The future at FOX is starting to look a whole lot like the past. The X-Files is set to begin production this month, yesterday brought word that the network is developing a new Jack Bauer-less 24 revival, and today TVLine reports that a limited-series Prison Break reboot is also in the works. The original series starred Wentworth Miller as a brilliant engineer who gets himself deliberately locked up in order to break his innocent brother (Dominic Purcell) out of death row.
Miller and Purcell reunited this year on CW's The Flash as the villainous duo Heatwave and Captain Cold, and the actors have spoken at length about the fun they had in doing so. So much fun, in fact, that they are carrying those characters over to the spin-off series DC's Legends of Tomorrow. CW shows still hold to the 23-episode format, and as a result they demand a lot of time and effort from their stars, which raises some interesting questions about scheduling and when exactly the pair would find time to shoot another series. However, unlike The Flash and Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow is an ensemble series so there's a reasonable possibility.
The report states that the revival series is still in development at the network, so nothing is certain at this time. It is worth noting, however, that when 20th Century Fox TV chiefs Gary Newman and Dana Walden spoke at the TCA press tour earlier this year, they addressed the possibility of three revival series: The X-Files, 24, and Prison Break, with Newman saying,“We would bring Prison Break back in a heartbeat.” The X-Files is definitely happening, and now with word of 24 and Prison Break coming forward, it seems likely that FOX is aiming to move forward with all three.
This will come as no surprise to anyone keeping an eye on the television landscape, as the Hollywood movie trend of reboots and adaptations has crossed over to the TV world, and revival series are the order of the day. Shows like Bates Motel, Hannibal, Fargo and Fox's own 24: Live Another Day led the charge, and now networks are following suit en masse with Twin Peaks at Showtime, Coach at NBC, Rush Hour and Limitless at CBS, Fuller House at Netflix and Minority Report at FOX. On TV, everything old really is new again.
What do you guys think? Do you want to see more Prison Break? Would you rather see networks developing original content? Sound off in the comments.
