With the return of Arrested Development right around the corner and the somewhat improbable talk of Twin Peaks starting up where it left off many, many years ago we thought we would attempt to discuss shows we would like to see return to the small screen. 

Kerri: Are you gals excited about the return of Arrested Development? Will you watch the new episodes?

Jane: Yes! I will be tuning in to Arrested Development for sure. I’ll admit that the prospect of Twin Peaks returning has me more excited. That could be due to the fact that I recently re-watched Twin Peaks.

Kerri: Actually, as I was thinking about this topic, I was also much more excited about the possibility of some kind of return to the Twin Peaks story. I feel like, despite Arrested Development ending “early”, it got more of a chance to do what it wanted to do. Twin Peaks ended in a way that I don’t feel many people were very satisfied with.

To my mind, that’s sort of how I approached this topic. I think sometimes a show ending at the top of its game is a good thing. I can’t say that I am jumping for joy at the prospect of Arrested Development starting up again. But I will watch it for sure.

Jane: I agree. There wasn’t a sense of closure at the conclusion of Twin Peaks. We invested a lot in agent Cooper. We followed and trusted him through the strange world of Twin Peaks so it was a letdown to see the evil side of a town he loved so much take him over. I would have liked to see his internal struggle with the darkness.

Kerri: Exactly. I feel like whatever we got from Twin Peaks was a fraction of what was possible from that show. In fact, I have had some recent conversations about how well Twin Peaks would potentially do in the TV environment today. I think people would be much more receptive to a show like that. But I guess, if it doesn’t come back (and it seems likely that it won’t), that is its legacy.

Jane: I agree and think Twin Peaks would thrive on TV today. It has a built in cult following in addition to a new TV audience more willing to accept non-conventional storytelling.

Katie: I haven’t watched Twin Peaks myself, but when thinking about this question, I have to agree that the shows that I’d most want to come back are the ones that didn’t feel “concluded.”

Kerri: Well, that’s a nice way to jump into the topic at hand, Katie. Which shows would you like to see come back to the small screen?

Katie: I would watch a Full House reboot, but only if it was done by a channel like FX or HBO. A gritty comedy about 11 adults living in a house that care too much about one another.

Kerri: That made me spit out my coffee. I’m sure there would be a lot of drug use involved.

Katie: They’d finally have the courage to address the incest undertones.

Jane: Good one, Katie!

I’d love to see a Full House episode about how sad and pathetic Joey’s comedy career was. I’m not saying that as a joke. His stuff with the puppets could be creepy.

I’d be thrilled with a fourth season of Slings and Arrows. Although the third season ended satisfactorily for me, the show was structured in a way which would allow a fourth season. I’d love to see Jeffrey take on one of Shakespeare’s comedies, with the help of Darren Nichol’s of course. I feel like we didn’t get to see enough of Darren’s crazy productions in previous seasons. I would watch an episode dedicated to his vision of Romeo and Juliet where the characters weren’t allowed to touch or look at each other.

Kerri: Funny you should mention that, Jane. I think I heard that there was a possibility they would re-mount Slings and Arrows. That seems like the perfect show to put back on TV. Every season can be so different.

Katie: There is always the issue of “will the actors come back”? But with Slings and Arrows I feel like it could stand without all the main characters coming back. They did well with a cast of people coming and going each season.

Jane: I agree. Just like in theatre actors are always changing it up with different casts and relationships. I will say I would love to see Sarah Polley back.

Kerri: Sarah Polley should be on EVERYTHING.

I feel like Firefly never really got to go where it wanted to. That show could easily come back…and I guess it kind of did with Serenity. But it worked so perfectly as a serial.

Also, Luck just sort of petered out. Poor horses. I’d watch more episodes of that though.

We might not be friends after I say this, but I actually wouldn’t want to see a Freaks and Geeks remount. And I probably wouldn’t have said that a few years ago. When I look back on it though the ending is so perfectly the beginning of something else. If it came back it would take away from the understated perfection of Lindsay getting into the Dead Head’s van to try to find herself. Plus, I kind of feel like, after seeing what Judd Apatow has done since, we know what would have happened to the characters. And I’m not so sure I like all of those things.

Jane: We are still friends! I will say that I have honestly loved parts of what Judd Apatow has done since. I totally get the argument that he can be self-indulgent and needs to be edited but I think he writes from a place of honesty and I genuinely care about his characters. I personally would like to see what Apatow would do with another season.

Katie: I was pretty satisfied with those pictures in Vanity Fair of the cast of Freaks and Geeks.

The show was so much about adolescence that I don’t think it would carry as well into adulthood. After all, who feels like a freak or a geek, really, after high school?

Kerri: I agree, Jane. I think the ship has sailed though. If it was a couple years later, sure, but the thing that Freaks and Geeks got so right was high school. It is about that specific place. If I had to guess (and this is will be part of our game later so I won’t get too ahead of myself) I’d say most of those characters wouldn’t be friends anymore.

Katie: Can’t forget Paul Feig’s major role in Freaks, either. I think Apatow shines with a co-writer.

Kerri: Agreed. And a good editor.

Jane: What I meant was that I wish Freaks and Geeks had continued where it had left off. Apatow had a plan and I’d be curious to see what that plan was.

Kerri: I agree, Jane. Though I can’t help but feel like the luster would have worn off a bit for me after season 1.

Katie: This is a bit of a weird one, but I would enjoy a new season of Gilmore Girls. But again, with a different network.

Kerri: The 85 seasons that Gilmore Girls had wasn’t nearly enough for you, eh?

Katie: When you put it that way…

Kerri: I’d totally watch it though!

Jane: I think when writers and actors create well rounded and memorable characters, it is only natural for us to wonder about them. That being said I’ve never seen the Gilmore Girls but I’d love to see what the characters in Queer as Folk have been up to.

Kerri: How about Party Down? Any takers?

Katie: Weirdly, no. I’d watch it out of obligation to the actors I like, but I think it was good at two seasons. Kind of felt like side project for most of the actors while waiting on bigger and better things.

Kerri: That’s interesting, Katie. And if I created a show that felt like a side project for actors I’d be pretty bummed but I can understand that.

Jane: Side project or no, I think those actors gave some of the best performances that Ive seen from them. They always seemed connected to the work from my perspective.

I’m a slightly afraid to know what is up with the characters on Party Down. As much as it was fun to laugh at their dreams sometimes, it would be really sad for me if they hadn’t managed to achieve at least part of what they were striving for.

Katie: My opinion might be jaded by all the articles I read about “the Party Down movie” that keeps being pushed back by everyone being too busy.

Kerri: I feel like what we are all saying is that as much as we are curious to see what might happen to some of these characters we are also fearful that they wouldn’t live up to our memories of them. And the more we love something the more it would pain us if our expectations weren’t met.

Jane: Great point, Kerri.

Kerri: Maybe something like Twin Peaks would be easier because we have had so much time away from it.

Jane: Also for me it is my blind faith in David Lynch. My hope is that it would be picked up by a network that would leave him alone!

Kerri: And believe me, I would be totally back on board the Freaks and Geeks train if it came back and it was incredible.

Jane: Also, because I fear this is the last season of Community, I can’t wait for the Community movie to come out as I’m sure it will in the future!

Kerri: HA! Second coffee spit take! Thanks, Jane.

Usually we have a good idea about when things are going to end so we can prepare for them. And we spend so very much time with these things or we let them take up so much of our time. I think you are absolutely right, Jane. On a good show where you feel connected to characters you are bound to wonder about them after they’ve disappeared, as ludicrous as that may be. On a show that gets sort of snatched away from you, you can’t really prepare for that.

Jane: I’m serious, with Dan Harmon at the helm and with old Chevy Chase footage I know it will be great!

Kerri: THIRD! Stop it you two! The coffee going to ruin this keyboard.

So far no one has said The Wire. Is that because the ending was so good or are we afraid everyone is dead?

Jane: Both!!!!!!

Kerri: Yeah. I say both too.

Katie: No to The Wire! It would feel like an epilogue to a novel that was written years after the book was published.

Kerri: Game time.

Best guess wins: What do you think happened to A.) Lindsay Weir and B.) Daniel Desario from Freaks and Geeks?

Katie: Lindsay: certified general accountant. Went to college across the country. Came back when her parents needed a live-in caregiver.

Daniel: mechanic, living two towns over.

Kerri: A.) Married/then divorced – one kid. Probably has some office-y type job.

B.) Went to jail, works at a copy centre and hits on chicks. Smokes lots of pot.

Jane: Lindsay came home, got in a pile of trouble, went back to school and while maintaining good grades still hung out with her freaky friends.

I fear Daniel may have dropped out, but his charm will get him a decent job somewhere so he can support Kim and their attractive babies.

Kerri: I’d actually watch all of these shows…DAMN IT! I AM SUCH A LIAR.

Jane: Oooooh I think Daniel would do well at a copy centre!

Katie: I see we have high expectations for everyone.

Kerri: Final shout outs!

I’d like to give a shout out to Unsupervised which I think is over. I’d watch more of that in a heartbeat. And Deadwood.

Jane: Who’s The Boss and Undeclared.

Kerri: Wow. I can’t stop laughing at the thought of more Who’s The Boss.

Katie: Shout out to Curb Your Enthusiasm’s revival of Seinfeld.

Jane: They never actually got married, Kerri! There is a movie in there for sure.

Kerri: THERE IS NO COFFEE LEFT TO SPIT OUT, JANE!!!!