Originally by Ranker TVList RulesAny television adaptation of a film, live-action or animated
List of the best TV shows based on movies. Here are the rankings of the top television series that all began with a film. When a story is so never-ending and epic, it is often perfect for a franchise. Books, remakes, and cross-overs between film and television. "M*A*S*H" is one of those rare instances of the film and television show both being perfect -- although "The Odd Couple" might fit that description. Did you know "Friday Night Lights" was a movie before a hit TV show? And what about all the animated ones like "RoboCop" and "Clerks?" "Teen Wolf" is now MTV's number one scripted series and it evolved from a feature film. Many of your favorite Disney movies are now shows as well.
These are the greatest movies-turned-TV-shows in the history of entertainment. With "Parenthood" also on the air, it is time to look back at the best TV series that are based on movies that have ever graced both screens.
1
1,576613M*A*S*H
1972Actors: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swi
Genres (Tv): Black comedy, Medical drama, Sitcom, Satire, Military
Based on: MASH (1970)M*A*S*H is an American television series developed by Larry Gelbart, adapted from the 1970... more2
1,771846Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, James Marsters
Genres (Tv): Supernatural, Horror, Comedy-drama, Teen drama, Action
Based on: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)Buffy the Vampire Slayer (The WB, 1997) is an American supernatural drama television series... more3
1,039816Stargate SG-1
1997Actors: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping
Genres (Tv): Military science fiction, Action/Adventure, Adventure film, Action, Science Fiction
Based on: Stargate (1994)Stargate SG-1 is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of... more4
967783Actors: Adrian Paul, Stan Kirsch, Jim Byrnes
Genres (Tv): Supernatural, Action/Adventure, Drama, Adventure film, Action
Based on: Highlander (1986)Highlander: The Series is a fantasy science fiction action-adventure television series... more5
680782The Odd Couple
1970Actors: Jack Klugman, Tony Randall, Penny Marshall
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
Based on: The Odd Couple (1968)The Odd Couple, formally titled onscreen Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, is an American... more6
1,515804Actors: Maurice LaMarche, Dave Coulier, Frank Welker
Genres (Tv): Animation, Action/Adventure, Animated cartoon, Children's television series, Mystery
Based on: Ghostbusters (1984)The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series, a spinoff of the 1984 movie... more7
389177Muppet Babies
1984Actors: Greg Berg, Katie Leigh, Laurie O'Brien
Genres (Tv): Animation, Animated cartoon, Children's television series
Based on: The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, commonly known by the shortened title Muppet Babies, is an... more8
1,498748Beetlejuice
1989Actors: Stephen Ouimette, Alyson Court, Tabitha St. Germain
Genres (Tv): Horror comedy, Black comedy, Animation, Animated cartoon, Children's television series
Based on: Beetlejuice (1988)Beetlejuice is an American-Canadian animated television series which ran from September 9,... more9
273185Westworld
2016Actors: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal
Genres (Tv): Sci-fi, Drama, Western
Based on: Westworld (1973)
Westworld (HBO, 2016) is an American science fiction western thriller television series... more10
714932Actors: Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau
Genres (Tv): Action/Adventure, Drama, Science fiction
Based on: The Terminator franchise (1984)Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox, 2008) is an American science fiction television... more11
677658Actors: Rob Paulsen, Tim Curry, Jim Cummings
Genres (Tv): Animation, Animated cartoon, Action, Animated series
The Mask aka The Mask: Animated Series is an American animated television series based on the... more12
1,092667Actors: Tom Kane, Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter
Genres (Tv): Computer Animation, Animation, Children's television series, Action, Science Fiction
Based on: Star Wars franchise (1977)This show is an American 3D CGI animated television series created by George Lucas and... more13
527862Actors: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Gaius Charles
Genres (Tv): Teen drama, Sports drama, Family drama
Based on: Friday Night Lights (2004)Friday Night Lights (NBC, 2006) is an American sports drama television series developed by... more14
320187Aladdin
1994Actors: Scott Weinger, Linda Larkin, Dan Castellaneta
Genres (Tv): Animation, Animated cartoon, Children's television series, Adventure film, Comedy-drama
Based on: Aladdin (1992)
Aladdin is an animated television series made by Walt Disney Television Animation which aired... more15
482669Nikita
2010Actors: Maggie Q, Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Drama, Thriller, Adventure film, Action
Based on: La Femme Nikita (1990)Nikita (The CW, 2010) is an American crime drama television series and reboot of the Canadian... more16
588681Actors: Carroll O'Connor, Howard Rollins, Anne-Marie Johnson, Lois Nettleton, Alan Autry
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Drama
Based on: In the Heat of the Night (1967)In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the film and the novel of... more17
561563Actors: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes
Genres (Tv): Animation, Sitcom, Comedy
Clerks is an American animated sitcom based on Kevin Smith's 1994 comedy of the same name. It... more18
377748Alice
1976Actors: Linda Lavin, Beth Howland, Vic Tayback
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
Based on: Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to March 19, 1985... more19
566615Mr. Belvedere
1985Actors: Fergie, Kellie Martin, Bob Uecker, Christopher Hewett, Twink Caplan
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
Based on: Sitting Pretty (1948)Mr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985 to July... more20
408554Fargo
2014Actors: Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst
Genres (Tv): Comedy, Drama, Crime
Based on: Fargo (1996)Fargo (FX, 2014) is an American black comedy drama anthology television series created by Noah... more21
646490Actors: Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, David Ogden Stiers
Genres (Tv): Animation, Animated cartoon, Comedy, Science Fiction, Animated series
Lilo & Stitch: The Series is the animated television spinoff of the feature film, Lilo &... more22
767608Timon & Pumbaa
1995Actors: Ernie Sabella, Kevin Schon, Jim Cummings
Genres (Tv): Animation, Animated cartoon, Children's television series, Comedy, Animated series
Based on: The Lion King (1994)The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, often simply referred to as Timon & Pumbaa, is an American... more23
536576Actors: Len Carlson, Susan Roman, Dan Hennessey, Ron James, Barbara Budd
Genres (Tv): Animation, Action/Adventure, Animated cartoon, Children's television series, Adventure film
Based on: RoboCop (1987)RoboCop: The Animated Series is an American animated series produced in the 1980s by Marvel... more24
676553Actors: David Kaufman, Dan Castellaneta, Bill Nye
Genres (Tv): Animation, Animated cartoon, Live action, Adventure film, Science Fiction
Based on: Back to the Future (1985)Back to the Future is an animated series for television based on the Back to the Future... more25
536578Actors: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, T.J. Miller
Genres (Tv): Animation, Children's television series, Adventure film, Action, Fantasy
Based on: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)DreamWorks Dragons is an American computer-animated television series based on the 2010 film... more
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25