Reboot is a dirty word. Much like an Etch-a-Sketch, a reboot is a chance to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, and start something anew. Sometimes it seems like a good idea to freshen things up by taking a creative concept and then radically changing some parts to make it seem better. Other times it’s a sign that the creators screwed up.
Of course, the term reboot came from the computer industry. Where booting refers to loading a computer’s start-up programs into memory, rebooting means to do that very same thing again. Normally a computer needs to be rebooted when the data stored in memory and on disk becomes scrambled, corrupted, or otherwise incorrect. In other words, you reboot a computer when it gets messed up.
Similarly, sometimes comic books and TV shows will “reboot” a creative concept when it’s clear that it has grown muddy, confusing, or otherwise unpopular. Here are some examples:
DC Comics is now infamous for rebooting key characters, comic books, and even their entire universe. The most famous reboot occurred in 1986, when they simplified their entire line of comics to revolve around a single universe and a single planet Earth, when at one point there was a seeming infinite number of alternate universes with versions of their most famous heroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, etc.) While this was done ostensibly to “simplify” their creative landscape and give their characters a fresh start, the real purpose was to stimulate sales with this renewal.
Some of these reboots have been extremely annoying to longtime comic book fans. In the case of the Legion of Super-Heroes, the cast and characters have been radically reinvented at least twice. While these changes were intended to attract new readers, it seems likely that DC Comics lost fans as older versions of this super-hero team were left by the wayside while new fans were likely confused by stories of previous Legions.
The NBC TV series Heroes appears to be undergoing a reboot of sorts. As the name implies, this TV series is about people who have super owers. The first two and a half seasons became very convoluted through the introduction of many new characters, added into an already large cast that lacked a true “star”, while using one of the most dangerous of science fiction and fantasy devices, time travel. This made it increasingly difficult to know what was real, what wasn’t real, and who the characters really were.
Now, the second half of Heroes Season Three has removed a number of characters, eliminated the time travel, and has otherwise simplified an increasingly complex series. The TV show now feels like it has returned to its roots, with many characters back into situations that they had faced in the first season. However, a lot of interesting possibilities and developments were cast to the winds by these changes and returning to an old status quo is as good as admitting defeat.
When you leave the world of content and fiction, rebooting isn’t all that uncommon when you look at the world of products. Sometimes reboots are successful, such as the VW Beetle, changes and improvements to the Apple product lines, laundry detergent, IBM, etc. Fast Company changed from a print magazine with an online presence to a completely online publication – we’re all watching to see if they can make a long term go of that format. Other times, you get the New Coke experience, which most surely did not go as the company management would have expected. In fact, when you look at creative reboots as changes to products, you can understand why these things happen. After all, in the mass media content is ultimately underwritten, produced, and distributed as products by companies.
Here’s the thing, though: is it better to reboot or to start from scratch? Are there situations when it makes sense to return to a core concept and tweak it OR are there times when it’s best to dump something and begin anew? Are there any key symptoms or indicators which are signs that a concept can be saved?
What do you think? Have you seen reboots done well or do they always suck?
Is Battlestar Galactica a reboot?
When did Fast Co. go all online? I'm still getting paper copies in the mail…and they still keep trying to get me to subscribe for more.?!?!
In the case of Sirius/XM, I HOPE they don't dump and start from scratch…..and I know that is something that definitely can be saved, it just needs a SERIOUS makeover.
Some things ARE so far gone, however, that they do need to be dumped and just restarted, fresh. Like AIG or the investment firms that took shloads of 'bailout' cash just to put on lush company getaways…..or to redecorate their offices with $5000 trash cans. Yeah, those do need to go away. A whole new mindset needs to be introduced if they want to keep bringing in new lifeblood. The old money won't last forever.
Great food for thought. Thanks
In a sense, yes.
I didn't realize there was still a paper version of Fast Company – my bad.
I'm going to use my main blog as an example. The direction Learning SEO Basics was going into was not the direction I intended to go as a person, much less as an SEO seeking to teach newcomers search visibility in the blogosphere.
Certainly a complete overhaul is needed for some, whether for personal reasons or a dollar. Other times, tweeking existing platforms is an acceptable and beneficial form of rebooting. It all depends on our incentives, goals and level of patience.
Rebooting takes a great deal of thought concerning these, to follow through successfully. Who is our target audience? Do we have innovative ideas that will attract and sustain this audience? Are we prepared for setbacks? Do we have an alternative plan?
It boils down to what it is we have to offer a craving audience and making ourselves visible with that offering.
Fair points, Kim.
Well, on the flip side, you can be like the writers of Lost and other shows where they don't plan things out properly so, when a hole is discovered, they just throw up some smoke and mirrors, hoping no one asks questions. The same goes for the new Star Wars trilogy which, while I enjoyed it a bit, felt like a completely different series that has nothing to do with much of anything.
I'd say reboots are not inherently bad. Sometimes you follow something through and realize that you missed a few aspects in the design and planning process. Other times you just want to appeal to a brand-new audience that may not get the previous themes and allusions. In the latter case, a brand-new thing is preferred, rather than corrupting something that may have a special place in a loyalist's heart.
I wouldn't doubt that most reboots are done for pure profitability or to scrub a project that has become convoluted, perhaps. In the comic book world, there are plenty of reboots but I certainly prefer the alternate universe and “what if” approach there. That allows for much more fun with crossovers and such.
Interesting point about writers who try to cover up holes in their stories. It's maddening to see those things, yet at the same time, it's awfully, awfully hard to think of everything and adjust to thousands of constantly changing variables.
Very true. As a writer, I can appreciate that but I reckon most folks are just lazy. A good fictional writer should run his characters through all sorts of tests, doing mock interviews, dialogues, and character matrices, at the very least. Storyboarding and creating outlines is key. You want to have at least a general idea of the overall scheme of things and flow of events. Then draw the connections and major underlying themes. If you map things out in this manner, it's a bit easier to catch inconsistencies and holes, I find, especially on an epic scale.