The never-endingnostalgia train continues to lurch forward, this time with Nickelodeon looking to revive their hit show Clarissa Explains It All, and former star Melissa Joan Hart and original series creator Mitchell Kriegman are both attached.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the project is currently in early discussions, with no official comment since the crucial deals with Hart and Kriegman have yet to be finalized. The series would be a continuation of the classic '90s classic show, with Hart reprising her role as Clarissa Darling, who would be the mother of the family at the heart of the show this time around. Kriegman would sign on to write and executive produce, and Hart would also join as executive producer with her production company, Hartbreak Films.
The original Clarissa was on Nickelodeon for five seasons from 1991 to 1994 and centered around a teenage girl navigating all the usual suspects: school, boys, and family. The bonus was that she spoke directly to the camera and the audience (think of it as a precursor to The Lizzie McGuire Show) and had some killer early '90s computer tech elements. Co-stars included Jason Zimbler, Sean O'Neal, Elizabeth Hess, and Joe O'Connor. It was Nickelodeon’s first show with a female lead, and has been credited with opening the door for more series with women at the center.
After Clarissa, Hart went on to star in another iconic show: Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. That show is going to be given a Riverdale-style makeover and rebooted by Netflix as a dark coming-of-age story that names both Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist as inspirations.
Hart is not involved in that one, but she has expressed interest in the past for revisiting her role Clarissa rather than Sabrina. "I like the way we left Sabrina. I think Sabrina ended on a really great note, and I don't think you want to go back and explore that. At the same time, I think Clarissa ended on a note that could be explored again, because it didn't really have an ending—it sort of ended," she told The Hollywood Reporter in February.
Nickelodeon recently announced they are also reviving their classic children's show Blue's Clues.
