ScifiPulse has a reoccurring feature called “Re-Launch, Reboot, or Re-Imagine” in which we discuss different ways a show could be brought back and how to do so. I want to do something different this time. This time I want to discuss why NBCUniversal should bring Grimm.

Grimm originally ran on NBC from October 28, 2011 to March 31, 2017, and was comprised of six seasons and 123 episodes. The show centered on Detective Nick Burkhardt (played by David Giuntoli) who learns that from his aunt that he is a Grimm, a hunter who has the abilities needed to fight and defeat supernatural creatures. Largely inspired by mixing the Grimms’ Fairy Tales with the common cop procedural format, Grimm followed Nick as he learned about creatures (called Wesen in the show) and how Grimms have historically interacted with the supernatural. However, as a detective with a deep sense of justice, Nick stood apart from other Grimms by working with law-abiding Wesen and only punishing Wesen that killed people.

With Nick joined by a fantastic cast of characters Grimm put a unique twist on classic monsters, explored concepts of legacy, discrimination, inter-cultural relationships, how one generation moves away from bigotry, and a myriad of other topics. In other words, Grimm managed to tell stories that were both fun and deep.

After six seasons and 123 episodes Grimm came to an end. But with 2021 being the ten-year anniversary since Grimm first aired and 2022 being the five-year anniversary since it ended, enough time has passed to revisit this property. Moreover, with NBCUniversal launching its own streaming service called Peacock, there is need for NBCUniversal to generate new content.

If you’d like to participate in this discussion, feel free to comment below or tweet using the hashtag #BringBackGrimm.

With all that said, here is why I think it is time for NBCUniversal to bring back Grimm.

Loyal and Consistent Fan Base aka Solid Ratings

When networks and studios discuss brining back a show one of the first things they do is determine if a property had a substantial fanbase. Grimm not only had a large fan base from the beginning, it largely maintained this audience for six seasons.

Season Episodes Originally aired Rank Average viewership

(in millions) First aired Last aired 1 22 October 28, 2011 May 18, 2012 89 6.36 2 22 August 13, 2012 May 21, 2013 60 7.06 3 22 October 25, 2013 May 16, 2014 52 7.97 4 22 October 24, 2014 May 15, 2015 65 6.98 5 22 October 30, 2015 May 20, 2016 76 5.97 6 13 January 6, 2017 March 31, 2017 70 6.07

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimm_(TV_series)#Episodes

Yeah…I know Wikipedia isn’t the best source…but…the numbers are accurate and none of you should act like you’re above using Wikipedia.

Grimm’s ratings are evidence that the show is an established brand to millions of viewers. Given that one of the main reasons reboots are so popular is that it is easier to remind people of a successful show than it is to convince them to give a now show a chance, Grimm’s viewership data shows that there are a lot of people who remember and enjoyed this who.

No Drama Llamas aka Non-Toxic Fanbase

Shows that have passionate and large fanbases have recently been cites of internal conflicts, harassment, and other problematic behaviors. This widespread behavior has led to the phrase “toxic fanbase” becoming far too common.

However, Grimm fans are fairly non-toxic. Of all the Wesen to exist in Grimm, it is a franchise free of drama llamas. This means that NBCUniversal can invest in bringing back Grimm and not have to worry about members of the fanbase trying to hurt a new project.

Communities would want to be part of it

A fun component of Grimm was that it was not only set in Portland, Oregon, but it was also filmed in that city. Currently, dozens of shows are filmed in Vancouver, Toronto, and Atlanta while they are set in other cities. Though there is nothing wrong with this common practice, it does lead to a visual monotony. Grimm being set in Portland gave the series a visual landscape and geography unique to itself.

Moreover, the community of Portland loved having Grimm produced there. As Kristi Turnquist wrote in The Oregonian, “saying goodbye to “Grimm” isn’t just a sentimental farewell to a TV favorite. For Portland viewers, it’s the end of a show that made a significant impact on the city, from showcasing Oregon scenery to bringing jobs and money into the local economy.”

This is an experience that cities all over the country would love to have. It is understandable why studios and networks are attracted to areas with tax incentives. However, being able to highlight a different city can give a show an authenticity that outweighs tax incentives in the long run.

Limitless Storytelling Options

And a continuation would work with new and old characters

With David Giuntoli (the actor who played Nick Burkhardt) currently busy with A Million Little Things and various other projects, there is no guarantee that David would be free return to Grimm. This is an obstacle for bringing back much of the cast; for example, Bitsie Tulloch (who placed Juliette Silverton and Eve) is busy doing an amazing job playing Lois Lane for CW’s DC shows.

While Grimm focused on Nick Burkhardt and his friends, he wasn’t the only Grimm to ever exist. In addition to there being other Grimms alive during the show’s main narrative, such as Theresa “Trubel” Rubel (played by Jacqueline Toboni), the show frequently mentioned Grimms who lived in the past.

This means that a new Grimm series could follow Trubel or even an entirely new Grimm. There is nearly limitless potential in the idea of a random person learning that monsters to exist and that they aren’t all evil. Additionally, with so many Grimms mentioned who lived in the past, it is possible to create an anthology series of Grimms throughout time. Battles between Grimms and Wesen could be depicted during wars and revolutions, and real-world mysteries can be woven into the fabric of Grimm. So, while it would be great to get the original gang back together, it wouldn’t be an absolute necessity.

(Of note is that there were rumors of a Grimm spin-off being developed in October 2018. This proposed spin-off was written by Melissa Glenn – who has written for Leverage, Hawaii Five-0, Revolution, Falling Skies, Beauty and the Beast, Zoo, and Marvel’s Iron Fist. Glenn would have executive produced the show along with Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills Production. Sadly, there has been no public development on this project.)

Smart Business

Two current general trends in entertainment industry practices are vertical integration and intellectual properties that work across multiple forms of media. This is great for Grimm because it is a show that NBCUniversal could develop for various platforms. In addition to bringing back Grimm to have unique content on Peacock, Grimm could easily work in comic books, novels, and video games. Additionally, as someone who lives Universal Orlando, I think Grimm would make a perfect addition to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Further, Grimm lends itself to really cool merchandise. Even years after the show ended, there is some really cool Grimm merchandise sold online at the NBC Store. And a continuation of Grimm would only be motivation for NBC to make more Grimm merchandise as well inspire fans to buy it.

I was and remain a huge fan of Grimm. While I doubt words will ever be read by someone at Comcast/NBCUniversal, I hope other fans see this and know that they aren’t alone in hoping that Grimm is one day brought back.

Remember, if you’d like to participate in this discussion, feel free to comment below or tweet using the hashtag #BringBackGrimm.

And remember to follow me on twitter @NicholasYanes, and to follow Scifipulse on twitter at @SciFiPulse and on facebook.