Reboot New Web Series Season 1 Honest Review

Reboot Season 1 Review 

Modern Family creator Stephen Levitan's new sitcom Reboot is about the generational divide, and what better framework to explore that theme for modern audiences than a remake of an old show? Gordon (Paul Reiser) and Hannah (Rachel Bloom) are a father-daughter duo trying to revive Gordon's early 2000s sitcom Step Right Up. 

 They manage to get the entire original cast on board, including old flames Reed (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bree (Judy Greer). But with their backgrounds as complicated as their generational differences, Hannah and Gordon struggle to create a show that can successfully combine their unique styles.

Reboot 

  The television industry is currently awash with remakes and sequels, as reboots are quickly gaining popularity. And these are just a few from the show itself. Reboot is built in a unique way as a satire of this type of series. Scenes from the Step Right Up writers' room offer images that speak to what goes on behind the scenes in the making of these shows: the clash of generational voices.

  However, rather than seeing this as clever exaggeration, the more I watched Reboot, the more I imagined the writers' room to look like it did on the show: angry and ridiculous. Levitan's show is almost criticized for falling into pitfalls.

  When Hannah introduces the spin-off of Step Right Up, she does so with the premise that the characters will no longer do the right thing. This vision is undermined when Gordon steps in to argue that comedy (at least his brand) is more important than any measure of reality. The two must put their heads together to find a middle ground. 

 Their writers' room brings together Hannah's mercenaries (a young, diverse group of writers) with Gordon's (old friends with the same sense of humor).

  Little by little, Reboot reveals its strong "ambivalence" through this turmoil in the writers' room. While he pokes fun at the inherent foibles and blind spots of both generations of writers, his ultimate goal is the perfect union of young and old; humor and realism. The problem? None of these records match. 

Ending 

 In the end, neither Reboot nor the show-within-a-show challenges the status quo. Offering simplistic and clichéd resolutions surrounded by tired slapstick comedy, Reboot's saccharine messages undermine its desire to be simultaneously challenging and insightful. It's an aggressive "both side" - without actually paying attention to one side (deeper meaning) and not adequately addressing the other side (comedy).

  I don't think Reboot is self-aware in its attempt at satire. If so, it sends a dubious message: this false and frigid middle ground to appease the masses must be as good as it gets for television that embraces all voices. Of course, there will always be mind-boggling, eye-popping silliness in the sitcom genre. But Reboot promises to deliver something more insightful - then fails to step up to the plate (right).