s sitcom Blossom is one of the more highly anticipated in-development comebacks, with star Mayim Bialik announcing in May that a reunion series was in the works, and her latest update revealed an unexpected change, as the project seems to be taking cues from Will Smith’s NBC sitcom Fresh Prince, which was rebooted as the Peacock drama Bel-Air.
Far ahead of her Big Bang Theory success, and the stint of normal life between roles, Mayim Bialik portrayed the titular Blossom Ruby Russo on the beloved series, and confirmed to Vanity Fairthat a new series centered on the character is, in fact, in the works, and with plenty of familiar faces involved. However, fans shouldn’t expect the same laughs the original series brought, as this one is going a little bit darker and deeper with its storytelling. In her words:
I’m happy to tell you that, yes, it’s true. All of the cast and the original creator and producers are on board, and we believe a reboot can and should exist once the strike ends. We’re hoping to reboot it, not as a sitcom, though. We want to bring back these interesting, deep characters—a child of divorce, a recovering drug addict, an alcoholic—to see them in a whole new way.
The series sounds like it’s going to be pretty different from the original, and more on par with Bel-Air than a direct revival. Despite being a reboot of Will Smith’s Fresh Prince, the Peacock original dives deep into issues such as racial tension, culture shock, and more. While the new Blossomwill likely still have the heart fans remember, it’s going to put a lot of focus into deeper issues, which will set it apart from the original but still bring back fans who watch it back in the ‘90s.
During Blossom’s run, the show was praised for addressing serious topics such as family dysfunction, addiction, sex, depression, sexual assault, gun violence, and more. It’s definitely hard to cover such serious topics while on a sitcom. While most sitcoms do cover serious topics, including that many and doing it in a way that is authentic and organic is rare, which is why Blossom got much praise for doing so. Not to mention the fact that it also centered on a teenage girl, which was also rare at its time.
Blossom starred an ensemble cast that also included Joey Lawerence, Michael Stoyanov, Jenna von Oÿ, David Lascher, Portia Dawson, Barnard Hughes, Finola Hughes, Courtney Chase, and Ted Wass. While the cast is on board for the new series, it’s still unknown how much involvement they will have. At least they are on board, which is better than nothing. Whatever happens with the new Blossom, it already sounds like it’s going to be a series you won’t want to miss. Even if it is a little different.
Not much information about the Blossom reboot has been revealed other than what to expect. With the WGA strike concluded, the SAG-AFTRA strike needs to end so that production can eventually commence. Once that happens, more details will surely come out about exactly which direction the new project will take.
The wait will be well worth it, hopefully, but fans can watch the original Blossom with a Hulu subscription in the meantime.