There aren't many TV shows made from movies that are actually better than the movie version. I'm not talking about TV shows that they made a big-screen version of (like X-Files or Charlie's Angels), I'm talking about a big screen flick that came first, and then they made the TV series. There aren't many that are better (and there are several that are worse: Ferris Bueller, My Big Fat Greek Life, War of the Worlds, to name a few), but I've come up with five I think are better. What's on your list?
- Buffy, The Vampire Slayer: This is a no-brainer as #1, right? The movie is entertaining in it's own right, but Joss Whedon really ran with it when he brought it to TV.
- The Odd Couple: Sure, the movie version is very entertaining, but while Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon played Oscar and Felix very well, Jack Klugman and Tony Randall were Oscar and Felix. Once they got past the odd, stagey first season of the show (no studio audience), this became laugh out loud funny, very smart, very New York City. Can't wait til it comes to DVD.
- Highlander: God, did the movie suck. But when it came to TV, it provided a practically endless supply of plots for the character, and the villains/love interests for MacLeod were always interesting. Killing off Richie has to rank up there as being one of the stupidest decisions in TV history, but still, this was way better than the movie (any of the movies, actually).
- M*A*S*H: Sure, a very good movie, but the show had more time to really dig into the war and get into the heads of the characters more. Did it get a little preachy towards the end? Maybe, but this was uncommonly well-written and very well-cast, whether you're talking about the Henry Blake/Trapper John years or the Col. Potter/B.J. Hunnicut years.
- The Pink Panther: OK, OK, I'm stretching things here. I understand that. But same title, character based on the title animation. I loved this show, and while a couple of the Pink Panther flicks are funny, I find most of them to be rather tedious.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-01-2005 @ 4:10PM
Keith McDuffee said...
Actually, the *first* Highlander movie was a cult classic. I'm told there were other movies after the first one, but somehow my hearing cuts out when they start to talk about it.
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11-01-2005 @ 4:20PM
Dave Zatz said...
The La Femme Nikita TV series is better than the US movie version, Point of No Return.
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11-01-2005 @ 4:21PM
Joel Keller said...
I hate to say this, but I think those are the only five, Bob.
I remember "Private Benjamin" being at least the equal of the movie, mainly because it had Eileen Brennan and Hal Williams reprise their roles. And Lorna Patterson was at least as cute -- and much younger -- than Goldie Hawn. Other than that? Hmm... let me think....
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11-01-2005 @ 4:31PM
TheMatt said...
Dave, it's better than the French film as well. I really didn't like it either.
And now, since I want STARS! (yes, I'm a star whore), I'll put my hat in for:
Alien Nation (allowed a lot more depth than the movie)
Stargate SG-1
Uncle Buck (I hated the movie so much, this must have been better...even if I never saw it)
The Clone Wars animated series (better than Ep II or III)
Alice (this is iffy)
Clueless (iffy as well)
Now, shows worse than the movie...
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11-01-2005 @ 4:33PM
james said...
nine to five - the tv show!
with dolly's cousin as the lead.
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11-01-2005 @ 4:35PM
TheMatt said...
Also, I add a partial for Weird Science. Yes, the movie was probably better, but Vanessa Angel > Kelly LeBrock in this man's mind.
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11-01-2005 @ 4:54PM
Regina said...
Does it count that the movie/tv show aren't exact? West Wing is clearly the tv version of American President and it is definitely better than the movie.
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11-01-2005 @ 4:58PM
Allen Mendelsohn said...
The original Highlander movie was amazing, a true clut classic that most people loved. Chrostophe Lambert, a perfect Sean Connery and a perfect Queen soundtrack. Great story, cool effects (for the time). There is no way that movie "sucked," and it was way better than the TV show (which I actually iked).
But I can't come up with a replacement - avery difficult list!
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11-01-2005 @ 4:59PM
The Jeremy said...
Three cheers to Alien Nation.
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11-01-2005 @ 5:00PM
Myron said...
The first Highlander movie was excellent. A classic. I can't speak for the show. I tried to watch it once but it was terrible. Maybe it takes a few episodes to appreciate, but I've never been able to get into those budget sci-fi/fantasy shows on cable.
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11-01-2005 @ 5:08PM
Peter Cooper said...
I would have thought Stargate was the biggest no-brainer? :-)
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11-01-2005 @ 5:18PM
Brian Beatty said...
How could you forget Friday the 13th? I loved how the stories meshed so well with the TV(NOT)
Seriously, how about Happy Days? It followed American Graffiti.
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11-01-2005 @ 6:20PM
becky said...
I'm with Peter. Stargate is one of the best shows on television. The movie was awesome and the show (both SG-1 and Atlantis) is wonderful.
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11-01-2005 @ 7:32PM
Tim said...
1. M*A*S*H - that one's easy.
2. STARGATE SG-1 - Took a murky concept for a movie, fleshed it out and came up with a pretty darned good series.
3. BUFFY - The proper tone the creator wanted - witout the studio interference.
4. ALIEN NATION - Proof that sometimes series TV can be soooo much better. The advantage of extra time to flesh out characters and cultures was wonderful.
5. FIREFLY - There's no show that's no longer on TV I miss more.
5.1 WHAT'S HAPPENIN! - Big Shirley & Rerun rock!
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11-01-2005 @ 7:44PM
K.V.C said...
The first Highlander movie was pretty good. Your choosing the Pink Panther cartoon over SG-1 boggles the mind. And until they changed the entire show in the second season War of the Worlds was a decent show.
"Killing off Richie has to rank up there as being one of the stupidest decisions in TV history" - Your kidding right? Richie was the worst character (other than Richard Moll in the first episode) in the entire series.
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11-01-2005 @ 8:10PM
Lacy Hall said...
I have...and always will have...fond memories of watching Highlander the TV show with my dad. We always had a great time waiting to see who's head Duncan MacLeod was gonna cut off this week. And the Queen intro music was awesome.
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11-01-2005 @ 8:26PM
jbelkin said...
Gotta disagree with on the MASH. The movie was a brilliant take on the messiness and surrealness of actual war & combat. It was funny, profane, idiotic, heroic and sad. The TV show does capture a sliver of that but it basically took the TV show 8-9 to capture everything Altman managed to capture & convey in 90 minutes. Part of it was that Tv was still more heavily censored but still. After Wayne Rogers left, it pretty much became an indulgent showcase for Alan Alda as the Jesus figure. If they had stopped production of the show after the epsisode in which McLean Stevenson's character died - it would've have matched the depth and breadth of MASH the movie but if you count it all (as you have to with a TV series), it no loner matches up - and that's why it's no longer an 'evergreen' syndicated show and the DVD's did not sell very well. It was a good 70's show but time has passed it by while MASH the movie still seems fresh and insightful.
I do agree that BUFFY & ODD COUPLE will stnad the test of time and have.
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11-01-2005 @ 9:00PM
owen said...
I agree with you jbelkin. The MASH tv show was an exceptional tv sitcom. But better than the movie? No.
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11-02-2005 @ 1:11AM
Tom Franklin said...
Ok, this is an odd one; 'Friday the 13th: The Series'
Yes, it had nothing to do with the actual films, but the series itself was fairly clever and inventive in it's own right.
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11-02-2005 @ 6:55AM
A Davis said...
1. MASH
2. Alien Nation
3. Star Gate (the movie was great too)
4. Odd Couple
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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