After 'Miranda' and 'Gavin and Stacey', 8 More Classic Sitcoms We'd Love to Come Back
First it was announced that Gavin and Stacey would be returning for a one-off festive episode. Then we heard the Miranda gang would be gathering for an anniversary special to reminisce about making the show – which, we all know, must have been "such fun" from the start. But which classic sitcom should come back next, either for full-blown reunion episodes, or for a Miranda-style nostalgic special? Here are seven enduringly popular shows we'd like to see more of in the future.
The Vicar of Dibley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJYt32rrWs
This British sitcom co-written by Love Actually's Richard Curtis is warm, comforting, and very funny. It's always a pleasure to spend time with Dawn French's kindhearted vicar Geraldine Granger and her eccentric group of parishioners in the fictional English village of Dibley. The last full-length episode aired in 2007, but French and some of her castmates returned for short Red Nose Day specials in 2013 and 2015, so another mini-reunion doesn't seem out of the question. But sadly, longtime cast members Emma Chambers (Alice), Roger Lloyd-Pack (Owen), and John Bluthal (Frank) have all passed away in recent years, so a reunion wouldn't be blessed with the full Dibley crew.
The Office
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1PHpkdvNOs
Ricky Gervais revived his most famous creation, cringe-inducing middle-manager David Brent, in the generally entertaining 2016 movie David Brent: Life on the Road. But, it featured precisely none of his co-stars from the original U.K. version of The Office. The Golden Globe-winning mockumentary ran for just 14 episodes between 2001 and 2003, and ended on a real high, so it might be too risky to make another episode at this stage. Still, it would definitely be fun to see Gervais, co-creator Stephen Merchant, and co-stars Martin Freeman, Lucy Davis, and Mackenzie Crook get together to reminisce about their time on the show. Be honest: wouldn't you like to see Freeman give just one more of his signature knowing looks to camera?
30 Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSMOX1yEgsM
Can you believe it's been nearly seven years since 30 Rock ended? In that time, it's arguable that the world of TV and media has become even weirder and more outrageous, so Tina Fey's sitcom set behind-the-scenes on a fictional sketch comedy show could feel more topical than ever before. If Fey and co-star Alec Baldwin aren't interested in reprising their roles, a spin-off series centered on Jane Krakowski's hilariously egocentric actress Jenna Maroney would be a lot of fun, too. And it's almost too tempting to make a wish-list of guest stars for a 2020 30 Rock revival – Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Benedict Cumberbatch are equal top of ours.
Peep Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l1mbCSUw-0
This British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb as a couple of dysfunctional (and often infuriating!) London roommates has become a cult classic: this year, it was voted the 13th best U.K. sitcom ever. One of the show's co-creators, Jesse Armstrong, is now creator-exec producer of Succession, and the other, Sam Bain, is working on a gender-swapped American Peep Show remake. But the original series is so beloved that it would be foolish to rule out some kind of reunion, even if Olivia Colman – who co-starred in 33 of 54 episodes as hard-drinking Sophie – is now the Oscar-winning star of The Crown.
Malcolm in the Middle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc8PbkJNVjQ
On November 12, all 151 episodes of this Emmy-winning family-based sitcom will arrive on the new Disney+ streaming service. Doesn't that provide the perfect excuse for Frankie Muniz (Malcolm), Bryan Cranston (Hal), Jane Kaczmarek (Lois), Cloris Leachman (Grandma Ida) and the rest of the clan to get back together again? A full reunion season seems kind of unlikely – Malcolm would now be in his early thirties, and Cranston especially is pretty busy these days – but a Miranda-style nostalgic special would be a real treat for fans.
Kath and Kim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aqr7Ykxc4Y
If you've never heard of Kath and Kim before, it's well worth checking out some clips on YouTube. Created by and starring Gina Riley and Jane Turner, this brilliant Australian sitcom follows the unintentionally kitsch daily lives of a mother and daughter living in a fictional Melbourne suburb. Though a U.S. remake starring Selma Blair and Molly Shannon failed to take off, and Riley and Turner's 2012 spin-off movie Kath & Kimderella, was a little disappointing, the original 33 episodes remain witty and very well observed. A reunion episode featuring Kath, Kim, and their put-upon neighbor Sharon (Magda Szubanski) would definitely be welcome – or, as Kath and Kim would put it, "noice, different, unusual."
Frasier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC8GAsaXOio
It's been more than 15 years since Frasier wrapped its 264-episode run, but Kelsey Grammer revealed earlier this year that he's "in talks" for a Will & Grace-style revival series. "The first principle is that it is a different story, basically," he told James Corden on The Late Late Show. "Same group of characters, but in a different setting. Something has changed in their lives." Does this mean Frasier Crane might not be a radio psychiatrist any more? Sadly John Mahoney, who played Frasier's father Martin, passed away last year, but new episodes would certainly be intriguing if David-Hyde Pierce (Niles), Jane Leeves (Daphne), and Peri Gilpin (Roz) are all involved.
Absolutely Fabulous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAfmM06pVUw
When Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie came out in 2016, writer-creator-star Jennifer Saunders said it was the last hurrah for fun-loving, champagne-glugging Edina Monsoon (Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley). Thankfully, she's since had a rethink, saying last year: "I am thinking at the moment of writing a little something. It has to be age-appropriate otherwise we’d have to be in wheelchairs basically. I think Julia [Sawalha, who plays daughter Saffy] is old enough to be my mother now!" The show's fourth main cast member, scene-stealing Dame June Whitfield, passed away last year, so Ab Fab might need a slight recalibration to create the same comic sparks without her.
Which classic sitcom would you like to come back next?