You may know Mayim Bialik as a big TV star from The Big Bang Theory and as a guest host on Jeopardy!, but her breakthrough came from playing the title character on Blossom. The ‘90s network TV show lasted multiple seasons, but was canceled in 1995. Following years of attempts to launch a Blossom reboot, Bialik got real about how those efforts being doomed, and that “Disney got this wrong” in choosing to pass on the revival project.
Mayim Bialik may have had a successful TV career after Blossom’s Season 5 ending, but it doesn’t mean the beloved ‘90s sitcom has left her heart. The show's star wrote on Substack about how Blossom's creator, Don Reo, came up with a script that would bring the iconic characters into today’s day, which Bialik found “beautiful.” Back in 2023, the American neuroscientist was hoping to take cues from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot of a darker, deeper take on the sitcom. The two told their idea to former execs at Disney, which owns the rights, and they “seemed” to love it.
However, the forward momentum came to a sudden halt after job titles changed and new execs were put in charge of series development. Bialik revealed those new execs were far less welcoming to the new idea, shooting it down the plans before anything could happen with them. In her words:
For no particular reason, we were told ‘no.’ We asked for the rights so that we could let the market decide if audiences might want to see these characters all these years later. We were told Disney reserves the rights in case they ever want to do a reboot of Blossom. The reboot we all wanted to do was now, with Don’s script. We will likely never know … why they would not let us bring these beautiful stories to people who love 90s nostalgia and who have a special place in their hearts for Blossom.
I can understand the Emmy nominee’s disappointment in not receiving an extensive and logical response from Disney on why a Blossom reboot wouldn’t work for them. Especially when one minute, a network is sold on an idea, only for new executives to provide a different answer later.
After Bialik and Don Reo’s Blossom idea was shut down by Disney, the talented actress expressed sadness over what the television industry has become:
I hope there will be more to this story someday. But for now, the Gd’s honest truth is this project is the role I want to play more than any other. Since this all fell apart, my desire to continue to pursue on-camera roles has waned. The constant changing of guards in our industry, the mergers, the insincerity and the increasingly extended periods of time it takes to get answers or contracts completed… It’s not the industry Don and I grew up in, and Blossom felt like my last attempt to try and assert myself as an actress.
With all of the talent that Mayim Bialik has as an actress, it would be a real shame for her to stop pursuing on-camera projects. She does make a great point, however, in saying the industry continues to change compared to her time as a child star. The Young Sheldon actress previously spoke about how thankful she was that the Blossom set wasn’t a toxic environment, and how it was a “simpler” time without social media. Even though the industry is evolving, I’m still hoping Bialik can find a platform to bring her ideas to fruition.
Because shows like Saved By the Bell, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Punky Brewster were still talked about and streamed decades later, their nostalgia and fanbase made them a cinch for reboots that would capture longtime viewers and a new generation. But, it’s possible Disney didn’t see Blossom having the same impact for a new revival, as reruns haven’t been airing on TV and have been unavailable as part of your streaming schedule.
However, the California native continued to hold her stance about Disney being “wrong” that a revival series of the five-season run sitcom isn’t needed:
While it is possible no one wants a Blossom reboot, I’m pretty certain Disney got this one wrong. The sun is gonna surely shine. Maybe not the way Don and I intended, but this door closed. While we didn’t want it to, we are powerless over every aspect of it except what we know to be true: we loved this possibility with all that we have and we are so so sorry we couldn’t get it to happen.
I truly feel for Mayim Bialik that a Blossom revival didn’t happen like she hoped. It sounds like there was a lot of passion and dedication behind the project. But at the end of the day, ideas coming to life will ultimately fall into the hands of the network that owns the rights.
A Blossom reboot may never see the light of day, but that doesn’t diminish the impact the series had on Mayim Bialik or longtime fans who loved the show. Maybe one of these days, we’ll find out the fates of Blossom, Joey, Tony, Six, and more. Until then, its legacy will continue through the fond memories that each episode brought to fans of the ‘90s.
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