Sequels, adaptations, remakes, revivals, etc

[Albertosaurus Rex]

So I've been thinking about the phenomenon of milking stories for all their worth that's going on these days... and probably has been forever. This was prompted by Avatar: The Last Airbender. After a few years of silence since the series ended, this year saw the release of a comic book continuation (The Promise) and a sequel series (The Legend of Korra). While I liked them both, I do have to say that they don't come close to the original series for me. One of the things I liked about ATLA was that it wasn't dragged out forever, but ended on a high note after three seasons. Yet now, it appears we're in full-on franchise mode. With the avatar as a reincarnating character, they can potentially make sequels forever.

Similarly, there's Star Trek. While I liked the 2009 film by J. J. Abrams and am looking forward to the next film, part of me is wondering whether the franchise shouldn't be put to rest. I mean, after three seasons in the sixties, we first got a handful of films, followed by four television series. From 1987 to 2004 (when Enterprise ended), Star Trek has been on television continuously. Sometimes things should just end.

I guess I understand why corporations do this. As long as people are willing to pay to watch or read this stuff, it's good business to actually provide more of the stuff. But sometimes sequels or remakes are announced that make go why, why, why? Like the Watchmen prequel, which I haven't actually read yet. One of the strengths of Watchmen was that it hinted at a wider universe and history, and leaving this to the imagination is better, or so I thnk, than filling it all in.

Of course, it's not all bad. It took My Little Pony almost thirty years to come up with something actually watcheable. (Season 3 of Friendship is Magic is coming up 10 november! Yay!)

So those are my thoughts so far. What do you guys think?