TV Shows That Were Brought Back

Today marks the return of Fox's drama '24.' Well, it's sort of a return. The show will be back for only twelve episodes, instead of the normal 24 that were in each season. Premiering in 2001, the series ran for eight seasons and also had a TV movie called '24: Redemption' that aired in 2008. After '24' went off the air in 2010, Fox planned a feature length movie based on the show. When the film got canned, loyal fans assumed that that was the end of Jack Bauer. But Fox did decide to reboot the popular show. '24: Live Another Day' premieres at 8 PM EST. Let's take a look at other shows that were cancelled and then brought back to life.

'Arrested Development'

Cancelled in 2006

Returned in 2013

'Arrested Development' is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Like many fans of the series, I discovered it later on DVD and did not watch it when it originally aired on Fox. 'Arrested Development' is one of those series that you need to watch every episode in order, starting from the pilot. There are a lot of inside jokes from episode to episode. The show premiered in 2003, years before young audiences caught up on programs online using Hulu or Netflix streaming. Critics loved 'Arrested Development,' but the hilarious series suffered low ratings. The network cancelled it after three seasons, upsetting loyal fans. However, the show developed a cult following after it went off the air, and cast members expressed interest in reviving their roles. Netflix brought the show back for a fourth season, delighting fans globally. On May 26, 2013, Netflix released fifteen new episodes on its streaming platform.

'Family Guy'
Cancelled in 2001
Returned in 2005

'Family Guy' is currently in its 12th season, so it's hard to believe that the show was cancelled after its third season. However, the show did well in reruns on cable, and DVD sales for the first three seasons were high, so Fox brought the show back to its network. The show's creator, Seth MacFarlane, has found tremendous success with this animated comedy. In addition to doing voice work for the show and executive producing every episode, he has also directed the hit movie 'Ted,' and currently co-produces the television program 'Cosmos.'

'Futurama'

Cancelled in 2003

Returned in 2010

'Futurama' was another animated comedy that aired on Fox. The show had an erratic first season, switching from a Sunday time slot to a Tuesday one. Time slots were also moved around during season two and season four of the program. Fox eventually stopped buying new episodes, but Comedy Central picked up new ones. New 'Futurama' episodes ran for three years on this cable channel.