50 Best Movies Based on Television Shows

Every year, a number of Hollywood movies are released which were originally hit television shows. In the following list, I’ll look at the best available options for Blu-Ray or DVD owners. We’re calling this one “50 Best Movies Based on Television Shows,” and don’t forget to catch Land of the Lost when it opens on June 5th.

Funny Movies Adapted from Television

They were funny on the boob tube, and hopefully they’ll be just as funny on the big screen.

1. The Addams Family – The kooky and spooky family makes their big-screen debut with Raul Julia and a young Christina Ricci.
2. Beavis and Butt-Head Do America – Everyone’s favorite juvenile delinquents take their act on the road.
3. The Brady Bunch Movie – Gary Cole and Shelley Long are spot-on as the leaders of the hilarious Brady clan.
4. The Dukes of Hazzard – Things never slow down in Hazzard county, and this time Burt Reynolds plays Boss Hogg.
5. Get Smart – Steve Carell plays Agent Maxwell Smart, while Anne Hathaway is the sexy Agent 99.
6. I Spy – Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy team up for some adventures in the spy trade.
7. Jackass: The Movie – Johnny Knoxville and crew bring their dangerous stunts and sophomoric humor to the masses.
8. The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse – Adapted from the popular BBC comedy about the bizarre inhabitants of Royston Vassey in the northern part of England.
9. Maverick – Mel Gibson takes over James Garner’s role as a smooth-talking Old West gambler.
10. And Now for Something Completely Different – The Monty Python crew bring us this hilarious film filled with comedy sketches.
11. Monty Python and the Holy Grail – King Arthur and his knights undertake a side-splitting quest for the Holy Grail.
12. Monty Python’s Life of Brian – The funny and controversial film about Brian, a man whose life closely mirrors that of Jesus.
13. Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl – Live performances of classic skits from the boys of Monty Python.
14. Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life – More classic skits and sketches from the funniest comedy troupe of all time.
15. Bean – Mr. Bean may not say much, but his physical humor is enough to leave anyone in stitches.
16. The Muppet Movie – Kermit, Miss Piggy and many more star in the first of several Muppet movies.
17. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! – Leslie Nielsen plays the bumbling Frank Drebin, a police detective with some very unusual ideas about fighting crime.
18. The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear – Frank Drebin returns to save the day once again, and Priscilla Presley is also back as his love interest.
19. Blues Brothers – John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd are Jake and Elwood Blues, a couple of blues musicians on a mission from God.
20. Wayne’s World – Mike Myers and Dana Carvey are Wayne and Garth, a couple of Canadian slackers with a hip public access show.
21. Wayne’s World 2 – Wayne and Garth return for more adventures. This time around, the duo must organize a totally bitchin’ outdoor concert. Party on!
22. Stuart Saves His Family – Stuart Smalley, obsessed with twelve-step programs, must return home to help his family – the people responsible for many of his problems.
23. Scooby-Doo – An updated version of the Scooby Gang, with Matthew Lillard as Shaggy and a CGI version of Scooby.
24. Strange Brew – Bob and Doug McKenzie try to save beer drinkers around the globe from an evil brewmeister.
25. The Simpsons Movie – Homer, Bart, Marge and Lisa all make their way to the big screen. Doh!
26. Starsky and Hutch – Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson take a more comedic look at this cop show from the ’70s. Vince Vaughn is the bad guy.
27. Land of the Lost – Will Farrell stars as a moron who gets stranded in a primitive land. Opens June 5th in theaters.
28. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – Satan and Saddam Hussein team up, and it’s up to the kids of South Park, Colorado to stop them.

Action Movies Adapted from Television

These movies feature plenty of gunplay, explosions, and maybe a car chase or two.

29. Charlie’s Angels – Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore star as angels for a new generation. Directed by McG.
30. The Fugitive – Harrison Ford sets out to prove his innocence while being pursued by Tommy Lee Jones.
31. U.S. Marshals – Tommy Lee Jones goes solo in this spin-off of The Fugitive.
32. The Saint – Val Kilmer wears numerous disguises and romances Elizabeth Shue. Meanwhile, he works on bringing down a corrupt Russian industrialist.
33. The Singing Detective – Part detective noir and part musical, this adaptation stars Robert Downey Jr. and Mel Gibson.
34. The Untouchables – Sean Connery plays a tough Chicago cop who takes a young Elliot Ness under his wing to bring down Al Capone.
35. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Cowabunga, dude! A group of kung-fu-kicking mutant turtles fight crime and the evil Shredder.
36. S.W.A.T. - Members of an elite group try to escort a prisoner. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell and Michelle Rodriguez.
37. Mission: Impossible – Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt, a secret agent who is framed and must assemble a crack team to restore his name.
38. Mission: Impossible II – Ethan Hunt must prevent a powerful bioweapon from being released by rogue agents.
39. Mission: Impossible III – Directed by J.J. Abrams, this film concerns Ethan Hunt coming out of retirement in order to stop a ruthless black market dealer.
40. Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama – Secret agent Kim Possible must once again battle the nefarious schemes of Shego and Dr. Drakken in this animated adventure.
41. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm – Better than many of the live-action versions, this animated version pits Batman against both the deadly Phantasm and the Joker.

Science Fiction Movies Adapted from Television

These movies–and the television shows they were based on–are set among the stars. Most have colorful aliens, and you just never know when an outer space dogfight is going to break out.

42. Serenity – The big-screen version of the Joss Whedon show, Firefly. Part sci-fi odyssey and part western.
43. Lost in Space – An exciting remake of the original series, with William Hurt, Gary Oldman and Matthew LeBlanc.
44. Star Trek: The Motion Picture – A deadly cloud threatens Earth, and only Capt. James T. Kirk can save the day.
45. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The original crew of the Enterprise takes on a genetically-enhanced madman.
46. Star Trek (2009) – The relaunch of the franchise from director/producer J.J. Abrams.
47. Star Trek Generations – The crew of The Next Generation team up with Captain Kirk to save the universe. It was…fun.
48. Transformers – Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox fall in love and stay one step ahead of evil robots named the Decepticons.
49. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – While it hasn’t opened in theaters yet, this sequel should more than please fans of the original.
50. The Twilight Zone: The Movie – While many of the show’s episodes dealt with horror themes, science fiction also played a very large role.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, May 31st, 2009 at 9:54 pm and is filed under Movie Megalists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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One Response to “50 Best Movies Based on Television Shows”

  1. Good Movies of 2007 says:
    November 18, 2009 at 7:01 am

    [...] 50 Best Movies Based on Television Shows [...]

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