What’s the difference between a reboot, a revival and a spin-off? Here’s how to tell them apart — and what new old shows are returning to TV.

If turning on your TV feels like déjà vu these days, you’re not wrong. Whether it’s the Matlock reboot, The Karate Kid spin-off Cobra Kai or the Dexter: Original Sin reboot, the current lineup of shows could be mistaken for not only the ’80s but also the ’90s or even ’00s in small-screen viewing.

The upcoming year and beyond is no different as a variety of revivals, reboots and spin-offs hit TV screens — or at least make plans to. But what are the differences between all three?

Television shows that are returning to the lineup, sometimes years later, with many if not all cast members are considered revivals. With reality shows, the premise is the same while the hosts might be different.

“The idea of a revival is nothing particularly new,” Walt Hickey, author of You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything, told Yahoo Entertainment. “You tend to be able to tap into a larger, preexisting audience rather than having to find a whole new one, right? This is the advantage.”

Shows that are returning with the same title but have an independent storyline, usually without the same characters, are considered reboots.

As for spin-off series, these are typically centered on characters who appeared on the original show or are connected somehow to those characters. They can also involve new characters set in a new location.

“I think that you’re seeing it now because the level of risk aversion within the industry is just so high,” Hickey added. “You know, executives don’t lose their jobs when they fail to make a hit. Executives lose their jobs when they make a bomb.”

Here’s a look at once-beloved properties that are returning with familiar faces, shows that are offshoots of popular series and series that have a new cast and storyline altogether.

Revivals

Malcolm in the Middle (Disney+)

Frankie Muniz is back as the Wilkersons’ titular genius middle child, this time celebrating the 40th anniversary of his parents, Hal and Lois, played by Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek. While the original series, about the chaotic Wilkerson family from creator Linwood Boomer, aired from 2000–2006 on Fox, the revival will return for just four episodes and feature a new character — Malcolm’s daughter.

Muniz, Cranston and Kaczmarek took to Instagram to share their excitement.

When will we see it? Neither a premiere date for the series nor additional casting has been announced.

One Tree Hill (Netflix)

Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton Morgan, who starred in the hit WB series One Tree Hill from 2003–2012, aim to “reclaim our turf” with a revival of the show that will revisit the characters and stories of the fictional North Carolina town “through a female lens.”

While development is still in the early stages, Bush (who played Brooke Davis) and Burton Morgan (who played Peyton Sawyer) are also executive producing the project for Netflix with former co-star Danneel Ackles, which will look at what the characters’ lives are like now.

When will we see it? Neither a premiere date for the series nor additional casting has been announced.

Scrubs (ABC)

It looks as if the doctors are headed back to the hospital. While development is reportedly still in the early stages, executive producer Bill Lawrence is said to be attached, with conversations starting with original stars, including Zach Braff. The original series ran from 2001–2010, first on NBC before it moved to ABC in its last two seasons.

Lawrence told TVLine that the motivation to return to Scrubs was to find out what happened to J.D. (Braff) and if his dreams “all really did come true.”

He added that despite the revelation in Season 9 that the hospital had been torn down, “[w]hat I think we will really be focusing on is a place where some of our core regulars still work as physicians. And who are the new interns or residents at that hospital?”

When will we see it? Neither a premiere date for the series nor casting has been announced.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

A favorite reality show has gotten its own renovation and will be returning to ABC on Jan. 2. The original series, which ran from 2004–2012 and was hosted by Ty Pennington, saw many homeowners who were facing struggles cry happy tears after their upgrades. While those heartfelt moments will be returning, new hosts Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin from the Home Edit will be taking over hosting duties.

When will we see it? The new series premieres Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Hollywood Squares (CBS)

Tic Tac Toe has never been so starry — at least since Hollywood Squares originally aired on NBC from 1966–1980 and its subsequent syndicated revivals aired in the ’80s and again from 1998–2004.

On the new iteration, arriving on Jan. 9, CBS Mornings co-anchor Nate Burleson will host, with Drew Barrymore serving as the center square space and other stars, including Tyra Banks, Julie Bowen, Jimmy O. Yang and RuPaul, joining the squares.

When will we see it? The new series premieres Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

King of the Hill (Hulu)

Hank Hill and the gang are headed back to the small screen (and the fence) after its original run on Fox from 1997–2010. Co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels began teasing a potential revival of the animated Texas crew in 2017, and many of the original voice actors will be returning. Judge will reprise his role as Hank, while Kathy Najimy will be back as his wife, Peggy. Stephen Root, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick and Lauren Tom will be back as well.

When will we see it? A premiere date has not been announced.

The Joe Schmo Show (TBS)

The improv, fake reality show is returning with an unwitting star contestant known as Ben, “an electrician from Baltimore” who thinks he’s competing for a chance to win $100,000. However, his competitors are actually improv comedians who are literally in on the joke. The show, which originally premiered in 2003 on Spike TV, will now be hosted by Cat Deeley.

When will we see it? The new series premieres Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. ET on TBS.

Reboots

Friday Night Lights (Peacock)

Inspired by H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger’s 1990 nonfiction book Friday Night Lights, which was then adapted as a film and later a TV show starring Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, the latest take on high school football in a small-town Texas will reportedly tell a new story.

Series creator Peter Berg will join showrunner Jason Katims and executive producer Brian Grazer for a series described as “a ragtag high school football team and their damaged, interim coach [who] make an unlikely bid for a Texas high school state championship, becoming a beacon of light for their town.”

When will we see it? Neither a premiere date for the series nor casting has been announced.

The Office reboot (Peacock)

To be clear, this as-yet-untitled series will not be another version of the Steve Carell or Ricky Gervais show that ran first on BBC 2 from 2001–2003 and then on NBC from 2005–2013. Production has officially started on the new mockumentary series, according to the Wrap, which is “set in the universe of Dunder Mifflin [and] introduces a new cast of characters in a fresh setting ripe for comedic storytelling: a daily newspaper.” Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina) and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) are set to star.

When will we see it? A premiere date for the series has not been announced.

Spin-Offs

Suits: L.A. (NBC)

After the original legal drama Suits found new life on Netflix and Peacock and became 2023’s most-streamed show, spin-off series Suits: L.A. officially got the green light in February from NBC.

In the new series, Stephen Amell (Arrow) stars as Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York who is reinventing his life in Los Angeles. NBC has not confirmed if original Suits cast members will appear in the spin-off, but Gabriel Macht posted an eyebrow-raising Instagram video that referenced his Suits character, Harvey Specter, with the caption, “When an old friend is in need…it’s time to take care of things and make those very ‘things’ right.”

When will we see it? The series is set to premiere Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

Yellowstone spin-off (Paramount Network)

The Dutton family has barely handed over their vast amounts of land, and a spin-off series featuring beloved characters Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and her husband Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) is reportedly in the works. While Paramount hasn’t given an official word on the project, Variety reports that the saga will continue.

When will we see it? Neither a premiere date for the series nor additional casting has been announced.

The Madison (Paramount Network)

While separate from the Yellowstone spin-off featuring Beth and Rip, The Madison is “a heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana,” according to the show’s logline. It will star Michelle Pfeiffer as a New Yorker who heads to Montana after the death of her husband. Matthew Fox (Lost), Patrick J. Adams (Suits) and Kevin Zegers (Transamerica) are among the show’s other stars.

When will we see it? The series is expected to air in 2025.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood (Starz)

While the original Outlander, based on the books by Diana Gabaldon and starring Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, will be signing off after Season 8, the prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood will be reportedly premiering on Starz in 2025.

The prequel will explore both Claire (Balfe) and Jamie’s (Heughan) parents’ love stories in different timelines and locations, much like the original series. Hermione Corfield, Jeremy Irvine, Jamie Roy and Harriet Slater are among the new series’ stars.

When will we see it? The series is reportedly expected to air in 2025.

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