Best & Worst TV Shows to Be Spun-Off from a Movie - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 04-01-2002, 02:15 AM

Off the top of my head:
*Buffy, the Vampire Slayer

*MASH

*In the Heat of the Night

*Clueless

*In a League of Their Own

*Delta House (a spin-off of Animal House)

*Fast Times (a spin-off of Fast Times at Ridgemont High)

*Working Girl

*Ferris Bueller

*Highlander

*Shaft

*The Bad News Bears

*Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

*Weird Science

*Fame

*Uncle Buck

*La Femme Nikta

*Down & Out In Beverly Hills-As a trivia note, this is supposedly the first ever show to be canceled by the Fox Network.

*Stargate: SG1

*9 to 5

*The Crow: Stairway to Heaven

*The Young Indiana Jones Chronicals

*The Odd Couple

*Dangerous Minds

*Harry & the Hendersons

*Blue Thunder

*FX

*Soul Food

*The Client

*James Bond Jr. (animated)

*Back to the Future (animated)

*Teen Wolf (animated)

*The Real Ghostbusters (animated)

*Men In Black, which technically, started out as a comic book (animated)

*Problem Child (animated)

*The Mummy (animated)

*Robocop (it spun-off a live action version as well as an animated version)

*Rambo (animated)

*Driods (an animated spin-off of Star Wars)

*Ewoks (see the description for Driods)

*Godzilla (an animated spin-off of the 1998 American remake)

*Police Academy (it spun-off animated and live action versions)

*The Wizard of Oz (animated)

*Dumb & Dumber (animated)

*Ace Ventura (animated)

*The Mask (even though, like MIB, it started out as a comic book before it became an animated series)

*Clerks (animated)

*Beethoven (animated)

*Free Willy (animated)

*Varsity Blues (on the way)

*Legally Blonde (on the way)

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karaokedude · 04-01-2002, 04:21 AM

"M*A*S*H*", "Fame" & "Odd Couple" would be at the top of the list.

There were many more failures than successes.

Personally, I loved "Clerks", but the ratings were absolutely horrid & ABC pulled the series after just the second episode. Kevin Smith was livid. People just didn't get it.

I think "Casablanca" (with David Soul) & "From Here To Eternity" were made into series also.

"Happy Days", although not spun-off from "American Grafitti", did make it to the airwaves due to the film's success.

others that come to mind:
Freebie & The Bean
Beastmaster (currently in syndication)
Operation Petticoat
No Time For Sergeants

karaokedude · 04-01-2002, 04:25 AM

They also made "Dirty Dancing" into a series, with the late McLean Stevenson as Baby's dad.

karaokedude · 04-01-2002, 04:58 AM

Wasn't there a stupid Scott Baio sitcom that was based on "Look Who's Talking?"?

(Of course, now we have "BabyBob")

And "Making It" (starring David Naughton) was sort of derived from "Saturday Night Fever"

bb · 04-03-2002, 06:56 AM

The 1970s football movie Semi-Tough was made into a tv show that starred Bruce McGill ( Delta House-Animal House's D- Day ) did NOT last long.

I dont remember if it ever came to be but sometime around 1983 or so there was supposed to be a tv version of the movie "Porkys" that was to be in syndication starring many of the stars from the movie.

Considering the fact that it was nudity and dirty jokes that made Porkys successful at the box office- it wouldnt work on regular tv.

Now on cable today...it might.

DJM77 · 04-06-2002, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by karaokedude
Wasn't there a stupid Scott Baio sitcom that was based on "Look Who's Talking?"?

Yeah, it was called "Baby Talk" and it had Julia Duffy in it too.

karaokedude · 04-24-2002, 12:47 PM

In tribute to the late Robert Urich....

His first TV series was a sitcom spun off from the film "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice"

catlover79 · 08-12-2008, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM77

Yeah, it was called "Baby Talk" and it had Julia Duffy in it too.

George Clooney was in it, too. Then the entire program was revamped, and Julia Duffy was replaced by Mary Page Keller. Then Scott Baio was added as the love interest, and the ratings still tanked.

Personally, I think My Big Fat Greek Life was and is EONS worse than Baby Talk!! I never saw the Dirty Dancing show.

catlover79 · 08-12-2008, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karaokedude

Wasn't there a stupid Scott Baio sitcom that was based on "Look Who's Talking?"?

(Of course, now we have "BabyBob")

And "Making It" (starring David Naughton) was sort of derived from "Saturday Night Fever"

I just heard the "Makin' It" single (sung by David Naughton) on the radio about a week ago - hadn't heard it in ages. I know that he went on to co-star with Pam Dawber in My Sister Sam...whatever happened to him after that???

tv star collector · 08-13-2008, 08:45 AM

The ABC cartoon series Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down? used
characters from Jerry's movies. There were also animated versions of The Little Rascals, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, and The Three Stooges.
Not to mention The Gary Coleman Show (based on the NBC TV-movie
"The Kid with the Broken Halo") and Wish Kid, starring the voice of
"Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin.

plaidman76 · 08-13-2008, 09:50 AM

Didn't they make a TV show based on Turner and Hooch too? I don't think it lasted more then one episode, though. There were countless TV pilots made basaed on movies that never took off. Adventures in Babysitting, Fargo, LA Confidential...

And don't forget about
-Bill and Ted's Excellent adventure (live and animated versions)
-Blade
-Freddies Nighmares
-Little Shop of Horrors (animated)
-Planet of the Apes
-Mr Belvedere (Based on the movie Sitting PRetty from 1948)
-Private Benjamin
-Attack of the Killer Tomatos (animated)
-Beetlejuice (animated)
-Bustin' Loose
-Logan's Run
-The Net
-Parenthood
-Peyton's Place
-Working Girl

plaidman76 · 08-13-2008, 11:54 AM

Oh, and I forgot about one: Gung Ho.
If anyone has any episodes of this show, let me know. Ran in 86-87, there were only like 8 episodes.

Dusty's Fan · 08-17-2008, 04:45 AM

Another movie spin-off: Harper Valley PTA (1981-82). Barbara Eden and George Gobel!

Edit:

And I was just reading that the TV series Daktari was a spin-off of the movie Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965). Clarence is billed that way on the series.

treky · 08-21-2008, 03:38 AM

by far, the all-time WORST series that was spun off from a movie, out of the ones I've seen, was "PLANET OF THE APES".

I also remember that series "BABY TALK". I remember, I only watched it for, like, 5 minutes once, then turned it off. GOD was that HORRIBLE!!!

treky · 08-21-2008, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tv star collector

The ABC cartoon series Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down? used
characters from Jerry's movies. There were also animated versions of The Little Rascals, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, and The Three Stooges.
Not to mention The Gary Coleman Show (based on the NBC TV-movie
"The Kid with the Broken Halo") and Wish Kid, starring the voice of
"Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin.

there were also animated versions of "THE ADDAMS FAMILY", "GILLIGANS ISLAND", and "STAR TREK", and a cartoon series loosely based on "ALL IN THE FAMILY" where the characters were dogs.
The "STAR TREK" series was supposed to be pretty good, though. Most of the shows actors did the voices of their animated counterparts, and sometimes they used film footage from the show and just traced over it. And a lot of the episodes were written by the same writers from the show, including David Gerrwald who wrote the classic episode "The trouble with tribbles" (his contribution to the animated series was a sequel to that, called "More tribbles, more trouble") and Harlan Ellison who wrote the award-winning episode "The city on the edge of forever".

04-01-2002, 02:15 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,387	Best & Worst TV Shows to Be Spun-Off from a Movie Off the top of my head: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer MASH In the Heat of the Night Clueless In a League of Their Own Delta House (a spin-off of Animal House) Fast Times (a spin-off of Fast Times at Ridgemont High) Working Girl Ferris Bueller Highlander Shaft The Bad News Bears Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Weird Science Fame Uncle Buck La Femme Nikta Down & Out In Beverly Hills-As a trivia note, this is supposedly the first ever show to be canceled by the Fox Network. Stargate: SG1 9 to 5 The Crow: Stairway to Heaven The Young Indiana Jones Chronicals The Odd Couple Dangerous Minds Harry & the Hendersons Blue Thunder FX Soul Food The Client James Bond Jr. (animated) Back to the Future (animated) Teen Wolf (animated) The Real Ghostbusters (animated) Men In Black, which technically, started out as a comic book (animated) Problem Child (animated) The Mummy (animated) Robocop (it spun-off a live action version as well as an animated version) Rambo (animated) Driods (an animated spin-off of Star Wars) Ewoks (see the description for Driods) Godzilla (an animated spin-off of the 1998 American remake) Police Academy (it spun-off animated and live action versions) The Wizard of Oz (animated) Dumb & Dumber (animated) Ace Ventura (animated) The Mask (even though, like MIB, it started out as a comic book before it became an animated series) Clerks (animated) Beethoven (animated) Free Willy (animated) Varsity Blues (on the way) *Legally Blonde (on the way) http://www.geocities.com/tmc_132000/...dventures.html http://www.geocities.com/tmc_132000/...ends_Game.html http://www.geocities.com/tmc_132000/..._to_Worse.html http://www.geocities.com/tmc_132000/..._Bar_Site.html http://www.geocities.com/tmc_132000/...f_the_ART.html http://www.geocities.com/tmc_132000/...Meets_CBS.html
	Last edited by TMC; 04-01-2002 at 02:46 AM.

04-01-2002, 04:21 AM	#2
karaokedude Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 03, 2002 Location: PA Posts: 58	The best "MASH", "Fame" & "Odd Couple" would be at the top of the list. There were many more failures than successes. Personally, I loved "Clerks", but the ratings were absolutely horrid & ABC pulled the series after just the second episode. Kevin Smith was livid. People just didn't get it. I think "Casablanca" (with David Soul) & "From Here To Eternity" were made into series also. "Happy Days", although not spun-off from "American Grafitti", did make it to the airwaves due to the film's success. others that come to mind: Freebie & The Bean Beastmaster (currently in syndication) Operation Petticoat No Time For Sergeants

04-24-2002, 12:47 PM	#7
karaokedude Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 03, 2002 Location: PA Posts: 58	one more In tribute to the late Robert Urich.... His first TV series was a sitcom spun off from the film "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice"

08-17-2008, 04:45 AM	#13
Dusty's Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 13, 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,093	Another movie spin-off: Harper Valley PTA (1981-82). Barbara Eden and George Gobel! Edit: And I was just reading that the TV series Daktari was a spin-off of the movie Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965). Clarence is billed that way on the series.
	Last edited by Dusty's Fan; 08-18-2008 at 05:32 AM.

08-21-2008, 03:38 AM	#14
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	by far, the all-time WORST series that was spun off from a movie, out of the ones I've seen, was "PLANET OF THE APES". I also remember that series "BABY TALK". I remember, I only watched it for, like, 5 minutes once, then turned it off. GOD was that HORRIBLE!!!
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

04-01-2002, 04:25 AM	#3
karaokedude Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 03, 2002 Location: PA Posts: 58	They also made "Dirty Dancing" into a series, with the late McLean Stevenson as Baby's dad.

04-01-2002, 04:58 AM	#4
karaokedude Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 03, 2002 Location: PA Posts: 58	Wasn't there a stupid Scott Baio sitcom that was based on "Look Who's Talking?"? (Of course, now we have "BabyBob") And "Making It" (starring David Naughton) was sort of derived from "Saturday Night Fever"

04-03-2002, 06:56 AM	#5
bb Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 30, 2001 Location: Martinsburg, WV usa Posts: 276	The 1970s football movie Semi-Tough was made into a tv show that starred Bruce McGill ( Delta House-Animal House's D- Day ) did NOT last long. I dont remember if it ever came to be but sometime around 1983 or so there was supposed to be a tv version of the movie "Porkys" that was to be in syndication starring many of the stars from the movie. Considering the fact that it was nudity and dirty jokes that made Porkys successful at the box office- it wouldnt work on regular tv. Now on cable today...it might.

08-13-2008, 08:45 AM	#10
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	The ABC cartoon series Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down? used characters from Jerry's movies. There were also animated versions of The Little Rascals, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, and The Three Stooges. Not to mention The Gary Coleman Show (based on the NBC TV-movie "The Kid with the Broken Halo") and Wish Kid, starring the voice of "Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin.

08-13-2008, 09:50 AM	#11
plaidman76 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 07, 2007 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 109	Didn't they make a TV show based on Turner and Hooch too? I don't think it lasted more then one episode, though. There were countless TV pilots made basaed on movies that never took off. Adventures in Babysitting, Fargo, LA Confidential... And don't forget about -Bill and Ted's Excellent adventure (live and animated versions) -Blade -Freddies Nighmares -Little Shop of Horrors (animated) -Planet of the Apes -Mr Belvedere (Based on the movie Sitting PRetty from 1948) -Private Benjamin -Attack of the Killer Tomatos (animated) -Beetlejuice (animated) -Bustin' Loose -Logan's Run -The Net -Parenthood -Peyton's Place -Working Girl

08-13-2008, 11:54 AM	#12
plaidman76 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 07, 2007 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 109	Oh, and I forgot about one: Gung Ho. If anyone has any episodes of this show, let me know. Ran in 86-87, there were only like 8 episodes.