10 TV Shows That Inspired Successful Movies
It's no easy feat, but these movies prove that with the right elements, you can have success on both the small screen and the big one.
1. Star Trek ( 1966-1969) to Star Trek (2009)
The TV series Star Trek boldly went where no series had gone before, pushing the boundaries of sci-fi in its three-season run from 1966 to 1969. The adventures of Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew became legendary. The show mixed exciting alien encounters, complex moral quandaries, and a healthy dash of technobabble that had viewers entranced.
Fast forward to 2009, J.J. Abrams rebooted the franchise with a movie simply titled Star Trek. The film offered a clever twist on the series, creating an alternate timeline that allowed for fresh storytelling without erasing the events of the original series. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%, the film was a commercial and critical success, effectively breathing new life into the beloved franchise (albeit not for long on the big screen).
2. Mission: Impossible ( 1966-1973) to Mission: Impossible (1996)
Before Tom Cruise was Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible was a television show that ran from 1966 to 1973. The series focused on the Impossible Missions Force, a team of government spies and specialists who undertook (you guessed it) seemingly impossible missions. The plots were labyrinthine, filled with masks, secret messages, and plot twists galore.
In 1996, the series transitioned to film, with Tom Cruise at the helm. The movie borrowed many elements from the series, including the iconic self-destructing message, but added more breathtaking action sequences. It was a box office hit, spawning a franchise that's still going strong, with its latest installment, Mission: Impossible 7, just released in July 2023.
3. The Addams Family (1964-1966) to The Addams Family (1991)
The Addams Family TV show introduced viewers to the creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky family living in a gloomy mansion. The series, running from 1964 to 1966, presented a satirical inversion of the typical American family, with a loving vampire-like father, a witchy mother, and two strange children.
The 1991 film adaptation brought the family into color and onto the big screen. It was a critical and commercial success, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 67%. The movie added a storyline involving a long-lost Uncle Fester, allowing the characters to shine in all their delightful weirdness. It even spawned a sequel, Addams Family Values, and ultimately gave us the 2022's hit, Wednesday.
4. 21 Jump Street (1987-1991) to 21 Jump Street (2012)
21 Jump Street was a late 80s crime drama that followed young-looking police officers who went undercover in high schools. It dealt with serious issues like drug use, hate crimes, and alcoholism, and was a launching pad for Johnny Depp 's career.
But in 2012, 21 Jump Street got a hilarious cinematic reboot starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. The movie took the premise of the series and added a comedic twist. It became a hilarious exploration of the changes in high school culture, friendship, and of course, the many, many pratfalls of undercover police work. With a stunning 85% Rotten Tomatoes rating, it was an unexpected hit that led to a successful sequel.
5. MASH (1972-1983) to MASH (1970)
This is a unique case as the movie actually inspired the TV show, but it's too interesting to ignore. MAS*H was a dark comedy film set during the Korean War, focusing on a team of doctors in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. The movie tackled the horrors of war through satire and was a critical and commercial success.
The subsequent TV show, which ran for an impressive eleven seasons, retained the movie's anti-war sentiment and dark humor but added more character development and episodic plots. With an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the series ranks among the best TV shows of all time.
6. The X-Files (1993-2002, 2016-2018) to The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998)
The truth was definitely out there in The X-Files, a TV show that mixed conspiracy theories, supernatural phenomena, and the unwavering faith of one FBI agent, Fox Mulder. Alongside his skeptical partner, Dana Scully, the duo spent nine seasons (plus two revival seasons) investigating the inexplicable and uncovering government conspiracies.
In 1998, at the height of the show's popularity, The X-Files: Fight the Future was released. The movie expanded on the series' complex mythology and included everything fans loved about the show: intrigue, creepiness, and the palpable chemistry between Mulder and Scully. The film was a box office success, proving that the truth (and the money) was indeed out there.
7. The Fugitive (1963-1967) to The Fugitive (1993)
The Fugitive was a compelling TV drama about a man on the run after being wrongly convicted of his wife's murder. For four seasons, Richard Kimble eluded the relentless Lt. Philip Gerard while also trying to find the one-armed man he believed to be the real killer.
The 1993 film adaptation had a lot to live up to and it certainly did, becoming a massive hit. Harrison Ford brought a quiet intensity to the role of Richard Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones won an Oscar for his portrayal of the dogged U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard. The film holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, cementing its legacy as a classic of the 90s.
8. The Twilight Zone ( 1959-1964) to Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
The Twilight Zone was a groundbreaking TV series that blurred the lines between science fiction, horror, and drama. Its chilling, moral-laden tales narrated by the enigmatic Rod Serling have since become the stuff of legends.
Twilight Zone: The Movie, released in 1983, was an anthology film that reimagined three classic episodes and added a new story. Despite the tragic accident during production that resulted in three deaths, the movie was a moderate success at the box office. Each segment retained the eerie, thought-provoking tone of the series, proving that the dimension of imagination is indeed a timeless one.
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-present) to The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants, of course! This immensely popular Nickelodeon series has been enchanting kids and adults alike with its nautical nonsense since 1999.
In 2004, our absorbent and yellow and porous friend made his big-screen debut in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. The movie featured the same colorful characters, witty humor, and charm of the TV show, but with an epic adventure that spanned the entire ocean. The film grossed over $140 million worldwide, proving that this particular sponge could soak up the love from the audience, both on the small and big screen.
10. Sex and the City ( 1998-2004) to Sex and the City (2008)
Sex and the City, the trendsetting TV series, followed the lives of four women – Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha – in New York City. With its frank discussions of sex, relationships, and women's issues, the show became a cultural phenomenon.
In 2008, Sex and the City made its transition to the big screen. The movie continued the ladies' stories, delivering the same blend of drama, romance, and designer fashion that fans had come to love. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film was a box office success, earning over $418 million worldwide. It even sparked a sequel, because much like Carrie's love for shoes, the audience's love for these four friends was insatiable.