Top 10 TV Shows Based On Movies

Sometimes, when producers need a new concept for a new TV series, they turn to existing material.  And what more feasible material there can be than proven and successful popular movies.  Sometimes the TV shows turns out to be as great as the movie.  Sometimes the TV show even receives more success than what the movie received.  

As the title suggests, this is a list of TV shows that were based from movies.  So, as usual, my top 10 are after the jump…

Don't be surprised if animated series make up most of the list

10.) GODZILLA: THE SERIES

This animated series was based on the Godzilla movie released on 1998.  Prior to watching that movie, I knew Godzilla was a pop culture icon but I have never watched a Godzilla – the Japanese-made classics – movie before.  So I really liked that movie, almost the same way I had liked the “Jurassic Park” movies.  But those who did watched the original movies, however, hated it.  Nonetheless, since I had loved the movie, I loved the TV series more.  In the movie, Godzilla was the antagonist, as it/he/she proceeded to tear apart human civilization (or at least Manhattan).  However, in the TV series, Godzilla is a protagonist, as it/he/she fought other monsters in defense of mankind (or at least its/his/her human friends).     

9.) BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND

Everybody loves “Toy Story”.  And its spin-off TV show, “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command”, was lovable as well.  The TV show was about the cartoon character that the toy Buzz was based from.  Thus, the series showed the life and adventures that the toy Buzz thought he was living out (when he still hasn’t accepted that reality that he was just a toy).  Sure, a “Toy Story” TV series would have been more awesome, but something as epic as “Toy Story” is only fit for movie form.  However, the premise of “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command” is the best “Toy Story”-spinoff concept that is applicable to be serialized on TV.    

8.) THE PINK PANTHER

The idea of the Pink Panther TV shows (yup, there were more than one.  I love the old ones more) was from the entertaining animated intros of the Pink Panther movies.  It would have been cooler if the Pink Panther TV series still highlighted the hilarious Inspector Clouseau as the central character; however, the Pink Panther’s adventures were still Tom and Jerry/Looney Tunes-style entertaining.

7.) THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS

One of the most beloved movies ever made is “Ghostbusters” (most movies, if not all, that Bill Murray starred on are beloved).  The movie was still better than the series but “The Real Ghostbusters” was still mightily enjoyable to watch.     

6.) MEN IN BLACK

I really love “Men in Black” and I can’t wait for that third movie (they said they are going to make a third movie).  Because of the series, we were able to enjoy expanded adventures of the MIB.  It was a lot of fun to see more details of the secret organization’s day-to-day operations.  Plenty of twists and pretty solid storylines.   

5.) ALADDIN

Walt Disney has made it a habit to create TV series out of their hit movies.  Though not all of these shows are as great as the movies they were based from, there were some that were really successful, not only giving in giving justice to the movies they were based from, but augmenting the franchise itself.  But the best among them is “Aladdin”.  On average, the “Aladdin” series delivered great memorable and compelling episodes.  

4.) THE MASK: THE ANIMATED SERIES

The Mask movie was based from a comic book.  However, the Mask character of the movie was different from that of the comic book.  The Mask of the movie was all about gags and goofing around while fighting crime (to cater on Jim Carrey’s personality), while the Mask of the comic books was all on some serious gang-killing stuff.  When a comic book character is portrayed inaccurately on film, fans rage about it, however, in the case of the Mask, most of the fans loved it, or at least found it tolerable.  Jim Carrey breathed hilarious charisma to the character, and this version of the Mask mythos is what ended up as basis for the TV show.  And it was a blast!  The show is the main reason why the Mask is one of my most favorite fictional characters ever.

3.) HIGHLANDER: THE SERIES

Though its continuity is a mess (reboot please!) and “Highlander: The Source” was terrible, Highlander is one of the greatest franchises ever created.  In the TV show, instead of the movies’ Connor MacCleoud, the hero featured is Duncan MacCleod, cousin or nephew of Connor (the two of them would both star in a Higlander movie though).  The first movie is still better than the TV show, but if we compare the TV show to the entire set of Highlander movies (most were terrible, thus, by average, the Highlander movies stunk), the TV show wins out.


2.) JUMANJI

The Jumanji animated TV show was definitely more awesome, more exciting, more entertaining than the movie.  Instead of inhabitants of Jumanji coming out to the real world (like in the movie), most of the time, it was Jody and Peter visiting Alan in the world of Jumanji.  Thus, we were able to see how untamed, how badass, and how exciting the world and inhabitants of Jumanji really are.  I remember watching a Jumanji marathon in Disney Channel (or was it in HBO? Can’t remember) when I was a kid, and though I had already watched most of the episodes by then, it was still one of the best TV viewing moments I ever have in my life.

1.) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

Yes, this might be a surprise to you since the original “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” – which was through the big screen medium – was generally unknown.  In fact, the TV series was already finished when I learned that it was based on a movie.  Yes, Joss Whedon’s first attempt to bring us Buffy was in movie form.  But “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was really meant for TV, and it was a pop culture hit when Whedon finally made it into a TV show and cast Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy.  Personally, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is my third most favorite TV show of all time (“Twilight Zone” and “House” occupies the first and second spot, respectively).    

When not talking about TV shows and movies in the "Experimental Theatre", Bernel's talking about TV shows and movies in "The Bernel Zone"...