There are some TV shows that are so popular that they stand the test of time and live on in reruns or on streaming services. These shows have iconic characters that have become household names, like Ross and Rachael from Friends, or Sam and Diane from Cheers. These great characters, combined with the inviting world in which they inhabit, are the recipe for some of television's enduring classics.
Film producers have long attempted to capitalize on this connection the public has to a classic series by producing films based on, inspired by, or even parodying old favorites. Many of these attempts have not been very successful, but some have emerged as fan favorites in their own right.
10 The Bewitched Movie Is A Fictional Take On Making the Bewitched Show
Bewitched, which premiered on ABC in 1964, tells the story of the suburban lives of a mortal man, Darrin Stephens, and his wife Samantha, who is a witch. In 2005, Columbia Pictures released the film Bewitched, a romantic comedy retelling of the original series. In the film, Will Ferrell portrays fictional actor Jack Wyatt, who in turn portrays Darrin Stephens in a reboot of the television series Bewitched. Jack recruits Isabel Bigelow, played by Nicole Kidman, to play his wife, Samantha in the series. Little does he know that Isabel is actually a witch herself. The film was not a commercial success.
9 The Starsky and Hutch Movie Is a Prequel To The Series
Starsky and Hutch was a popular buddy cop drama from ABC that premiered in 1975, starring Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul in the title roles. In 2004, Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller starred in the title roles for the film version.
The film served as a prequel to the TV series, showing the moment when Starsky and Hutch were first partnered up. It should also be noted that film made the curious decision to flip the personalities of the two characters and has an overall more comedic take than the series did. The film was commercially successful and received generally positive reviews.
8 The Dukes of Hazzard Movie Tried To Update The Story
The Dukes of Hazzard was a big hit on ABC TV from 1979 to 1985, and one of its main characters, Daisy Duke, even sparked a fashion trend, with tiny cut-off jean shorts being nicknamed "Daisy Dukes" ever since. A film version was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2005 with Jay Chandrasekhar, of Super Troopers fame, as director. It also served as the theatrical debut of Jessica Simpson, who, up until that point, had been known primarily as a pop star. While it was a financial success, the film was a critical failure.
7 The Wild Wild West Series Was Wildly Popular, But The Film Not So Much
The Wild Wild West was a unique show that debuted in 1965. It followed the adventures of James West (Robert Conrad) and Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin), two Secret Service agents protecting President Ulysses Grant and solving crimes using steampunk gadgets. The series had high ratings but was canceled after four seasons due to growing nationwide concern about television violence. In 1999, the series was adapted as Wild Wild West, starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline in the lead roles. One of the most expensive films ever made at the time, it was a critical and commercial failure.
6 I Spy A Was Another Box Office Failure
The 60s were ripe with spy shows, and I Spy was one of them. It starred Robert Culp and Bill Cosby as secret agents disguised as tennis players and was produced by Sheldon Leonard, who was also responsible for such classics as The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
The 2002 film version, I-Spy, starred Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy. In the film version, one is a boxer and the other a spy. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics and did not manage to break even at the box office.
5 21 Jump Street Was Great On TV And In Theaters
The Fox TV series 21 Jump Street was a huge hit in the late '80s and early '90s, making a teen idol of leading man Johnny Depp. The show followed the work of undercover police officers posing as high school students, solving cases in schools. The 2012 film version, played as an action-comedy, was equally successful, getting positive reviews from critics and making enough of a profit at the box office to justify a sequel, 22 Jump Street. Both films starred Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.
4 Get Smart Was Fun in the 60s And The '00s
Get Smart was a 1960s secret agent parody starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon as Agents 86 and 99, respectively. The show was created by Mel Brooks and is known for its sight gags, catchphrases, and wacky gadgets, like Agent 86's shoe phone. There had been series revivals and made-for-TV movies that continued the story, but the only theatrical release was the 2008 film starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway as the lead agents, The film also boasted a supporting cast of Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terry Crews, and James Caan, and was a commercial success, bringing in $230 million.
3 The A-Team Worked Better In The '80s
The A-Team was an iconic '80s TV series, featuring car chases, gunfights, explosions, and Mr. T. The show followed a group of former Special Forces members on the lam after escaping prison, where they were serving time for a crime they did not commit. It aired on NBC from 1983 to 1987 and received high ratings. In 2010, a film version was released, which starred Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper. It received mixed reviews and was not as profitable as 20th Century Fox had hoped.
2 Baywatch Was Watched By The World On TV But Wasn't As Popular In The Theater
Baywatch, which starred David Hasselhoff and an otherwise rotating cast, including Pamela Anderson and Nicole Eggert, has an interesting history. The series, which debuted on NBC in 1989, was canceled after one season due to low ratings and high production costs.
However, when Hasselhoff and the show's producers put the show in syndication, it ended up running for 11 seasons and became one of the most-watched television shows in the world. The 2017 film version, starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, was financially successful, but not highly regarded by critics.
1 Mission: Impossible Is Possibly The Best Reboot
Mission: Impossible is probably the most iconic and most successful film adaptation of a TV series. The original series ran for seven seasons, starting in 1966. The espionage thriller included several familiar names in its cast, including Leonard Nimoy, Martin Landau, and Sam Elliot. It was revived again in 1988 for an additional two seasons. The highly successful film franchise, starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, started in 1996 with Mission: Impossible, and has 8 films under its belt, with another, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part Two, due out in 2024.