20 Forgotten TV Exhibits Primarily based on Motion pictures

Some motion pictures develop into greater than motion pictures. They depart indelible marks on the psyches of hundreds of thousands of followers, and develop into touchstones in folks’s lives. Generally, they seep their manner into different corners of popular culture as properly; they get become toys or video video games, or they get tailored to tv.

There are many examples of TV exhibits primarily based on motion pictures that equaled and even exceeded their cinematic inspirations. For lots of people, the very first thing that involves thoughts whenever you say the phrase “M*A*S*H” is the long-running Alan Alda sitcom, not the sooner Robert Altman film. The identical goes for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Shut your eyes and movie Buffy and also you in all probability envision Sarah Michelle Gellar, not Kristy Swanson.

Which is unquestionably why Hollywood has made so many tv exhibits primarily based on motion pictures through the years; after they hit, they hit large. However after they don’t, properly, they actually don’t. Take the 20 tv exhibits listed beneath, all primarily based on movies in that “greater than motion pictures” class, that in contrast to their supply materials, have vanished into the TV ether. If, like me, you forgot these exhibits even existed, there are movies embedded to jog your reminiscences. (In some instances, although, it was in all probability higher to overlook.)

Physician Dolittle (1970-1)

1967’s Physician Dolittle turned one of many extra infamous flops of its period; a big-budget musical extravaganza that almost price triple its unique $6 million finances and wound up scoring a shock Finest Image nomination on the Academy Awards anyway. (Mark Harris’ nice movie historical past e-book Footage at a Revolution chronicles the entire story if you wish to be taught extra.) However that Dolittle model was nonetheless robust sufficient that Fox Tv determined to make an animated sequence a couple of years later — one clearly impressed by the movie. It featured its personal model of the film’s Oscar-winning music “Discuss to the Animals,” and had lead voice actor Bob Holt imitate the Dolittle movie’s lead actor, Rex Harrison. Very similar to the big-screen model, although, the animated Physician Dolittle was not successful with audiences, and it ended after a single season of 17 episodes.

Shaft (1973-4)

It’s not unusual for successful film to spawn a tv sequence; it’s quite a bit rarer for the star of stated film to seem on the present. However the temporary sequence of Shaft TV movies that aired in 1973 and 1974 on CBS did function Richard Roundtree as iconic detective John Shaft. Seven movies have been produced with Roundtree as Shaft however, in a curious selection, CBS aired Shaft on alternating Tuesdays with a present referred to as Hawkins, starring Jimmy Stewart as a small-town Southern lawyer — not essentially the identical audience as a present in regards to the cat who gained’t cop out when there’s hazard all about (John Shaft). The mixture didn’t take off, and each Shaft and Hawkins obtained the shaft after the 1973-4 season.

Planet of the Apes (1974)

When Hollywood had squeezed all of the juice it might out of the unique Planet of the Apes movie sequence, the property was briefly moved to tv. For the umpteenth time, a crew of astronauts from the human world have been despatched into outer area and someway wound up within the far future, when Earth had been reworked into [dramatic pause for a twist you’ll never see coming] a planet of the apes! Franchise mainstay Roddy McDowell starred as a brand new ape character. However the identical challenge that troubled the later Apes motion pictures turned much more of an issue on TV: The finances, and the truth that the much less producers spent on their ape costumes and masks, the much less convincing the sci-fi actuality seemed. Solely 14 episodes have been produced earlier than CBS canceled the present as a consequence of poor scores, at which level die-hard Apes followers screamed “You maniacs! You blew it up! Rattling you! Rattling you all to improvement hell!”

Delta Home (1979)

Nationwide Lampoon’s Animal Home barely obtained away with depicting the exploits of an anarchic fraternity in a big-screen film with an R-rating. How did anybody assume it might work underneath the restrictions of broadcast tv? — or with out the reside wire personalities like John Belushi who made the movie such a smash hit? And even when they thought it would possibly work, who determined that the most effective time to air that present was at 8PM on Saturdays? One disastrous conceptual selection after one other doomed Delta Home from the beginning. It flunked out after 13 episodes within the winter and spring of 1979.

Starman (1986-7)

John Carpenter’s Starman left dangling a plot thread — the alien’s hybrid child — which helped spawn this one-season surprise of a TV present. Set over a decade after the occasions of the movie, the Starman’s child is now a confused teenager (Christopher Daniel Barnes, higher generally known as the voice of Peter Parker on the ’90s Spider-Man cartoon), and stated E.T. (now performed by Airplane!’s Robert Hays as an alternative of Jeff Bridges) returns to Earth to assist his son alter to life on Earth. The present mimicked the format of The Fugitive; every week, the pair looked for the boy’s lacking mom whereas utilizing their alien talents to assist strangers they encountered alongside the best way. Regardless of the intriguing premise, the sequence solely survived on ABC for a single season.

Teen Wolf (1986-7)

The Teen Wolf sequence on MTV within the 2010s turned a little bit of a popular culture phenomenon. It lasted on the air for six seasons and 100 episodes, then went out with a function movie finale on Paramount+. However do you know that’s not the primary Teen Wolf TV present? Simply over a 12 months after the premiere of the unique Michael J. Fox Teen Wolf movie, CBS debuted an animated present primarily based on the movie, with Townsend Coleman — AKA Michaelangelo from the primary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon — voicing Fox’s character. The present was so crummy it was performed earlier than Teen Wolf Too debuted in theaters within the fall of 1987.

Police Academy (1988-9)

One of many stranger popular culture traits of the Nineteen Eighties was the kidification of R-rated motion pictures into kids’s leisure. Quite a few movies that began as adults-only fare — RoboCop, First Blood, Police Academy — all wound up as Saturday morning or afterschool cartoons. Within the case of Police Academy, all of the acquainted heroes from the movie franchise returned, all voiced by soundalikes, with an emphasis on slapstick humor as an alternative of raunchy pranks and double entendres. The present did properly sufficient within the late ’80s to remain on the air for 2 seasons, however because the Police Academy movie sequence pale into obscurity, the already lesser-known kiddie TV adaptation pale proper together with it.

The Karate Child (1989)

Like Teen Wolf, The Karate Child had its personal long-forgotten animated sequence many years earlier than a preferred TV revival. The animated Karate Child started airing on NBC only a few months after The Karate Child Half III opened in theaters with a plot and character designs impressed by the second Karate Child movie, when Daniel LaRusso adopted his karate instructor, Mr. Miyagi, again house to Okinawa. On the animated sequence, an all-important shrine has been stolen, and Daniel-san and Miyagi should monitor it down. Though soundalikes changed Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in the important thing roles, Morita did present voiceovers for many episodes within the present’s solely season.

Uncle Buck (1990-1)

Terrific John Sweet efficiency and delicate John Hughes script apart, Uncle Buck at all times had a vaguely sitcomy premise: A single man agrees to babysit his brother’s three youngsters whereas the brother and his spouse depart on an vital household journey. Within the TV model — with Kevin Meaney within the Sweet function — the mother and father die and Buck turns into the trio’s everlasting guardian. (Darkish!) Regardless of holding the doubtful honor of being the primary present in historical past to make use of the phrase “You suck!” Uncle Buck didn’t even get to complete out its first and solely season earlier than it was canceled. Six episodes (together with one referred to as, tee hee, “Sixty Candles”) have been by no means aired. Regardless of the present’s failure, a second TV remake was created in 2016 with Mike Epps as Uncle Buck. That model had a fair shorter shelf life, and ended after simply eight episodes.

Fievel’s American Tails (1992)

Some of the inconceivable franchises in historical past, An American Tail, a few household of Russian Jewish mice who to migrate to America, continued right into a sequel, Fievel Goes West, by which the household strikes out to the frontier, after which the Fievel’s American Tails sequence, by which Fievel continues his adventures within the West. A number of unique voices from the movie returned for the sequence, together with lead actor Phillips Glasser, however different voices have been changed. Jon Lovitz’s character, for instance, was now performed by Homer Simpson voice actor Dan Castellaneta.

A League of Their Personal (1993)

Solely six episodes have been produced — and solely 5 have been aired — of this present primarily based on the vastly standard movie a few crew of feminine baseball gamers throughout World Conflict II. It featured many of the characters from the film — like abusive Coach Dugan and star catcher Dottie Hinson — however virtually a wholly new forged. Which works to indicate: It’s not at all times the premise that attracts folks right into a film; it’s the personalities of the performers that convey that premise to life. A second League of Their Personal sequence premiered on Amazon in 2022. It was speculated to get a second season, however the plans for extra episodes have been deserted within the aftermath of the 2023 Hollywood strikes.

Drawback Baby (1993-4)

I vividly keep in mind the live-action Drawback Baby movies, with John Ritter as a person coping with the adopted son from hell. I’ve zero recollection of the Drawback Baby tv sequence, which aired on USA for 2 seasons within the early Nineteen Nineties. And I watched loads of USA Community cartoons in that interval. I even keep in mind the cruddy Highlander animated sequence. (Sure, they made a cartoon in regards to the film the place immortal warriors lower every others’ heads off. I informed you theydidn’t give a crap about whether or not content material was acceptable for youths again within the day.) Anyway, I suppose I’m a part of the issue. Sorry, Drawback Baby.

Beethoven (1994)

The Beethoven motion pictures have been about an outsized St. Bernard who causes havoc for his homeowners. Nevertheless it wasn’t like Beethoven was a magic canine or had some type of ongoing interior monologue the place he gloated over screwing with Charles Grodin. However when the choice was made to transform Beethoven to a cartoon sequence, it was additionally determined that he ought to behave based on the legal guidelines of cartoons, by which animals routinely discuss and possess human personalities. Solely 13 episodes have been aired on CBS earlier than the present landed within the community’s doghouse. Woof.

READ MORE: Well-known TV Exhibits That Shared Units

Dumb and Dumber (1995-6)

The cult of persona round Jim Carrey was such that every one three of his breakthrough 1994 motion pictures turned animated sequence, none of which featured Carrey’s voice. Of these three sequence, probably the most profitable was The Masks, whose cartoonish superhero was tailored for an animated present. That one hung round for a decent three seasons and even obtained its personal line of motion figures. Ace Ventura’s rubbery face and outlandish antics additionally translated to cartoons; his sequence hung round for 3 seasons as properly. Final and definitely least of the bunch was the Dumb and Dumber cartoon, which crapped out like Jeff Daniels after guzzling espresso stuffed with laxatives after solely 13 episodes.

The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (1998-9)

The Crow movie franchise had already launched the thought of various folks getting resurrected with the powers of the Crow, so spinning the idea off right into a TV sequence ought to have been a cinch. Curiously, the TV model of The Crow as an alternative introduced again the Brandon Lee character from the primary film, now performed by Mark Dacascos. That might simply appear to ask all types of pointless comparisons to the unique movie and to Lee, who died throughout filming when a stunt went terribly improper. The syndicated Crow sequence was ultimately canceled after one 12 months on the air.

The Mummy (2001-3)

Few movie franchises evoke extra Millennial nostalgia than the Brendan Fraser Mummy motion pictures, due to their crowd-pleasing mix of horror and swashbuckling journey. However you don’t hear lots of speak about The Mummy’s subsequent animated sequence that was a part of the Youngsters WB! animation block for 2 seasons within the early 2000s. It used the continuity of The Mummy Returns — which gave Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz’s characters a son to incorporate on adventures. He turned a handy protagonist for a present focused to kids.

Blade: The Sequence (2006)

David S. Goyer, the primary author of the Wesley Snipes Blade franchise (and director of the ultimate movie, Blade: Trinity), created this sequel sequence for Spike TV.  Kirk Jones, AKA Sticky Fingaz, changed Snipes, and Goyer wrote the pilot with DC Comics author Geoff Johns. The present garnered strong scores on cable, however its particular results and motion made it pricey to supply and Spike determined to not give it a second season. The inventive crew protested, after all, as a result of some motherf—ers are at all times attempting to ice skate uphill.

Spaceballs: The Animated Sequence (2008-9)

The just lately introduced Spaceballs sequel made good on the unique movie’s promise to reunite its heroes sometime for The Search For Extra Cash. However Mel Brooks had already made one (type of) sequel to Spaceballs: Somewhat-seen animated present that aired on the now-defunct cable channel G4 within the 2000s. Along with its persevering with parody of Star Wars, particular Spaceballs episodes spoofed different elements of popular culture, together with Jurassic Park and Grand Theft Auto. A number of the unique forged did return, together with director Mel Brooks, however those that had retired (like Rick Moranis) or handed away (like John Sweet) have been changed. Hyped at San Diego Comedian-Con 2007, the present didn’t materialize on G4 till a full 12 months later, after which quietly blew via its single season of episodes.

Napoleon Dynamite (2012)

Quirky film comedies are likely to have a troublesome time on tv. Clerks, one of many defining indies of the Nineteen Nineties, had a really rocky go of it at ABC, even if it was created by Kevin Smith and featured many of the movie’s unique forged. Historical past repeated itself a couple of years later when Jared and Jerusha Hess turned their cult hit Napoleon Dynamite into an animated present. Similar to Clerks: The Animated Sequence, the Napoleon Dynamite cartoon obtained canned after solely six episodes on Fox. How might they do this, these freakin’ idiots!

The Continental: From the World of John Wick (2023)

The Continental did not depart a lot of a mark on popular culture, though it was the primary tv sequence primarily based on to the phenomenally standard John Wick sequence of motion movies. Somewhat than embody John Wick himself, the present stuffed within the backstory of Ian McShane’s character Winston, and confirmed how he rose to energy in his youthful days on the New York Continental resort. I benefit from the unusual mythology of the John Wick universe greater than most, however you needed to actually care about the workers of a complicated resort to to get into this one. With so many streaming exhibits and movie glutting the market, Peacock decreed The Continental “excommunicado” after its premiere in 2023.