TV Shows That Were So Popular They Were Turned Into Movies

“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” was the eagerly anticipated movie based on the characters from the television series that had developed a cult following after it went off the air in 1969. Though not embraced by critics, enough Trekkies trekked to the theater, lifting its box-office gross to $82.3 million. A dozen sequels followed.

The beloved characters from the television show, which ran concurrently with the movie, are heading to Hollywood for fame and fortune in this cinematic adventure – the first of 13 Muppet movies so far. The film scored 88% among critics and fans on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rod Serling’s eerie series that challenged the imagination with episodes on science fiction and horror, was brought to the big screen with four vignettes directed by Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, Jon Landis, and George Miller. It was an uneven film and only grossed $29.5 million at the box office.

The television series that starred Robert Stack, pitting federal agents against bootleggers, was made into a motion picture by Brian De Palma, with a star-studded cast that included Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Andy Garcia. It grossed $76.3 million.

Leslie Nielsen recreated his bumbling detective character Frank Drebin in this movie, in which he’s tasked with trying to foil an assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth II. The film grossed $78.8 million. It was directed by David Zucker and also starred Priscilla Presley and, yes, O.J. Simpson.

Television’s favorite ghoul family came to the silver screen in 1991, starring Raul Julia, Angelica Huston, Christina Ricci, and Christopher Lloyd. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes liked the sight gags but found the film disjointed and gave it a score of 65%. It grossed $113.5 million and led to other films, including “The Addams Family Values” and “The Addams Family 2.”

The return of TV’s hyperenergetic boy who is the bane of his neighbor’s existence received kudos for the performance of entertainment’s favorite curmudgeon, Walter Matthau, as the neighbor. But critics on Rotten Tomatoes thought the plot about a burglar trying to steal a watch collection tracked too closely with that of “Home Alone.” Given that John Hughes, who wrote “Home Alone,” penned and produced “Dennis the Menace,” that would make sense. The movie grossed $50.2 million at the box office.

The television series in which a family of mountain people becomes rich from an oil strike and moves to California became a forgettable full-length film in 1993. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes said the talented cast that included Cloris Leachman and Lily Tomlin was wasted. The movie grossed $44 million.

The gripping TV series that starred David Janssen as a doctor wrongly accused of his wife’s murder who attempts to find the realiller was equally as compelling as a motion picture. Rotten Tomatoes critics called it “exhilarating and intense” and awarded it a 96% rating. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones starred in the film, which grossed $183.9 million.

“Maverick” was a primetime Western when that genre ruled television. James Garner, who starred as the title role, appeared in the movie of the same name with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster. The film version has of a lighter touch than the TV drama, which ended 32 years earlier. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes called “Maverick” “witty and undeniably charming.” It was a hit, grossing $101.6 million.

“The Flintstones,” directed by Steven Spielberg, was a live-action version of the animated television series about a family’s misadventures in the Stone Age. A strong cast of John Goodman, Rick Moranis, and Halle Berry could not save the movie from the scorn of critics, who said it suffered from a “tepid script” and “lame puns.” Even so, the movie grossed $130.5 million.

Baby boomers can probably still sing the opening theme to “Casper,” about the friendly ghost of the same name whose cartoon series inspired this live-action movie. Christina Ricci, no stranger to macabre activity as plot devices in films (“The Addams Family”), starred as Casper’s friend. The movie was charming enough to gross $100 million.

(1969-1974)

One of television’s iconic families brings its ’70s sensibilities to the ’90s in this cinematic interpretation of the classic series. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes conceded that the film was paying homage to the sitcom, but still said the script was lightweight and silly. “The Brady Bunch Movie” grossed $46.6 million.

The TV series starred Peter Graves and Greg Morris as members of a covert U.S. team that used gizmos and masquerades on special missions that the government could deny knowledge of. The movie, starring Tom Cruise, was more of a whiteknuckle ride. In the film, Cruise, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must reveal the real spy without the help of his organization. The movie has spawned five sequels with two more to come.before 2024.

The sometimes unsettling bug-eyed British comic Rowan Atkinson brought his Mr. Bean character to the big screen. In this film, he is given the responsibility of bringing a valuable painting to a Los Angeles museum. Critics were not amused, saying Atkinson’s “constant mugging and silly slapstick” quickly wore thin. The film grossed $45.3 million.

Before he was James Bond, Roger Moore was on TV as Simon Templar, aka “The Saint,” a charming thief for hire. In the film, Val Kilmer takes the role as a man hired by a Russian oligarch to steal a formula for cold fusion. Rotten Tomatoes critics liked Kilmer and Elizabeth Shue who played a scientist, but they thought the plot stretched believability, and gave it a score of just 30%. The film grossed $61.4 million.

The animated film based on the animated series finds big brother Tommy Pickles attempting to return his baby brother to the hospital after he’s been told his parents will no longer care about him. The film received a lukewarm reception from Rotten Tomatoes critics, but it grossed $101 million and spawned a sequel.

Conspiracy theorists rejoiced at the full-length movie based on the Fox television series that starred Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as FBI agents investigating paranormal and alien activity. In the film, they try to track down a possible alien virus that killed a boy. X-Files enthusiasts turned out and the movie grossed $83.9 million.

Having nothing to do with the team of Marvel Comics superheroes of the same name, this urbane British import paired dapper Patrick Macnee and martial-arts practitioner Diana Rigg as two of her majesty’s agents out to thwart eccentric villains. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the 1998 film a 5% score and were unsparing in their criticism, calling it “an ineptly written, woefully miscast disaster,” though the cast also included Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman, and Sean Connery. It grossed just $23.3 million.

Two years after the debut of “South Park,” this animated motion-picture version of the animated TV series about irreverent kids living in a dysfunctional town was released. The film was intended by director Trey Parker to help wrap up the series. Instead, it revitalized it, and “South Park” is now in its 26th season. The movie grossed $52 million.

The television series “The Wild, Wild West” was a stylish take on the Western genre. Robert Conrad played the brawling lawman while Ross Martin was a debonair federal agent. In an anachronistic twist, they were equipped with gadgets typically used by spies in the 1960s. The movie paired Will Smith and Kevin Kline, and though it grossed $113.8 million, critics on Rotten Tomatoes called it a “bizarre misfire in which greater care was lavished upon the special effects than on the script.”

“Charlie’s Angels,” starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu, was based on the television series that starred Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, and Farrah Fawcett. Yes, the film and TV series were all about eye candy, but Rotten Tomatoes critics still credited the movie as “slick and reasonably fun despite its lack of originality.” The film grossed $125.3 million and produced two sequels.

The television series broke barriers as the first to pair a white actor (Robert Culp) with an African-American actor (Bill Cosby) in starring roles. Their breezy repartee as American spies masquerading as tennis bums turned the series into a hit. Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy played those roles in the film version, dismissed by Rotten Tomatoes critics as “Insipid and mirthless.” It grossed $33.6 million and was one of the few clunkers in Murphy’s film career.

“Scooby-Doo” is a live-action film based on the animated series that follows the adventures of crime-solving teens and their quasi-talking Great Dane, Scooby Doo. Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Linda Cardellini, the film grossed $153.3 million.

The television series aired for just a brief time but produced one of TV’s most recognizable theme songs. The plot of the film “S.W.A.T.” (it stands for Special Weapons and Tactics) centered on a jailed drug kingpin who offers $100 million to anyone who can spring him. The movie starred Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, and LL Cool J. Rotten Tomatoes critics said the film was “a competent, but routine police thriller.” It took in $116.9 million at the box office.

Disney children’s television series star Hillary Duff was the must-see performer for pre-high school girls in the early 2000s, starring in the TV series “Lizzie McGuire.” The movie capitalized on the series’ success, grossing $42.7 million. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the film a score of 40%, dismissing it as a “harmless piece of fluff.”

The 1970s cop-buddy television show starred Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul as streetwise cops. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson recreated the roles on film 25 years after the show went off the air. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave a reluctant nod to the movie, citing the chemistry between Stiller and Wilson and better-than-expected script. “Starsky & Hutch” grossed $88.4 million.

The movie “Serenity” is based on the Emmy Award-winning science-fiction series “Firefly.” The series was set 500 years in the future and focused on a renegade crew piloting a spacecraft to different parts of the galaxy trying to survive. Nathan Fillion and Gina Torres starred in the series and the film, which grossed $25.5 million.

“The Dukes of Hazzard” are the good ole boys and girl Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke, out to run moonshine in their 1969 Dodge Charger, dubbed the “General Lee,” trying to avoid the authorities along the way. The film of the same name was panned by critics, who said it was “a dumb, goofy, and vacuous adaptation of a TV show.” It starred Seann William Scott, Johnny Knoxville, and Jessica Simpson, and grossed $80.3 million.

Few TV shows captured the vibe of the 1980s like “Miami Vice.” Buddy cops played by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas set the fashion tone and drove Ferraris around Miami to chase bad guys. Jan Hammer’s futuristic, big-beat theme was pretty cool, too. Michael Mann helmed the film version, whose stars, Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, lacked the charisma of the original pair, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The movie managed a box-office gross of $63.4 million.

Another animated TV series made into a movie in the midst of its TV run was “The Simpsons,” one of the longest-running television series ever. In the film, Homer accidentally contaminates Springfield’s water supply, and the town is encased in a huge dome. The movie was a smash, grossing $183.1 million, and critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 87%.

Star power helped transform the “Transformers” animated series into a live-action hit. Headlined by Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson, the Michael Mann-directed motion picture took in a whopping $319.3 million. Rotten Tomatoes critics were captivated by the special effects for what they called the “quintessential summer blockbuster.”

The television series, created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, was a send-up of the spy genre, with Don Adams playing a dim-witted secret agent. Nearly 40 years after it went off primetime TV, “Get Smart” came to the big screen, with Steve Carell as the dense Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as his fellow agent, 99. Rotten Tomatoes critics found the film uninspiring and with few laughs. It grossed $130.3 million.

Television’s favorite fashionistas were brought back on the silver screen in 2008. The film updates their romantic relationships as well as the health challenges that they overcame. Rotten Tomatoes critics said “Sex and the City lost “steam in the transition to the big screen.” The movie grossed $152.6 million – apparently enough to justify a sequel, “Sex and the City 2,” in 2010.

Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the film version of “State of Play,” based on a well-regarded British series about political intrigue and coverups, a score of 84%, calling it a “taut, well-acted political thriller.” The film was also lifted by a cast of boldfaced names such as Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, and Helen Mirren. The movie failed to stir audiences and grossed just $37 million.

The action TV series starred George Peppard and Mr. T leading a team of Vietnam War vets who were framed for a crime they didn’t commit. They help people while trying to clear their names. In the movie, the vets are from Iraq, and the stars are Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper. “The A-Team” got a better reception from fans on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 66%, than from critics (49%), who said it was “explosive yet muddled blockbuster filmmaking.” The movie grossed $77.2 million.

This live-action animated film hybrid based on the television cartoon featured the voices of Hank Azaria, Katy Perry, and Jonathan Winters. In the movie, the blue Smurfs are chased out of their village into Manhattan. “Uninspired,” “charmless,” and “unimaginative” were some of the descriptions of the film by Rotten Tomatoes critics, who gave “The Smurfs” a score of 21%. The film grossed $142.6 million and led to a sequel nonetheless.

You might remember Johnny Depp’s appearance on “21 Jump Street,” a TV series in the late 80s about a group of youthful cops sent to a high school to blend in and break up a drug ring. The movie starred Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, and Brie Larson. It was well-received by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, who gave it a score of 85%, saying “21 Jump Street” was a “smart, affectionate satire of ’80s nostalgia and teen movie tropes.” It grossed $138.4 million and spawned a sequel.

Kristen Bell played the law-school hopeful and amateur sleuth Veronica Mars on TV and also in this film adaptation. After returning to her hometown for a high school reunion, she has to help an old boyfriend involved in a murder. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes thought there was “enough sharp writing and solid performances to entertain viewers in the mood for a character-driven thriller.” Apparently not enough fans of the TV series thought so, though the film grossed just $3.3 million.

“The Equalizer” was a series in the 1980s starring Edward Woodward, rebooted in 2021 with Queen Latifah in the title role. The film version, starring Denzel Washington, was more of a hit with Rotten Tomatoes fans (76%) than critics (60%). Even so, critics felt Washington delivered as an avenging angel working against the Russian mob. The movie grossed $101.5 million and has led to a sequel, with another one under development.

This quintessential 1960s spy series starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum (the same David McCallum in the series “NCIS”) as Cold War spy adversaries united to fight a criminal organization. The 2015 film, directed by Guy Ritchie, starred Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer in the same roles. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 68%, saying the movie’s charismatic stars overcame a film lacking substance. “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (it stands for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) grossed $45.4 million.

The television series, which starred Lynda Carter, was among the first to depict a woman as a superhero. Nearly 40 years after the series went off the air, Patty Jenkins broke barriers by becoming the first woman to direct a blockbuster. Gal Gadot was in the title role and the movie made her an international star. Rotten Tomatoes critics gushed that the film was “thrilling and earnest” in giving it a score of 93%. It grossed $412.8 million and produced a sequel.

(2000-2014, 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the film – a live-action version of the beloved animated series about a young explorer – a score of 85%, hailing the “a winning performance from Isabela Moner” as Dora and said the film retained the youthful spirit from the TV series. “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” grossed $60.5 million.

“Breaking Bad,” a TV series about a chemistry teacher (Bryan Cranston) turned crystal meth maker, is considered by some television historians to be the greatest series ever shown on television. The series ended in the death of Cranston’s character. The movie picks up with the story of his cohort, played by Aaron Paul. Rotten Tomatoes critics called “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” a “satisfying belated coda to the Breaking Bad story – led by a career-best performance from Aaron Paul.” They gave the film a score of 91%.

“Downton Abbey,” about an English aristocratic family adjusting to changes in the early 20th century, was the most successful British series ever shown on American television. The full-length film was enjoyed by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, who awarded it a score of 84%, saying it was “a fittingly resplendent homecoming.” Fans gave it a score of 94%. The film grossed $96.8 million and a sequel has recently been released.

As a movie, “The Many Saints of Newark” was a prequel to the runaway television smash “The Sopranos,” a series about a conflicted New Jersey mob boss, Tony Soprano, and his family. The movie takes place in Newark in 1967, the year of the riots in that city, and shows the impact gang life had on the young Soprano. Rotten Tomatoes critics said the film was a good companion piece to the series and would satisfy fans and gave it a score of 71%. It did not do well at the box office, grossing $8.2 million.