A successful TV series is something to be treasured, remembered, and, often, revived. Although reunions took place as early as the 1960s, gathering together the casts of past series became increasingly popular in the 1980s, as producers sought to capitalize on a wave of TV nostalgia. Sometimes these reunions tested the waters for series revivals (Make Room for Granddaddy and The New Leave It to Beaver were launched this way), but more often they were one-time affairs. A unique case is Perry Mason; its 1985 reunion movie led to a continuing series of made-for-TV movies, with two or three new ones produced each year thereafter. The last of the twenty-six starring Raymond Burr aired on November 29, 1993, a couple of months after his death.
Following is a list of network TV series whose casts were reunited in a TV movie or special long after the series had left the air. Following the name of the original series is the title of the reunion episode and the date on which it aired. To qualify for this list the reunion must have occurred at least two years after the original series ended (eliminating quick follow-ups such as those for Emergency, Little House on the Prairie, The Love Boat , and The Waltons); it must have been produced for TV (not for the theater, as was the Peter Gunn film Gunn and the Get Smart film The Nude Bomb); and it must have featured a majority of the original series' cast (no The New Gidget or Bonanza: The Next Generation allowed) in character, in a new story. Not included are retrospective “clip shows,” in which the original actors (or others) simply appeared to talk about the original series. Additionally, only series with a continuing story line and cast are included; revivals of variety or anthology programs such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Candid Camera, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, That's Incredible , and This Is Your Life have been excluded.
The Addams Family —“Halloween with the Addams Family” (10/30/77)
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet —“Ozzie's Girls” (9/10/72)
Alf —“Project Alf” (2/17/96)
Alien Nation —“Alien Nation: Dark Horizon” (10/25/94)
Alien Nation —“Alien Nation: Body and Soul” (10/10/95)
Alien Nation —“Alien Nation: Millennium” (1/2/96)
Alien Nation —“The Enemy Within” (11/12/96)
The Andy Griffith Show —“Return to Mayberry” (4/13/86)
Babylon 5 —“Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers” (1/19/02)
Baywatch —“Baywatch Hawaiian Wedding” (2/28/03)
Ben Casey —“The Return of Ben Casey” (2/13/88)
The Beverly Hillbillies —“The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies” (10/6/81)
The Beverly Hillbillies —“The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies (5/24/93)
The Bionic Woman —“The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman” (5/17/87)
The Bionic Woman —“Bionic Showdown” (4/30/89)
The Bionic Woman —” Bionic Ever After “(11/29/94)
The Bob Newhart Show —“The Bob Newhart Show 20th Anniversary Special” (11/23/91)
The Brady Bunch —“A Very Brady Christmas” (12/12/88)
The Brady Bunch —“The Brady Bunch in the White House” (11/29/02)
Cagney & Lacey —“Cagney & Lacey: The Reunion” (11/6/94)
Cagney & Lacey —“Cagney & Lacey: Together Again” (4/30/95)
Cagney & Lacey —“Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling” (10/25/95)
Cagney & Lacey —“Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions” (1/29/96)
Cannon —“The Return of Frank Cannon” (11/1/80)
CHiPS —“CHiPS 99” (10/27/98)
Christy —“Christy: The Movie” (11/19/00)
Christy —“Christy: Choices of the Heart” (5/13 & 14/01)
Columbo —“Columbo: Ashes to Ashes” (10/9/98)
Columbo —“Columbo: Murder with Too Many Notes” (3/12/01)
Columbo —“Columbo Likes the Nightlife” (1/30/03)
Dallas —“Dallas: J.R. Returns” (11/15/96)
Dallas —“Dallas: War of the Ewings” (4/24/98)
The Danny Thomas Show —“Make More Room For Daddy” (11/6/67)
The Danny Thomas Show —“Make Room For Granddaddy” (9/14/69)
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman —“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within” (5/12/01)
The Dukes of Hazzard —“The Dukes of Hazzard Reunion” (4/25/97)
The Dukes of Hazzard —“Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood” (5/19/00)
Dynasty —“Dynasty: The Reunion” (10/20 & 22/91)
Eight Is Enough-“Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion”(10/18/87)
Eight Is Enough-“An Eight Is Enough Wedding” (10/15/89)
The Facts of Life-“The Facts of Life Reunion” (11/18/01)
Father Knows Best-“The Father Knows Best Reunion” (5/15/77)
Father Knows Best-“Father Knows Best: Home For Christmas” (12/18/77)
Get Smart-“Get Smart, Again” (2/26/89)
Gilligan's Island-“Rescue From Gilligan's Island” (10/14 & 21/78)
Gilligan's Island-“The Castaways on Gilligan's Island” (5/3/79)
Gilligan's Island-“The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island” (5/15/81)
Gilligan's Island-“Surviving Gilligan's Island” (10/14/01)
Green Acres-“Return to Green Acres” (5/18/90)
Growing Pains-“The Growing Pains Movie” (11/5/00)
Growing Pains-“Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers” (10/16/04)
Gunsmoke-“Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge” (9/26/87)
Gunsmoke-“Gunsmoke: The Last Apache” (3/18/90)
Gunsmoke-“Gunsmoke III: To the Last Man” (1/10/92)
Gunsmoke-“Gunsmoke: The Long Ride” (5/8/93)
Gunsmoke-“Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice” (2/10/94)
Hart to Hart-“Hart to Hart Returns” (11/5/93) (Note: Subsequently, NBC aired several Hart to Hart movies as
part of its Friday Mystery Movie series in 1994 and The Family Channel aired three more during the
1995-1996 season.)
Homicide: Life on the Street-“Homicide: The Movie” (2/13/00)
The Honeymooners-“The Honeymooners Second Honeymoon” (2/2/76)
The Honeymooners-“The Honeymooners Christmas” (11/28/77)
The Honeymooners-“The Honeymooners Valentine Special” (2/13/78)
The Honeymooners-“The Honeymooners Christmas Special” (12/10/78)
Hunter-“The Return of Hunter” (5/2/95)
Hunter-“Hunter: Return to Justice” (11/16/02)
I Dream of Jeannie-“I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later” (10/20/85)
I Dream of Jeannie-“I Still Dream of Jeannie” (10/20/91)
I Spy-“I Spy Returns” (2/3/94)
The Incredible Hulk-“The Incredible Hulk Returns” (5/24/88)
The Incredible Hulk-“The Trial of the Incredible Hulk” (5/6/89)
The Incredible Hulk-“The Death of the Incredible Hulk” (2/18/90)
Ironside-“The Return of Ironside” (5/4/93)
Knight Rider-“Knight Rider 2000” (5/19/91)
Knots Landing-“Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac” (5/7 & 9/97)
Kojak-“Kojak: The Belarus File” (2/16/85)
Kojak-“Kojak: The Price of Justice” (2/21/87)
Kung Fu-“Kung Fu the Movie” (2/1/86)
L.A. Law-“L.A. Law: The Movie” (5/12/02)
Leave It to Beaver-“Still the Beaver” (3/19/83)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp-“Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone” (7/2/94)
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams-“The Capture of Grizzly Adams” (2/1/82)
MacGyver-“MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis” (5/14/94)
MacGyver-“MacGyver: Doomsday” (11/24/94)
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.-“The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The 15 Years Later Affair” (4/5/83)
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis-“Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis” (5/10/77)
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis-“Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis” (2/21/88)
Marcus Welby, M.D.-“The Return of Marcus Welby”(5/16/84)
Marcus Welby, M.D.-“Marcus Welby, M.D.-A Holiday Affair” (12/19/88)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show-“Mary and Rhoda” (2/7/00)
Maverick-“The New Maverick” (9/3/78)
McCloud-“The Return of Sam McCloud” (11/12/89)
The Mod Squad-“The Return of the Mod Squad” (5/18/79)
The Munsters-“The Munsters' Revenge” (2/27/81)
Murder, She Wrote-“Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die for” (5/18/00)
Murder, She Wrote-“Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man” (5/2/01)
Murder, She Wrote-“Murder, She Wrote: The Celtic Riddle” (5/9/03)
My Three Sons-“The Partridge Family-My Three Sons Reunion” (11/25/77)
The Odd Couple-“The Odd Couple” (9/24/93)
The Partridge Family-“The Partridge Family-My Three Sons Reunion” (11/25/77)
The Patty Duke Show-“The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights” (4/27/99)
Perry Mason-“Perry Mason Returns” (12/1/85)
Peyton Place-“Peyton Place: The Next Generation” (5/13/85)
The Rockford Files-“The Rockford Files: I Still Love L.A.” (11/27/94)
The Rockford Files-“The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise” (5/14/95)
The Rockford Files —“The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits” (1/14/96)
The Rockford Files —“The Rockford Files: Godfather Knows Best” (2/18/96)
The Rockford Files —“The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play” (4/25/96)
The Rockford Files —“The Rockford Files: Punishment and Crime” (9/18/96)
The Rockford Files —“The Rockford Files: Murder and Misdemeanors “(11/21/97)
The Rockford Files —“The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds, It Leads” (4/20/99)
Simon & Simon —“Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again” (2/23/95)
The Six Million Dollar Man —“The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman” (5/17/87)
The Six Million Dollar Man —“Bionic Showdown” (4/30/89)
The Six Million Dollar Man —“Bionic Ever After” (11/29/94)
Spenser: For Hire —“Spenser: Ceremony” (3/14/94) and sequels on Lifetime
The Streets of San Francisco —” Back to the Streets of San Francisco” (1/27/92)
Walker, Texas Ranger —“Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire” (10/16/05)
The Waltons —“A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion” (11/21/93)
The Waltons —“A Walton Wedding” (2/12/95)
The Waltons —“A Walton Easter” (3/30/97)
The Wild, Wild West —“The Wild, Wild West Revisited” (5/9/79)
The Wild, Wild West —“More Wild, Wild West” (10/7 & 8/80)
Wiseguy —“Wiseguy” (5/2/96)