Made From TV Movies
Movies were here first. That’s for sure. Movies burst onto the scene in the mid 1890s, and we had to wait about a half a century for television to burst onto the scene.
This timeline has not prevented the elder entity from poaching their younger sibling (of sorts) in search of box office hits over the years. Believe it or not, the practice began in the late 40s/early 50s with movies based on the television shows “Captain Video and His Video Rangers,” and “The Lone Ranger” while TV was still in its infancy. It has continued to this day with mixed, and sometimes dubious, results.
Today we’re going to look at the Best and Worst Made From TV Movies. For the first time in Cinema Wellman history, this list will not be a Top 10/Bottom 5 list. The reason being that there were not enough quality films to fill out a Top 10. The Bottom 5, on the other hand, had plenty of worthy candidates. I easily could have done a Bottom 10.
In order to be eligible for inclusion on this list, the movie needed to be based on a TV show I watched. It seems like a simple requirement, but it resulted in a couple of movies being omitted from this list that you may have expected to see here. In those cases, I either never watched the show, or missed the movie. Or both.
Here are some “Made From TV Movies” that I won’t be talking about today: The Beverly Hillbillies, Baywatch, The Honeymooners, The Dukes of Hazzard, The A-Team, Fantasy Island, The Flintstones, Bewitched, 21 Jump Street, Chips, Twin Peaks, S.W.A.T. or The Addams Family.
This is, admittedly, a difficult list to put together. To make the Top 10, I had to like both the show and the movie on which it was based. The Bottom 5 also includes shows that I liked. Unfortunately, I was let down by their film adaptations.
I have decided not to include any TV shows that spawned major movie franchises such as Star Trek or Mission: Impossible. There are simply too many movies in those series that are way too much alike to be differentiated to my satisfaction. If you insist on their inclusion, put them at number eight and nine. You pick the order. I didn’t want them there in the first place.
There will also be no movies on this list based on sketches from “Saturday Night Live.” That will be an entire Top 10/Bottom 5 blog in the future. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your opinions of SNL, there are plenty to choose from. That may be another piece for which I won’t be able to muster up a Top 10. Time will tell.
We will begin as we always do…with the Bottom 5
#5 - The Munsters (2022)
Based on the television show of the same name that ran three seasons (1964-1966) with a total of 70 episodes.
Not too much depth on this one since it made the Bottom 5 in November’s Top 10/Bottom 5 blog (S1:E21 of the podcast). No need to pile on. Suffice to say that the movie was pretty much the same as watching one of the more boring episodes of the show.
One of the reasons why beloved shows rarely make it on the screen is the fact that it’s very difficult to replace beloved actors and actresses in the movie. Hard to see anyone else as Herman Munster other than Fred Gwynne. Same for someone other than Al Lewis portraying Grandpa Munster. Hard to replace them. Or Yvonne DeCarlo for that matter.
#4 - Dark Shadows (2012)
Based on the television show of the same name that ran six seasons (1966-1971) with a total of a whopping 1,225 episodes!
First of all, the show “Dark Shadows” was absolutely bananas! It was a daily soap opera that just happened to be ultra-gothic with vampires, ghosts, and even a werewolf! Haunted mansions, the whole bit.
I remember watching it after school. It was very popular with teenagers at the time. When my mom saw it, her first response was, “This is just like a soap opera!” Yep. Pretty much the same as “General Hospital,” or “Days of Our Lives.” And just as believable.
What made the show great was exactly what the movie was missing. Turning it into a comedy was a mistake in my mind. Changing the genre from the show to the movie can work, but those winners are few and far between. This could have worked as a soapy melodrama with a touch of camp, but we don’t get that. We get Johnny Depp instead. And he unfortunately has Tim Burton with him.
#3 - Lost in Space (1998)
Based on the television show of the same name that ran three seasons (1965-1968) with a total of 83 episodes.
I am a huge fan of the series. It’s one of the shows that I own every episode on DVD. I never saw these episodes first run (like several shows on this list), but I watched them all once it hit syndication.
The first season is in black and white (a la “Gilligan’s Island”), but the two color seasons are superior for the brightness of the colors used in everything from the monsters to the Robinson families’ space uniforms.
There was the family dynamic part of the story, the love story, and, of course, everything that was Dr. Zachary Smith. In my mind, one of the greatest characters in television history. We love you Jonathan Harris!
Lost in Space was quite campy at times. It wasn’t all serious all the time, not by a long shot. One of the most famous monsters was a giant carrot! The Robinsons went all over the galaxy interacting with all sorts of aliens along the way. Much cooler than that Swiss Family Robinson it was based on.
The movie? Well, the movie took all the fun out of it. All of the fun. This movie is played totally straight and serious. It’s like they had never seen the show. I was so excited to see that Gary Oldman was playing Dr. Smith, but not even Oldman could take the place of Jonathan Harris.
I was so disappointed after seeing this. I hate getting my hopes up for a movie and then being let down in such an intergalactic way.
#2 - The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)
Based on the animated television show The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle and Friends that ran five seasons (1959-1964) with a total of 163 episodes.
This one hurt. This one hurt a lot. I watched this show religiously as a kid (without really understanding it), and revisited it in college (totally understanding it at that point). I loved everything about it, especially the political satire (once I understood it).
I was not happy when I heard they were going to make a movie. I was even less happy when I read that they were going to “Roger Rabbit” it and do half animation and half live-action. That rarely works, if you ask me.
They did assemble a good cast (Robert De Niro, Renee Russo, Jason Alexander), but that’s about all they did. The story was insipid, the satire was long gone, and it just made for a total waste of 92 minutes.
Both De Niro and Alexander stated in interviews that they only did this movie for the money. That kind of half-assed commitment makes for shitty movies. This is a prime example of that.
#1 - Wild Wild West (1999)
Based on the television show The Wild, Wild West that ran four seasons (1965-1969) with a total of 104 episodes.
My sister Vanessa and I totally loved The Wild, Wild West! The show chronicling the adventures of James West (Robert Conrad) and Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin) as James Bond-ish spies during the Civil War for General Grant was unique, well-written, and great fun!
The villains were excellent, especially the great Michael Dunn as Dr. Migeuelito Loveless in a recurring role. West and Gordon lived on a train that was tricked out with all sorts of gadgetry which made for a great home base for the duo as they traveled the country getting into and out of jams. Some of the episodes and themes got pretty dark. Very cool for the time.
Fast forward 30 years after the show went off the air when a crime was committed that not even James West could solve; they made a terrible movie based on this great show. Not only is this the worst movie made from a television show, it’s really one of the worst movies of all time. If I asked someone what the absolute worst movie they had ever seen was and their answer was Wild Wild West. I would not argue for a second, and I’d buy them a drink.
Starring pre-slap Will Smith as West and the usually likable Kevin Kline as Gordon, this version relies too much on special effects and gadgets and ignores the chemistry between the two characters. Probably because Smith and Kline had no chemistry.
Adding to this mess is Kenneth Branagh as the son of Dr. Loveless in a performance that’s an embarrassment to his entire career. The humongous mechanical spider he builds at the end is some of the worst CGI you will ever see in a movie. Ever!
This movie still makes me mad when I think about it.
Now that we’re done with the dreck, let’s move on to seven movies that were “Made From TV” that actually got it right.
#7 - The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022)
Based on the animated television show Bob’s Burgers that is currently in its 13th season (2011-present) with a total of 256 episodes to date.
This is unique to this list because Bob’s Burgers is still on the air. It took seemingly forever for my daughter Hannah to convince me to watch. I wasn’t crazy about the style of animation, but the clincher was when she informed me that Bob was voiced by the same actor (H. Jon Benjamin) who voices Sterling Archer on Archer. When I heard that, I was in.
I’m so glad Hannah got me into the show because I absolutely love it! Everyone is so out there, but the message is very wholesome from episode to episode. This bizarro family is filled with love and support.
What makes this movie work is that it’s kind of like a 102 minute episode. They kept everything that makes the TV show special. They didn’t alter major characters, they didn’t change the genre, they didn’t have Tina swear. They kept it simple, and simple totally worked.
#6 - The Fugitive (1993)
Based on the television show of the same name that ran four seasons (1963-1967) with a total of 120 episodes.
Unique to this list because I haven’t seen every episode of the show. I’ve seen many of the 120 episodes, but not nearly all of them. The reason being that it wasn’t shown all that often in syndication when I was growing up. It was a quality show starring the talented David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, the man wrongfully accused of killing his wife.
Dr. Kimble was constantly on the run being pursued by Lt. Phillip Gerard. It was a very popular adventure/thriller series, and the finale was the highest rated episode in the history of television before the “Who Shot J.R.” episode of “Dallas” in 1978.
The film version, directed by Andrew Davis, is a taut, fast-paced action drama starring Harrison Ford as Dr. Kimble, and Tommy Lee Jones as Samuel Gerard in a performance that won him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. It was nominated for a total of seven Oscars, and features some spectacular pre-CGI stunts. The most spectacular stunt involves a train hitting Kimble’s prison bus as it sits on the track, and derailing. Real bus. Real train. Real derailment. The way movies did it back in the day.
You can actually visit the wreckage! It’s in Dillsboro, North Carolina. I’m putting that on a list somewhere.
#5 - Get Smart (2008)
Based on the television show of the same name that ran five seasons (1965-1970) with a total of 139 episodes.
I mentioned earlier that one of the reasons movies based on TV shows fail miserably is because they can’t capture the magic of the original actors and actresses that created these iconic characters on the small screen. In some cases, the characters are just too iconic. In most cases it just doesn’t work.
Get Smart is one of the exceptions. Don Adams and Barbara Feldon were PERFECT as Agent Maxwell Smart and his partner (and later wife) 99. Adams was exceptional as the intelligent but bumbling Smart while Feldon played 99 with both humor and understanding. Adams and Feldon are forever linked with these roles.
The filmmakers cast Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway as Max and 99, and they are a delightful pair with some pretty good chemistry as far as comedies go. This movie is fun, and I don’t think you need to have seen the show to enjoy it, although both are worth a look.
And they brought in The Rock, and I’m a sucker for anything The Rock is in. Well…almost anything.
#4 - Starsky and Hutch (2004)
Based on the television show of the same name that ran four seasons (1975-1979) with a total of 92 episodes.
I was totally blindsided by this movie. I watched it as a lark one day and was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it. This is one of those rare times (I’ve read 21 Jump Street pulled it off, but I never saw the show) when a genre switch actually works.
The show was pure 70s cop drama. Complete with the requisite 70s cop show “main character gets hooked on smack” episode. The movie is pure comedy with Ben Stiller as Paul Michael Glaser’s Starsky opposite Owen Wilson as David Soul’s Hutch.
Vince Vaughn is the bad guy, the underused and under appreciated Juliette Lewis is the moll, Fred “The Hammer '' Williamson is the abusive Captain Doby, and Snoop Dog is Huggy Bear. Snoop as Huggy Bear is the reason I watched this in the first place.
Glaser and Soul show up when the new Starsky and Hutch sell the iconic 1976 Red & White Ford Gran Torino at the end. One of the complaints about these “Made From TV Movies” is how they use original actors in the film versions. In this case, it was a home run. They’re even dressed alike!
#3 - Masters of the Universe (1987)
Based on the animated television show He-Man and the Masters of the Universe that ran two seasons (1983-1985) with a total of 130 episodes.
So, full disclosure here. The main reason this show/movie combo made the list is cannabis. While at BU, my roommate Robert and I watched the show all the time. It seemed like it was on a loop at our apartment. My friend Larry once bought me an inflatable Battle-Cat for my birthday. Robert had a glow in the dark Skeletor mask. We were in deep.
The show is definitely self aware, but it’s also unintentionally funny at times. Our favorite part of the show was when Prince Adam would break the fourth wall at the end of every episode and talk to us about a lesson learned. That, and Rob asking if I thought Adam could see us.
Some say the movie Masters of the Universe is one of the worst movies ever made. It’s certainly not Casablanca, but I think it’s great fun. Dolph Lundgren is He-Man, Frank Langella is Skeletor. Langella said he thoroughly enjoyed making the movie and he made it because his young son was a Skeletor fan. Lundgren claimed it was his “lowest point as an actor.” And he made those three “Expendables” movies!
Twenty-three year old pre-”Friends” Courtney Cox is the damsel in distress; Billy Barty plays some kind of creature whose superpower is, I guess, annoying the shit out of everyone; and this film was a major reason for the end of Cannon Films. It helped end an entire studio.
And yet, I love it. In this instance, I’m pretty sure it’s the cannabis…
#2 - The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
Based on the television show The Brady Bunch that ran five seasons (1969-1974) with a total of 117 episodes.
Talk about it being hard to replace icons. Try casting Mike & Carol Brady! The kids in the The Brady Bunch Movie are pretty good, but Gary Cole and Shelley Long were amazing. They didn’t try to replace Robert Reed and Florence Henderson because nobody could. Instead, they paid homage to the characters created by Reed and Henderson by incorporating bits and pieces of the originals, and it was delightful.
The key to this movie was placing the 70s Bradys in the 90s. They didn’t actually change the genre, but they changed the concept. So we not only get a re-imagining of the Brady family, we get to see them as a fish out of water with all their groovy 70s ways twenty years later.
#1 - Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Based on the television show The Twilight Zone that ran five seasons (1959-1964) with a total of 156 episodes.
I happen to be one of those people who thinks The Twilight Zone belongs in the discussion of the best show in television history, so no surprise to see this movie at the top of this list.
There are so many unforgettable TZ episodes, and the brilliant Rod Serling gave us so much to think about and marvel at as we visited “the zone” and the odd occurrences within.
I regularly showed episodes of The Twilight Zone to my classes over the years. Sometimes to enhance a lesson we were working on, and other times just for fun. It gave me great pleasure to see 8th graders reacting to the twist endings as much as I did when I first saw them when I was their age. Classic, classic television.
The movie consisted of four segments, three of which were episode remakes. The fourth was a partial reworking of an episode. These segments were directed by Joe Dante, John Landis, George Miller, and Steven Spielberg. That is quite a quartet of top notch directors there. No surprise this movie works on so many levels.
Personally I think they should do a “Twilight Zone” movie every year. Pick four different directors, let them choose the episodes, and let ‘em loose! Do this until all 156 episodes have been reimagined by today’s greatest directors. I nominate Guillermo del Toro, Sarah Polley, Ruben Ostlund, and Isaac Ezban for the next one. Get on that, whoever is in charge of such things!
Well, that’s a wrap from Cinema Wellman and the best and worst “Made From TV Movies.” What did we leave out? Did we miss one of your favorites? Drop us an email at cinemawellman@gmail.com or shoot us a message via Instagram or Twitter (hopefully you’re already following us!).
Join us next week for the Top 10 and Bottom 5 movies screened at Cinema Wellman during the month of March.
Until then, take care.
