View Full Version : Favorite sitcom inspired by a movie


vashti1999
03-07-2004, 12:02 AM
What is your all-time favorite sitcom based on/inspired by a movie? Sort of the opposite of today's movies based on tv shows: Starsky & Hutch, The Hulk, Charlie's Angels, etc. Focusing on when the movie came before the series, which series gets your pick as the best of the bunch?

Mr. Television
03-07-2004, 12:16 AM
Alice

Kristen
03-07-2004, 12:48 AM
Mash, without a doubt. It's actually better than the movie, IMO. I grew up with the TV show.

Lady T
03-07-2004, 12:49 AM
Toss between Alice and What's Happening!!

dandelion wine
03-07-2004, 01:04 AM
The Courtship of Eddie's Father

vashti1999
03-07-2004, 02:24 AM
I picked What's Happening, I love it and the movie (Cooley High)

Rhiannon
03-07-2004, 09:34 PM
None, because the shows never turn out to be good.

Brian Damage
03-07-2004, 09:36 PM
I'm torn between What's Happening and the Odd couple

Sal
03-08-2004, 12:57 PM
My vote goes to "The Odd Couple". Nothing else on the list is even close, although you might want to also consider one of these sitcoms:


MAMA (early 1950s): Based on the movie "I Remember Mama" starring Irene Dunne with Peggy Wood in the TV lead role and a teenage Dick Van Patten of "Eight Is Enough" (yes, he was young once, too!) as her son Nels. When he grew up, Van Patten named one of his own sons Nels as a tribute to the now rarely-seen but fondly remembered series.

TOPPER (early 1950s): About a man living with ghosts. Another show that is very rarely seen, although the movie does get shown from time to time.

PLEASE DON'T EAT THE DAISIES (mid-1960s): From the best-selling book by Jean Kerr which became a movie and then a short-lived TV series.

THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (mid-1960s): Another ghost story, starring Hope Lange, who later co-starred on "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" as Dick Van Dyke's wife.

NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS (1960s)/GOMER PYLE USMC (1965-70): The movie "No Time For Sergeants" starred Andy Griffith in the role that would catapult him to his own TV series and everlasting fame. He played a naive country bumpkin character who joins the army in a role similar to what would become Gomer Pyle. The rest you know. There was also a "No Time For Sergeants" TV series which didn't last very long.


You may not have seen or remember any of the above series but the next group should be a little more familiar:


THE BRADY BUNCH (1969-74): The story of a lovely lady who marries a man named Brady got its roots from a movie called "Yours, Mine, and Ours" which starred Lucille Ball as a widow with a bunch of kids who marries a widower played by Henry Fonda who also has a bunch of kids. The similarities are very obvious. (Imagine Lucy as Mrs. Brady! Weird, isn't it?)

GIDGET (1966-67): This one needs no introduction or explanation, except to say that the TV show was better than the movie.

HOGAN'S HEROES (1965-71): Based on the movie "Stalag 17" starring William Holden, about a German POW camp in World War II where no one has ever escaped from, possibly because there may be a spy among the prisoners. Sound familiar?


So now who will you vote for?

vashti1999
03-08-2004, 01:38 PM
Originally posted by Sal
you might want to also consider one of these sitcoms:

THE BRADY BUNCH (1969-74): The story of a lovely lady who marries a man named Brady got its roots from a movie called "Yours, Mine, and Ours" which starred Lucille Ball as a widow with a bunch of kids who marries a widower played by Henry Fonda who also has a bunch of kids. The similarities are very obvious. (Imagine Lucy as Mrs. Brady! Weird, isn't it?)

So now who will you vote for?

When putting the poll together, I went as far back as the 70's, simply because I wasn't sure about older titles. I can see The Brady Bunch considered being inspired by Yours, Mine and Ours. There may be similarities but they aren't nearly as closely related to each other (movie to series) like the other titles, so I didn't include it.

Brian
03-10-2004, 08:07 PM
Of the choices the only series I have seen are My Big Fat Greek Life (the first episode, anyway), M*A*S*H, and The Odd Couple. I liked The Odd Couple the best out of those choices. I've seen every episode and Tony Randall and Jack Klugman had great chemistry. I like M*A*S*H, too, but I wouldn't put it in my list of my most favorite TV shows of all time.

ClassicComedyFan2
03-10-2004, 10:21 PM
The Odd Couple is awesome.

Clueless isn't bad either.

From the ones mentioned by "Sal," I'm a big fan of Gidget, Hogan's Heroes, and Gomer Pyle USMC!

dandelion wine
03-11-2004, 11:39 PM
Originally posted by Sal
My vote goes to "The Odd Couple". Nothing else on the list is even close, although you might want to also consider one of these sitcoms:


MAMA (early 1950s): Based on the movie "I Remember Mama" starring Irene Dunne with Peggy Wood in the TV lead role and a teenage Dick Van Patten of "Eight Is Enough" (yes, he was young once, too!) as her son Nels. When he grew up, Van Patten named one of his own sons Nels as a tribute to the now rarely-seen but fondly remembered series.

TOPPER (early 1950s): About a man living with ghosts. Another show that is very rarely seen, although the movie does get shown from time to time.

PLEASE DON'T EAT THE DAISIES (mid-1960s): From the best-selling book by Jean Kerr which became a movie and then a short-lived TV series.

THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (mid-1960s): Another ghost story, starring Hope Lange, who later co-starred on "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" as Dick Van Dyke's wife.

NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS (1960s)/GOMER PYLE USMC (1965-70): The movie "No Time For Sergeants" starred Andy Griffith in the role that would catapult him to his own TV series and everlasting fame. He played a naive country bumpkin character who joins the army in a role similar to what would become Gomer Pyle. The rest you know. There was also a "No Time For Sergeants" TV series which didn't last very long.


You may not have seen or remember any of the above series but the next group should be a little more familiar:


THE BRADY BUNCH (1969-74): The story of a lovely lady who marries a man named Brady got its roots from a movie called "Yours, Mine, and Ours" which starred Lucille Ball as a widow with a bunch of kids who marries a widower played by Henry Fonda who also has a bunch of kids. The similarities are very obvious. (Imagine Lucy as Mrs. Brady! Weird, isn't it?)

GIDGET (1966-67): This one needs no introduction or explanation, except to say that the TV show was better than the movie.

HOGAN'S HEROES (1965-71): Based on the movie "Stalag 17" starring William Holden, about a German POW camp in World War II where no one has ever escaped from, possibly because there may be a spy among the prisoners. Sound familiar?


So now who will you vote for?

Out of those:

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Gomer Pyle, USMC

Gidget

Hogan's Heroes

treky
03-12-2004, 03:18 AM
for me it's a toss up between "The Odd Couple", "Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C.", & "MASH"

But, if I had to pick just one, it'd be "The Odd Couple", hands down!!!

Mrgman
12-21-2005, 01:31 PM
Weird science

gilligan fanatic
12-21-2005, 02:18 PM
M*A*S*H

Michael72581
12-21-2005, 06:48 PM
What's Happening!!

Zebra 3
12-21-2005, 07:16 PM
HOGAN'S HEROES (1965-71): Based on the movie "Stalag 17" starring William Holden, about a German POW camp in World War II where no one has ever escaped from, possibly because there may be a spy among the prisoners. Sound familiar?
Hogan's Heroes (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=71) is an original sitcom. That said, my favourite sitcom based on a movie would be Alice (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=30).