Old-school reality fans, listen up. According to Entertainment Weekly, MTV is rebooting Parental Control, aka, the greatest show of the '00s. Airing from 2006-2010, the series allowed parents to match their children with dates they found more suitable than their current significant others. No, it wasn't exactly liberating for the teens, but it was amusing for the viewers. And hey, sometimes the kids actually preferred the date their parents chose for them.
In this new age of Tinder and a thousand other dating apps, it will be interesting to see how the world of modern dating will affect the show's format. Will parents hijack their teens' smart phones and go on a swipe right frenzy? Or will they convince their kids to try meeting someone the old-fashioned way — you know, in real life? Right now, details are scarce, but the show is in the casting phase. If you have a younger sibling you would like to see your parents embarrass on TV, now's your chance.
While only seven years have passed since the show went off the air, the ways in which teens communicate have drastically changed. While the original Parental Control was pure, undiluted cheesy goodness, the new version could stand to be a bit more socially aware. Hopefully, MTV will feature a diverse group of families, as well as teens who come from all kinds of dating backgrounds. Moving beyond simply replacing a bad boyfriend or girlfriend with someone the parents find more suitable, and having the show create a dialogue among families about modern dating habits, choosing not to date, and all of the subjects in between would go a long way toward modernizing the show.
Parental Control shouldn't stray too far from its original premise though. The best part about watching the show was enjoying its wonderfully ridiculous plot. To alter it too much would tarnish the reality masterpiece's legacy as TV's most addictive dating show. (Sorry, Bachelor fans, but I want my will-they-or-won't-they "love" stories to involve throwbacks to 18th century customs and seeing if teens will ignore their inner need to disagree with their parents in the name of a hot date.)
MTV is on a bit of a reboot spree at the moment. While you wait for the official Parental Control premiere date, go ahead and add My Super Sweet 16 to your nostalgia watch list because it's coming back too. Soon, MTV will be partying like its 2007 all the time, and it is going to feel so good.
