The 'Heathers' Reboot With Air On TV In A Unique Way

Whether you love or hate the idea of remakes on TV and in movies, there's no escaping them. And sometimes, it works. It’s unclear what the Heathers remake will mean for the ‘80s classic, but fans will be wondering how to watch the Heathers reboot on TV. The nine-episode series will air on Paramount Network on Oct. 25-29 in a five day marathon. If you have the channel, which was formerly Spike TV, then you’ll be able to watch each episode as it airs.

You’ll also be able to stream the episodes on the Paramount Network website if that’s more your thing. Some of the episodes are listed on Amazon right now too, but they’re not yet available. Once Heathers premieres on Paramount Network, you might be able to pay to download the episodes on Amazon at that time.

The premise of the short first season isn't unlike that of the original movie it’s based on. In the 1988 film version, an average teenage girl decides to stick with a popular clique to survive high school, only to come to hate all of them, who are each named Heather of course. So she teams up with an outcast and plots their deaths. Judging by the trailer, the Heathers reboot is a modern version of the same story spread out into nine episodes. It could either pay homage to the original and bring in an onslaught of new young fans or it could be a disaster, as reboots sometimes go.

Paramount Network president of development and production Keith Cox told The Hollywood Reporter that the Heathers pilot was originally filmed in 2016 for a potential March 2018 release date. After the tragic Parkland, Florida shooting, however, the date was pushed to July out of respect for the victims. Then came the Santa Fe, Texas school shooting, which caused the network to put the breaks on the reboot yet again. Because of the serious nature of high school violence that pretty much makes up Heathers, the network eventually decided to put a kibosh on the series altogether.

"We had multiple meetings, and in the end, we didn't feel comfortable right now airing the series and I'm not sure when there might be a time that we as a youthful brand at Viacom would feel comfortable," Cox told The Hollywood Reporter. "That said, we are very diligently trying to sell this because we believe in the show."

At the time, he said that Paramount was in the midst of making potential deals with other networks and streaming platforms to air the already filmed first season. But in the end, it looks like Paramount Network is going to air it after all. Only it’s been chiseled down to nine episodes instead of the originally planned 10.

Heathers showrunner Jason Micallef told Deadline that he is "beyond excited that American audiences will finally get to see Heathers." He added that despite taking out many elements of Episode 10 because of its graphic and controversial nature, "what matters most is fans will now get to see the satire we all love so much."

It’s unclear if there will be a Season 2 of the Heathers reboot, especially since the first of nine episodes have yet to air and kick off the five day long marathon. Depending on the audience reception, Heathers could find itself in a permanent home on Paramount Network. But for now, it’s probably best to go in with an open mind, hope for the best, and try not to compare it to the original movie too much. Because — and I say this with the utmost respect for the reboot — but no one will ever outdo a teenage Christian Slater and Winona Ryder duo.