It's the age of reboots where entertainment is concerned. In a culture so steeped in nostalgia, it makes sense that all the big networks are working hard to bring back your old-school favorites. NBC is now putting its hat in the ring. The network announced that its streaming service, Peacock, will debut in April 2020.
"The name Peacock plays homage to the quality content that audiences have come to expect from NBCUniversal," said Bonnie Hammer, chairman of direct-to-consumer and digital enterprises, according to AppleInsider. "Peacock will be the go-to place for both the timely and timeless," as well as "can't-miss Olympic moments," the 2020 election, and classic fan-favorite series.
As far as those classic shows go, NBC announced three big reboots coming to Peacock. There will be reboots of Saved by the Bell, Punky Brewster, and Battlestar Galactica. The shows will be among the 15,000 hours of streamable content available to subscribers. The price of the streaming service has yet to be revealed. Still, we have a feeling people will pay big bucks to see some of their old favorites.
NBC is making its way into the streaming service game. You may recall that there's been some recent uproar over some NBC classics leaving Netflix. There's a reason for that, and the reason is Peacock.
NBC has been quietly working on its streaming service for some time. Now, the network is releasing new details about what you can expect from Peacock when it debuts in April 2020, with over 15,000 hours of streamable content for subscribers.
"The name Peacock plays homage to the quality content that audiences have come to expect from NBCUniversal," said Bonnie Hammer, chairman of direct-to-consumer and digital enterprises, according to AppleInsider. She added that "Peacock will be the go-to place for both the timely and timeless," as well as "can't-miss Olympic moments," the 2020 election, and classic fan-favorite series.
Peacock will include all of your favorite NBC classics, from Cheers to Parks and Recreation and The Office. The inclusion of the latter two shows is really exciting fans who have lamented the frequently streamed series leaving other services.
NBC also announced the reboots it is working on for Peacock. So far, the network has announced reboots of Saved by the Bell, Punky Brewster, and Battlestar Galactica, which are all anticipated to be available upon the service's launch.
In a description of the Saved by the Bell reboot provided by The Hollywood Reporter, we learn that Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez have already signed on to reprise their roles. The premise of the series is based on the fact that Zack Morris is now the governor of California.
It gets better. Governor Morris finds himself in the midst of a political problem when he closes too many low-income high schools. He decides to send students from those schools to high-performing ones, including the beloved Bayside High School.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who originally played Zack Morris, says that despite the news of his character’s involvement in the reboot, he hasn’t been approached about it. He told Access Hollywood, “I have not been approached. I’ve always been interested, but it hasn’t been done yet.”
Soleil Moon Frye, who originally portrayed Punky Brewster, hinted at a reboot earlier this summer. Now we learn the premise. She'll reprise the role as a single mom of three who meets a girl who reminds her quite a bit of her younger self.
Not as much information was released regarding the Battlestar Galactica reboot. It has been noted that the reboot of the 2004 series will be handled by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail, who tweeted that it will "explore a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar."
There has also been rampant speculation about the eventuality of a reboot of The Office on Peacock. Deadline spoke to Bonnie Hammer about it. She said, "It is my hope and goal that we do an Office reboot. The Office comes back to us in January 2021. It is my hope that we can figure what that great reboot would be."
Fans seem to be pretty excited about the potential for these reboots. It goes to show that even though people complain that there are too many, there's still an audience for a lot of these classic series.
Of course, some are skeptical about the reliance on reboots to draw in customers of a certain age. To be fair, the original content that will be available in full should have been enough to do that, so it could be that there's real interest out there in the continuation of these stories.
NBC has yet to release any information regarding pricing for Peacock. Its release timeline will put it head-to-head with Quibi, a mobile-only streaming service. Still, it feels like the classics will make many feel right at home with Peacock.
