Reboot is a remake of an old show, Step Right Up, that is set in the modern era. The show follows father-daughter duo Hannah and Gordon (Paul Reiser and Rachel Bloom), who attempt to remake Gordon’s early 2000s sitcom Step Right Up. They get the entirety of the original cast on board, including old flames Reed (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bree (Judy Greer). However, due to their complicated past as much as their generational differences, Hannah and Gordon struggle to make a show that can successfully blend their own unique styles. ..
" Reboot is a satire of these kinds of series. Scenes of the Step Right Up writers’ room offer tongue-in-cheek portrayals of what goes on behind the scenes in the makings of these shows: the clashing of generational voices."
Reboot falls into the pit traps it seems to be critiquing. ..
Hannah pitches a spin-off of Step Right Up, which stipulates that the characters won’t do the right thing anymore. That vision is compromised when Gordon steps in to assert that comedy (at least, his brand of it) is more important than any measure of reality. The two have to put their heads together to find middle-ground. Their writers’ room combines Hannah’s hires (a young, diverse group of writers) with Gordon’s (old friends with his same sense of humor).
Slowly, Reboot reveals through this mess of a writers’ room its forceful “bothsidesism.” While it pokes fun at both generations of writers’ inherent faults and blind spots, its ultimate goal is a perfect unity of young and old; of humor and realism. The problem? It doesn’t hit either of these notes.
The show Reboot offers a clean-cut and cliché resolution boxed in by tired slapstick comedy. It’s aggressive “bothsidesism”–without actually caring about one side (deeper meaning) and not adequately delivering on the other (comedy).
Reboot is a sitcom that panders to the masses by trying to be self-aware. However, this is not what it should be about. It should be about delivering a message that is true to itself, but also entertaining for its audience. However, Reboot does not seem to be able to do this. Instead, it panders to the masses and falls short in terms of its satire.
