My Name Is Earl could be revived 17 years after being axed

My Name Is Earl, created by Greg Garcia, starred Jason Lee as unlucky criminal Earl Hickey.

It ran for four seasons from September 2005 to May 2009 before being abruptly axed.

However, now it could be revived after nearly two decades, according to reports.

My Name Is Earl could be revived 17 years after being axed

“It’s not clear if this would be a continuation of the original story or a total reboot, but essentially they will be tapping into the spirit of the show’s first outing for this comeback,” a TV insider told The Sun.

Earl was a petty thief who, after winning a $100,000 lottery ticket and immediately losing it, decides to turn his life around by making amends for his past misdeeds.

The show followed his comedic attempts to right his wrongs after being hit by a car.

My Name Is Earl became an instant hit when it debuted and premiered in the UK on Channel 4 in January 2006.

The insider hinted that the revival could be inspired by the recent comeback of another early 2000s sitcom.

They said: “The move comes after the revival of Malcolm In The Middle, another classic from the Noughties, which returned earlier this year on Disney with the spin-off Life’s Still Unfair.

“That saw the show’s leading man, Frankie Munz, reprise his central role, much to the delight of fans.

“Now execs are assessing just how successful that show has been before going ahead with any similar projects.”

During its original run, My Name Is Earl was praised for its humour and heart, earning five Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations for Golden Globes and BAFTAs.

The main cast also included Ethan Suplee, Jaime Pressly, Nadine Velazquez, and Eddie Steeples.

Since its cancellation, the show has remained popular on streaming platforms, including Disney+ and ITVX.

Other classic TV shows revived for new series

The potential return of My Name is Earl is one of many TV shows that have been revived for new series in recent months and years.

British crime drama television series Bergerac originally aired on BBC One from 1981 until 1991.

However, it was rebooted last year, with a second series commissioned in April 2025 and a third series officially announced in recent weeks.

Children’s classic Balamory was also brought back this year after more than two decades.

Originally airing over four series from 2002 to 2005, it centres on a fictional small island community off the west coast of Scotland and deals with its residents and their issues.

In September 2024, the BBC announced that the show would be revived for a two-series run of twenty episodes, which premiered on CBeebies earlier this year.

In May 2026, the BBC announced that Balamory had been commissioned for two more series, which would take it up to eight in total.

In other reboot news, Channel 5 has confirmed the cast of its reboot of the classic series Monarch of the Glen.

The show originally aired from 2000 to 2005 and followed the comedic and dramatic happenings of a Highland estate in Scotland.

Production company Ecosse Films is behind the revived version, which will see Julia Brown, known for her role in Karen Pirie, take the lead as Isla Campbell.

Isla is a London lawyer who returns to the Highlands for her estranged father’s funeral and discovers she has inherited a million-pound debt.

Ms Brown said: “I’m so excited to be stepping into the world of Monarch of the Glen and bringing Isla Campbell to life.

“Isla is ambitious, sharp and fiercely independent, but returning home to Scotland forces her to confront her past, her family and a future she never expected.”

Alongside Ms Brown, Chris Fulton (Bridgerton) will play her brother Alasdair, and Ewan Miller (High Value Target) will appear as Ewan, the estate’s gamekeeper and a close family friend.

Other notable cast members include Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey) as Morag, Rishi Nair (The Marlow Murder Club) as businessman Daniel, John Gordon Sinclair (Gregory’s Girl) as family lawyer Fergus, and Gordon Kennedy (The Diplomat) as Angus, the stockman.

The original series, also produced by Ecosse Films, was based loosely on the Highland Novels by Sir Compton Mackenzie and aired on BBC One for seven series, spanning 64 episodes.

The first five series focused on Archie MacDonald, a young restaurateur trying to revive his family’s Highland estate.

In the later series, the plot shifted to Paul Bowman, the new laird, and his attempts to modernise the estate.

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The reboot will offer a fresh, female-led perspective on the beloved story, with production currently taking place in Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

It will be broadcast on 5 and Masterpiece PBS and is expected to air in 2027.

What TV show from your younger years would you like to see revived? Let us know in the comments.