We had the "Series turned into Movie" Thread. But I'd like to switch that (if it hasn't been done before).


But the only One coming to my Mind are "The Bad News Bears". There have been three Movies
(I like 1+2, and my Favorite is Kelly Leak) and then a short-lived Series (I like it too. But you shouldn't
compare them. It's different, but okay. And my Favorite is little Corey Feldman as Reggie. What a Cutie!)

And No! I don't wanna watch the Movie-Remake, made couple of Years ago! Urgh!

There have been many movies-turned-into-TV-series. Among them: "Aladdin," "American Tail: Fievel Goes West," "Beethoven" (cartoon), "Beetlejuice" (cartoon), "Born Free," "Casablanca," "Casper," "Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion" (Daktari), "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Flipper," "Gentle Giant" (Gentle Ben), "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," "Ghostbusters" (The Real Ghosbusters), "Godzilla" (Hanna-Barbera cartoon), "Harper Valley P.T.A.," "Harry and the Hendersons," "Hercules" (Disney cartoon), "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," the Indiana Jones films (prequel The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), "Jimmy Neutron," "Jungle Book" (Tale Spin), "King Kong" (Rankin/Bass cartoon), "The Lion King" (Timon & Pumbaa), "The Little Mermaid," "The Mask" (cartoon), "Men in Black" (cartoon), "No Time for Sergeants," "101 Dalmatians," "Planet of the Apes," "Rambo" (cartoon), "Richie Rich" (cartoon), "Star Wars" (Clone Wars cartoon),
"Swamp Thing" (cartoon), "Tarzan" (Disney cartoon), "Topper," "Toy Story"
(Buzz Lightyear), "War of the Worlds," "Weird Science" and "The Wizard of Oz" (cartoon).

Also, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Clueless," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and soon "10 Things I Hate About You." I'm sure there's more but those are the only shows that popped up in my head!

And of course the most successful one - Stargate - 10 or more seasons and 2 spin-offs and several movies. How about some of the less direct ones - would ALF have existed without ETs success?

There have been many movies-turned-into-TV-series. Among them: "Aladdin," "American Tail: Fievel Goes West," "Beethoven" (cartoon), "Beetlejuice" (cartoon), "Born Free," "Casablanca," "Casper," "Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion" (Daktari), "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Flipper," "Gentle Giant" (Gentle Ben), "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," "Ghostbusters" (The Real Ghosbusters), "Godzilla" (Hanna-Barbera cartoon), "Harper Valley P.T.A.," "Harry and the Hendersons," "Hercules" (Disney cartoon), "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," the Indiana Jones films (prequel The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), "Jimmy Neutron," "Jungle Book" (Tale Spin), "King Kong" (Rankin/Bass cartoon), "The Lion King" (Timon & Pumbaa), "The Little Mermaid," "The Mask" (cartoon), "Men in Black" (cartoon), "No Time for Sergeants," "101 Dalmatians," "Planet of the Apes," "Rambo" (cartoon), "Richie Rich" (cartoon), "Star Wars" (Clone Wars cartoon),
"Swamp Thing" (cartoon), "Tarzan" (Disney cartoon), "Topper," "Toy Story"
(Buzz Lightyear), "War of the Worlds," "Weird Science" and "The Wizard of Oz" (cartoon).

I'm surprised The Waltons hasn't been mentioned; it was based on a 1971 film (I can't remember the title, but it starred Patricia Neal instead of Miss Michael Learned as the mother) and started airing the following year.

The movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore was turned into the sitcom Alice (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=30). Only actor Vic Tayback (Mel) reprise his original role for the TV series.

I'm surprised The Waltons hasn't been mentioned; it was based on a 1971 film (I can't remember the title, but it starred Patricia Neal instead of Miss Michael Learned as the mother) and started airing the following year.

It was called 'The Homecoming'. All of the Walton children starred in the movie as well as the series. Andrew Duggan played the father.

I can't believe no one mentioned MASH yes. Gary Burghoff was the one actor from the series to appear in the film.

Other movies to series - Dangerous Minds, 9 To 5, Look Who's Talking (Baby Talk), Private Benjamin, Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Ferris Bueller), Parenthood.

Nine to 5, I think started off as a movie and then a TV Series came after it as well.

Police Academy (cartoon in the late '80s titled as "Police Academy: The Series)

Friday the 13th (titled as Friday the 13th: The Series, 1987-90) - odd thing is that there were some cast ties to both the movie and the series, but the stories on the TV series had no connections to the movie

Working Girl: first a movie starring Melaine Griffith and then a very short-lived series starring Sandra Bullock (before she was really famous).

I must say, it is the opposite, but I'd love a Chuck Movie if the show was cancelled. It'd make a great movie!

Animal House=Delta House
The African Queen=a short lived series of the same name
Battlestar Galactica the original series was a movie before it became a series the same with Buck Rogers in the 24th century
The Warriors a short lived series based on the movie
Miami Vice was somewhat inspired by scarface
Walking Tall the movies=Walking Tall the series
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea the movie=V.T.T.B.O.S the series
Sheena the movie=Sheena the series
The Nightmare On Elm Street series=Freddie's Nightmares
The Moon runners= The Dukes Of Hazard
Smokey And The Bandit=the short lived series of the 90s

Battlestar Galactica the original series was a movie before it became a series


That is not accurate. The film that was released in theatres was released AFTER the series began, and was simply a big screen showing of the pilot movie. In fact, the prints on film were so poor, you could easily see the pixelation of the originally television picture.

Anyone said M*A*S*H yet? It was released in 1970 I believe.

Off the top of my head:

M*A*S*H
The Odd Couple (a few times)
Parenthood (about to get a second try on TV)
Starman
Blue Thunder
Logans Run
Robo Cop
Dirty Dozen
Ferris Bueller
Dead Zone
Highlander
The Big Easy
Alien Nation
Heat of the Night
Looks Who's Talking
The Terminator
Private Benjimin
Time Cop

I can't believe no one mentioned MASH yes. Gary Burghoff was the one actor from the series to appear in the film.


I can't believe that eather, the most (if not all really) sucessful movie turned tv show I know. And Gary Burghoff was Radar in both.

Wasn't there also a TV version of Dirty Dancing as well, too?

There was also The Terminator: The Sarah Marshall Chronicles

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - a '90s cartoon was based on the movie as well

Cagney and Lacey - originally started out as a TV-movie in 1981, which explained why Loretta Swit had to turn down the role of Christine Cagney for the then-new regular TV series b/c she was still on contract w/ M*A*S*H at the time, which was also why the role was given to Meg Foster for the short 6-episode 1st season.

"Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - a '90s cartoon was based on the movie as well"

IIRC, Jim Carrey had 3 movies turned cartoons on at the same time
Pet Detective, Dumb & Dumber and The Mask

The Starsky and Hutch (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=556) pilot was a TV movie and later returned as a TV series with his main cast of Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky), David Soul (Hutch) and Antonio Fargas (Huggy Bear). Richard Ward (Capt. Dobey) was replaced by Bernie Hamilton for the TV series and returned as a different character in a fourth season ep. Finally, Gordon Jump (Vinnie) and Michael Lerner (Fat Rolly) returned in first season eps.

Mr. Belvedere was originally a book written by Gwen Davenport, that was later adapted into a trilogy of movies starring Clifton Webb. There was Sitting Pretty (1948), Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949), and Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951). There were also 3 unsuccessful pilots, one with Hans Conried, another with Victor Bruno, and another with Victor Borge. If they can, Shout! Factory should try securing the rights to those pilots from Fox for this or any other upcoming DVD release for the show.

My Big Fat Greek Weeding was later adapted into My Big Fat Greek Life.

There was also a TV version of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and a cartoon version of Back to the Future.

Mr. Belvedere was originally a book written by Gwen Davenport, that was later adapted into a trilogy of movies starring Clifton Webb. There was Sitting Pretty (1948), Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949), and Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951). There were also 3 unsuccessful pilots, one with Hans Conried, another with Victor Bruno, and another with Victor Borge. If they can, Shout! Factory should try securing the rights to those pilots from Fox for this or any other upcoming DVD release for the show.

My Big Fat Greek Weeding was later adapted into My Big Fat Greek Life.

There was also a TV version of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and a cartoon version of Back to the Future.

Oh Yeah, I keep forgetting that Belvey was based on a book that turned into a series of trilogy movies!

James Bond - James Bond, Jr., a cartoon in the early '90s

In the Heat of the Night - there was a 1967 movie (that part of the TV series was based from) that starred Sidney Poitier

"Baby Boom" was a sitcom which starred Kate Jackson in 1988-89, which was a series based on the 1987 hit comedy which starred Diane Keaton.

"Happy Days" was the long-running ABC sitcom based on the 1973 hit movie "American Graffitti", with some of the movie cast returning to the series.

Clueless was first a movie starring Alicia Silverstone in 1995 and was then turned into a series in 1996 with Rachel Blanchard assuming the lead role of Cher Horowitz, the ditzy Beverly Hills teenager. In the movie the Cher character is more self-involved and much dumber, but in the tv show she is more of a goody goody.

Also, Baby Talk was a early 90's series based on "Look Whose Talking". The Series starred Julia Duffy and later Mary Page Keller. It also co-starred Scott Baio, George Clooney and Tony Danza in it's short run. It ran first for half a season with Julia Duffy in the lead but was revamped the next season with MPK. it didn't last much longer and was cancelled.

"Happy Days" was the long-running ABC sitcom based on the 1973 hit movie "American Graffitti", with some of the movie cast returning to the series.
Ron Howard played Steve Bolander in the movie American Graffiti ('73), but first played his famous Richie Cunningham character the year before as well as other regular Happy Days (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=12) cast members in an episode of Love, American Style.

What's Happening!! was based on the 1975 movie "Cooley High," which was also created by Eric Monte.

Ron Howard played Steve Bolander in the movie American Graffiti ('73), but first played his famous Richie Cunningham character the year before as well as other regular Happy Days (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=12) cast members in an episode of Love, American Style.
If you search YouTube, you can find the complete Love American Style Episode featuring "Love and the Happy Days".

Different Howard C. and Sister Joanie.

If you search YouTube, you can find the complete Love American Style Episode featuring "Love and the Happy Days".

Different Howard C. and Sister Joanie.
also, the Cuninghams house was different, as well as Arnolds. (in fact, I don't think it was called Arnolds)
And there was no Fonzie and Ralph (well, duh! That would have been too many characters for a 15 minute show)

someone mentioned earlier that Gary Burghoff was the only actor from the movie "MASH" that was also in the TV series. Not true-Tim Brown who played Spearchucker in the show, was also in the movie, but as a different character. And Gene Woods was also in the movie and show, as Gen. Hammond.

Would "Ironside" count? It aired as a two hour tv movie in March 1966 (while Perry Mason was still on in it's final season) then began as a series in September 1967.