Peacock: All the NBC Reboots Coming to the New Streaming Service

We are closing in on the launch of NBCUniversal's new streaming service, Peacock, and there is a [...]

By Michael Hein

We are closing in on the launch of NBCUniversal's new streaming service, Peacock, and there is a lot to learn about the platform before it goes live. Peacock is one of the most highly-anticipated streaming services in this recent explosion of new contenders, as it comes with a big slate of old favorites, and even a few long-awaited reboots.

Peacock will launch on April 15, but only for customers using certain Comcast cable plans, according to a report by TV Guide. For the rest of the world, it will be available on July 15. In spite of this inconvenience, many people are counting the days until they can sign up.

This is because of the sheer number of fan-favorites that will soon be Peacock exclusives. The service will be home to shows that people love to re-watch, such as Friends — which recently left Netflix — or The Office — which will soon follow suit. However, Peacock isn't counting on these older shows to hold our attention.

Instead, Peacock will be the only place for fans to see the latest batch of nostalgic TV reboots, and it has some doozies in store for us. From cult classics to unforgettable sitcoms, the service has something for everyone.

"Peacock will provide consumers with a destination that goes beyond movies and television, aggregating a variety of content that fans want on one service," said Chairman of Peacock and NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises Matt Strauss in a public statement last week. "By delivering timely and topical content like live and breaking news coverage, kids content, live sports, and water cooler moments from late-night, Peacock is uniquely bringing a pulse to the world of streaming that does not exist in today's marketplace."

Peacock will be available for Xfinity X1 and Flex customers beginning on April 15, and for the rest of the world on July 15, 2020. Here is a look at what that will include.

Saved By the Bell

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(Photo: NBCUniversal)

Fans have waited years for a Saved By the Bell reboot, suffering through rumors, bad news and heartbreak. Finally, the series revival has been confirmed, complete with Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley back in character as A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano.

Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Mark-Paul Gosselaar will also be returning for the series as Zack Morris, along with his on-screen girlfriend Kelly, played by Tiffani-Amber Thiessen.

The show reportedly picks up with Zack as the governor of California. He finds himself under fire for closing down too many low-income high schools, and as repentance he sends the affected students to higher-performing school districts. This happens to include his old high school, Bayside.

Punky Brewster

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(Photo: NBC / Getty)

Peacock also has an untitled Punky Brewster sequel on the way, starring Soleil Moon Frye as the title character. According to a report by Deadline, the show picks up with Punky as a single mother of three who is "trying to get her life back on track when she meets a young girl who reminds her a lot of her younger self."

Battlestar Galactica

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(Photo: Carole Segal/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

An ambitious new take on Battlestar Galactica is coming to Peacock, produced by the creator of Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail. The show was ordered straight to series according to The Hollywood Reporter.

This new series will be a sequel to the 2004 Battlestar Galactica reboot on Syfy, taking its events as canon. It will not share continuity wit the 1978 original, though it will presumably pay deference to it.

Beyond that, there is no news on the casting, content or even the title of the upcoming Battlestar Galactica series.

Psych

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(Photo: USA Network)

Peacock is reaching deep into the vault to bring back Psych, the beloved procedural comedy that ran from 2006 to 2014. In 2017, the USA Network brought the show back for a two-hour made for TV movie called Psych: The Movie. Now, Peacock will do the same.

Peacock has confirmed that Psych 2: Lassie Come Home will be exclusive to the service, not even airing on its cable channel home. Both James Roday and Dule Hill are returning as Shawn and Gus respectively, and an official synopsis was published by TV Line in September.

"Santa Barbara Police Chief Carlton Lassiter is ambushed on the job and left for dead," it reads. "In a vintage Psych-style Hitchcockian nod, he begins to see impossible happenings around his recovery clinic. Shawn and Gus return to Lassie's side in Santa Barbara and are forced to navigate the personal, the professional, and possibly the supernatural."

"Separated from their new lives in San Francisco, our heroes find themselves unwelcome in their old stomping grounds as they secretly untangle a twisted case without the benefit of the police, their loved ones, or the quality sourdough bakeries of the Bay Area. What they uncover will change the course of their relationships forever."

A.P. Bio

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(Photo: Tyler Golden/NBC)

A.P. Bio may be the first show to be canceled by NBC only to be saved by its in-house streaming service. The show was axed after Season 2, but after much fan outcry it became one of the first shows Peacock picked up.

The show will reportedly keep stars Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt as it transitions to its new online form. Hopefully the rest of the cast sticks with it as well, as the show thrives on its brilliant cast.

MacGruber

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(Photo: George Napolitano / Contributor)

Finally, the unstoppable action hero MacGruber will get his long-awaited TV show on Peacock. What started as a Saturday Night Live sketch soon blossomed into a big budget action comedy starring Will Forte and directed by Jorma Taccone of the Lonely Island. Now, MacGruber will return home to the small screen.

"They're giving us creative liberties, so we can be as filthy as we want," Forte told Vulture back in November. "Throat rips will be all over this thing."

Forte also indicated that the main cast would probably return, though it had not yet been confirmed. This includes Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Maya Rudolph and others.

"It seems like the whole group will be back," he said.

MacGruber was a critical and financial flop at the time it came out, but a decade later many are coming forward to admit that the movie was ahead of its time.

New Titles, Old Faces

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(Photo: NBC)

Finally, there are several shows slated for Peacock that are not exactly reboots, but may still play to a nostalgic sensibility. These include a new girl group comedy from Tina Fey titled Girls5Eva, and a comedy from Amy Poehler called Division One.

TV legend Norman Lear is bringing a new show to Peacock titled Clean Slate, and Mindy Kaling has a new comedy called Expecting which is reportedly centered around pregnancy.

There is also at least one new series from The Good Place creator Mike Schur coming to Peacock. Titled Rutherford Falls, it is co-created by Sierra Teller Ornelas and Ed Helms, who also stars in the show. Finally, Jada Pinkett Smith will reportedly star in a pilot produced by Rashida Jones, titled Straight Talk.

There are many other new releases coming to Peacock, making it a streaming juggernaut before it has even launched. The service will be available to some Comcast customers on April 15, and to the rest of the world on July 15, 2020.

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