Many viewers were skeptical that the prequel series Dexter: Original Sin could live up to the legacy of the original, although its incredible success makes it impossible not to wonder what other shows would benefit from receiving the same treatment. It’s always a risky move to mess with a beloved property or franchise, and the worst prequels often ruin aspects of the original in hindsight by over-explaining or demystifying its appeal. While this may be the case, some all-time great TV characters have hinted at backstories that are so intriguing that a prequel just might work.
The best TV shows ever made all carved out unique worlds that viewers understandably want to return to time and again. While shows like Breaking Bad already received an all-time great prequel with the spin-off series Better Call Saul, this has not stopped audiences from debating the potential for yet another series expanding upon other characters’ stories. While a lot of these prequels will likely never be made, imagining how they would play out is a fascinating thought experiment.
10
Harvey Specter
Suits: Law School
While the law drama Suits started with the story of Mike Ross, a genius college dropout with a pH๏τographic memory who falsely claims to have a law degree, the real breakout character from the show was actually Harvey Specter. As an extremely charming and persuasive attorney, Harvey’s striking smile and undeniable confidence meant he was as equally popular with ladies as he was with clients. With a childhood that was marked by trauma, Harvey’s suave persona had a lot of complex backstory that would make ample content for a prequel TV show.
Even though Gabriel Macht is set to return as Harvey for the upcoming spin-off series Suits: L.A., it would be exciting to instead see Harvey’s early years discovering the truth about his cheating father and working in the mail room as he got his first taste of the world of law. This was also the point when Harvey first met Jessica Pearson, who paid his tuition to study at Harvard Law. A prequel тιтled Suits: Law School that focuses on this era of Harvey’s life could fill gaps about Pearson Hardman before Mike joined the firm.
9
Rupert Giles
Ripper: A Buffyverse Story
While Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel were extraordinary glimpses into the world of demons and vampires created by Joss Whedon, one character whose backstory is practically begging for a prequel is Rupert Giles. This character was expertly played by Anthony Stewart Head and acted as a guide and mentor to Buffy throughout the series. Giles’ role was as a Watcher to Buffy, and he represented a glimpse into the elusive organization known as the Watchers’ Council, which oversees potential slayers and maintains operations worldwide to fight against vampires and demons.
Giles came from a family that had been involved with the Watchers organization for generations, and just like Buffy, he was told at a young age that it was his destiny to fight back against supernatural forces. As a rebellious youth who dabbled in dark magic, Giles had the nickname Ripper, and at one point, a prequel series focusing on his character was actually in development. While the Ripper show never got off the ground, it remains an excellent idea and something that longtime viewers would love to see.
8
Dr. Gregory House
House: Med School
The last time a TV show was given the subтιтle Med School, things did not go well, as Scrubs’ retooled final season was considered a total disaster. However, this name has an opportunity to redeem itself with a show focused on Dr. Gregory House. As the cynical, albeit brilliant, Head of Diagnostic Medicine at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, Dr. House was always presented as having a medical mind far beyond the realms of the average doctor. While the original House show gave glimpses into why this curmudgeonly doctor was the way he was, a prequel could add insight to his character.
Despite Hugh Laurie’s exceptional performance being a daunting task to recast, a prequel focusing on House’s early days in the world of medicine could make for thrilling viewing. From getting expelled from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to meeting his love interest Lisa Cuddy while working in a bookstore, House’s early days have all the tenets of a thrilling medical drama. Adding to this, the circumstances behind House’s leg injury and drug addiction and a House prequel practically writes itself.
7
Gus Fring
The Rise of Gus: A Breaking Bad Story
The idea of a Breaking Bad prequel тιтled The Rise of Gus came directly from Gus Fring’s actor Giancarlo Esposito, who said that expanding upon the character’s origin stories interests him greatly. While Gus got plenty of screen time in both Breaking Bad and the prequel Better Call Saul, the real origins of his character are still shrouded in mystery. Although Fring claims to come from Chile, Hank Schrader was unable to find any references to his existence before he emigrated to Mexico during the 1980s.
This lack of clarity around where Gus came from only becomes more interesting considering the Chilean dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. During a flashback in Breaking Bad, Hector Salamanca even mockingly referred to Gus as “Big Generalissimo,” implying Gus played a significant role in the regime. As a ruthless villain who could slit a man’s throat with a box cutter and not even flinch, Fring’s time in Chile was likely filled with brutality and bloodshed, and a prequel series could shed light on one of the very few Breaking Bad mysteries audiences still debate.
6
Al Swearengen
The Gem Saloon: A ᴅᴇᴀᴅwood Insтιтution
The HBO Western series ᴅᴇᴀᴅwood was a fascinating study on how civilization slowly took over the last remnants of the American frontier and showcased how law and order turned a chaotic Wild West encampment into a functioning town. Central to this was Al Swearengen, the foul-mouthed proprietor of The Gem Saloon, who was powerfully portrayed by Ian McShane in a career-defining performance. As a TV show that was loosely based on real history, Swearengen was actually a real man, and a prequel series exploring his life before the first season of ᴅᴇᴀᴅwood would make for engrossing viewing.
The real Swearengen was a pimp who ran the notorious brothel, The Gem Theater, for 22 years (via Collider.) Historical records show that Swearengen had an entrepreneurial spirit before he arrived in ᴅᴇᴀᴅwood, as he ran a profitable dance hall in Custer, South Dakota. However, the gold rush saw Swearengen relocate to ᴅᴇᴀᴅwood, and he decided to exploit the incoming population by giving them a place to drink, gamble, and meet women of the night. These early days in ᴅᴇᴀᴅwood would have been even more lawless than what was seen in the show and would make for an interesting prequel.
5
Logan Roy
Roy: A Story of Succession
When audiences first met Logan Roy in Succession, the self-made billionaire already had a long and astounding career behind him, and his children were already preparing for who would take over Waystar RoyCo. This made for thrilling viewing as Succession unpacked complex family dynamics, unmet expectations, and the deeply troubled psychologies of its affluent characters. While the Roy children, Kendall, Roman, Shiv, and Connor, were fascinating studies into the consequences of those born into excessive wealth, the early days of Roy’s empire is an equally fascinating area to explore.
Logan not only had a difficult upbringing but was also born in abject poverty in Scotland, and a miniseries looking at how he went on his own story of succession to become a leading name in the media world would add to his characterization. From estrangement from his older brother Ewan to the guilt he carried for his sister Rose’s death from polio, there are layers to Logan’s life that only a prequel could fully explore. Logan’s rise to the top was one filled with betrayal and ruthlessness that made the backstabbing and underhanded tactics of descendants all the more appropriate.
4
Rust Cohle
Rust: A True Detective
The first season of HBO’s crime drama True Detective was one of the most urgent and exciting series the network has ever produced. Central to this was Matthew McConaughey’s performance as Rust Cohle, a homicide detective who, along with his partner Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson), went on a 17-year hunt across Louisiana for a serial killer. While Rust’s story was told through shifting timelines that saw younger and older versions of the character, True Detective gave glimpses into his difficult backstory as he worked to uncover and watched his own life fall apart.
As an anthology series, True Detective actually has the potential to return to Rust’s story in a future season, as McConaughey’s performance simply laid the breadcrumbs for viewers to understand the depth of his trauma. As a South Texas native raised by a survivalist father whose two-year-old daughter was hit by a car and killed, the dark circumstances behind the dissolution of Rust’s marriage and early years on the force have a lot of thematic depth. Rust was one of the most interesting characters in True Detective, and it would be fascinating to learn more about this troubled man.
3
Frank Reynolds
It’s Always Rainy in Nitwit School
While the gang at Paddy’s Pub in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia made for hilarious viewing in the first season, it wasn’t until Frank Reynolds showed up that the show came into its own. Frank is the legal father of Dennis and Dee Reynolds, who brought an extra layer of chaos to the gang’s outrageous antics as his seemingly unlimited funds allowed them to pursue whatever strange schemes or ill-thought business ventures they could come up with. While Frank is a great character, the brief glimpses viewers get into his earlier life signal even more carnage in his younger days.
A Frank prequel series set during the 1950s would truly be a sight to behold as the future businessman was insтιтutionalized in what he dubbed a “nitwit school” that left him traumatized to this day. In this school full of social outcasts, Frank was dubbed the “frog kid” and was mocked for having “donkey brains.” Always Sunny has played Frank’s difficult upbringing for laughs, and a prequel series could further explore the dark humor behind his strange and surreal childhood.
2
Mark Corrigan & Jeremy Usbourne
The El Dude Brothers
Peep Show was one of the funniest British comedies ever as the eternal flatmates Mark Corrigan and Jeremy Usbourne floundered through adulthood. With unique insight into the psychology of this pair of mismatched outcasts, Peep Show showcased the duo’s internal monologues through everything from Mark jilting the love of his life to Jeremy getting so deeply embroiled in a lie that he felt the need to eat a dog. While Mark and Jeremy seemed only to make each other’s lives worse, their history dating back to college meant they had a strange loyalty to one another.
A prequel that addresses Mark and Jeremy’s college years as they carved out a toxic friendship under the moniker “The El Dude Brothers” has the potential to be just as hilarious as the original show. Considering the American remake of Peep Show never got off the ground, the creators would have to be careful to get things right when recasting their iconic characters. Mark and Jeremy are all-time great comedy characters, and it would be great to see what led to their disastrous decision to move in together in Croydon.
1
Jake Peralta & Gina Linetti
Brooklyn Six-Teen
The hilarious police procedural sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine featured an astounding ensemble cast of NYPD employees solving crimes in the 99th Precinct. While most of these characters first encountered one another on the force, one compelling backstory that could work well as a standalone series was Jake Peralta and Gina Linetti, who had been friends since they were children. With a brother-sister type relationship, the longstanding friendship between the two actually mirrors the actors Andy Samberg and Chelsea Peretti’s real story, as the pair went to elementary school together.
As a beautiful representation of how youthful connections can turn into lifelong adult friendships, a prequel focusing on Jake and Gina’s teenage years would be a great way to carry this sitcom’s legacy forward. Audiences could see how Jake was always destined to join the force as he and Gina solved crimes and mysteries on a smaller scale together. With the opportunity for Captain Holt to even reappear as a young officer unknowingly caught up in their antics, this Brooklyn Nine-Nine prequel could feature plenty of surprise guest appearances, although the late Andre Braugher would sadly need to be recast.
Source: Collider
