In what is being called a “flood of 90s show reboots”, could ‘The Drew Carey Show’ get the lucky draw?
Perhaps most readers today might not be familiar with the legendary 90s sitcom ‘The Drew Carey Show’ that ran on ABC for nearly a decade, from September 1995 to September 2004, but it was one of the most popular shows of its time. During its reign on the silver screen, the cast lead Drew Carey, (who plays himself in the sitcom show), rose to become a household name in the entire United States. The show was created under a collaborative effort by Drew Carey and Bruce Helford.
Highlights —
- Who was Drew Carey and why did he get famous?
- What was ‘The Drew Carey Show’ about?
- Why did the show end?
- Will it come back to television like all the other 90s shows?
In his own words, ‘The Drew Carey Show’ is about the fictionalized life of Drew Carey had he not found success as a standup comedian and had lived a regular life without any fame. The show revolves around this fictionalized life of Drew Carey and his group of friends, Oswald, Lewis, and Kate (who becomes his girlfriend later on in the show). There has been some talk if the show might be rebooted for a newer generation of viewers. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got here!
Who was Drew Carey and why did he get famous?
Drew Carey is a man of many talents. Starting his life as a soldier in the U.S. Marine Corps., he gained popularity for his standup talent and later went to host a game show and create the subject of this article, ‘The Drew Carey Show‘. After his stint as a marine, he was advised by a friend to write standup scripts and participate in open mic events which he did. Accumulating one accolade after the other owing to his performances, he finally made it big when he was featured on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson‘ where he impressed everyone including Johnny Carson.
He went on to create an award-winning comedy special before work began on ‘The Drew Carey Show’. Besides the sitcom, he is most known for hosting the classic American show ‘The Price Is Right’, being the only host to host it for more than a decade, other than Bob Barker.
What was ‘The Drew Carey Show’ about?
‘The Drew Carey Show’ revolves around the lives and adventures of Drew Carey’s functional version and his friends as they go through life. In the show, Drew is not a successful standup comedian like his real-life self but a creative imagination of what his life might have been like had he not achieved fame as a standup comic. Much of the show takes place in the office of the departmental store where Drew works along with his co-workers. In addition to that, he and his friends also run a small business selling caffeinated beers which becomes a local specialty.
Why did the show end?
In ratings, things went downhill for ‘The Drew Carey Show’ from its 6th season. It ranked outside of the top 30 for the first time after its first season and things did not get any better for the show as people slowly lost interest. Things got even worse during the seventh season when the show experienced another big dip in ratings (as did all other ABC shows at the time). The networks decided against letting the show carry on and it was finished off with its ninth season in 2004.
Will it come back to television like all the other 90s shows?
Old television shows, especially the ones from the 90s, are currently being rebooted left, right, and centre. This could be an attempt by major networks to capitalise on the higher viewership rates these days, brought on by the Covid-19 lockdowns. It could also be to snatch the lost share of the market from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. The list of such shows includes big names such as ‘Dune’, ‘Clueless’, ‘Gossip Girl‘, ‘Bewitched’, ‘Conan The Barbarian’ and many more.
Will ‘The Drew Carey Show’ join this retinue of movies and shows up for a reboot in the near future? We sure do hope so! Head over to the comments section below to let us know what you think!
