You're Standing on My Reboot

Daria and her combat boots were a big part of my youth. Her deadpan cynicism and piercing intelligence remain aspirational – and I still have a thing for combat boots, too. I own the complete box set and am still cranky they wouldn’t get the rights to the real music. But I digress. When I heard late last month that they were planning on rebooting the “Daria” series, I was a) excited, and b) worried. Excited because Daria Morgendorffer ranks among Liz Lemon, Leslie Knope, Buffy Summers, Wonder Woman and Princess Leia as my favorite fictional female characters of all time. Worried because our current reboot fever has a spotty record at best.

I’m encouraged that the new Daria series comes from TV writer Grace Edwards, whose past credits include “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Inside Amy Shumer,” two shows I’ve enjoyed greatly. The new series will be called “Daria and Jodie,” and focus on Daria’s friendship with Jodie Landon, who in the original series was a stand-out student who often chaffed against having to be the model minority at the school (along with her football star boyfriend Mack). I haven’t seen any mention of Jane Lane, but dammit all she’d better be there, too. Daria without Jane is no Daria at all. Oh, and definitely make Jane gay in the new series. Definitely.