The Top 10 Best TV Shows Based on Movies
These TV Shows Based on Movies Just Might Be Better Than the Source Material
Typically, when a TV series is good enough it gets a big-screen adaptation. Today, Stars & Popcorn is flipping the script with a list of the best TV shows based on movies. Now, normally I try to stay away from television since I am but one man and there’s only so much I can watch over the course of a week. That being said, I’ve been known to binge-watch a series here and there, and this just felt like a solid list to tackle. Upon commencing my research, I discovered there have been a surprising number of TV shows based on movies over the years, with dozens popping up since the turn of the century alone. For the sake of this list, I’m only sticking to live-action TV shows based on movies and I’m not including any comic book series. Even with those rules in place, it was tough narrowing it down to only 10. Still, I rose to the occasion and pulled together a list of the best of the best. So, go pop some popcorn and grab your favorite beverage, because this list is filled with shows definitely worth binge-watching.
10. Stargate
Network: Showtime and Syfy
When it comes to TV shows based on movies, Stargate has had more than you can shake a stick at. SG-1, Atlantis, Universe, and probably more to come. Honestly, I didn’t care too much for the original movie, but it’s become a cult favorite among many of my fellow geeks, and the series has been nominated for a slew of awards, even winning a respectable handful of them. For the most part, I remember them as shows I used to watch as a kid when I was home sick from school, and they were all pretty solid day time sci-fi series. Though my initial exposure to it was passing, I still think that the Stargate series are worth a shout out because there have been so damn many of them. Geeks are fickle creatures, and if a series doesn’t live up to expectations, you better believe you will hear all about it on message boards.
9. Friday Night Lights
Network: NBC and The 101 Network
Football flicks are incredibly popular in America and more than a few series have been based on them over the years. Now, the only thing America loves more than football is high school drama. That’s probably why Friday Night Lights was such a popular series for five seasons. It even managed to survive the great writer’s strike of 2007 (though it was turned over to another network because of it). Despite being critically acclaimed, Friday Night Lights never experienced especially high ratings. Still, enough people tuned in to watch the harrowing adventures of a bunch of teenagers and their tough high school football coach in a small Texas town every week to keep it alive longer than most series. Because of that and the love it got from critics, Friday Night Lights is a perfect addition to this list of TV shows based on movies.
8. Ash vs Evil Dead
Network: Starz
Few films have achieved the kind of cult status that the Evil Dead series has gained (and the film franchise ain’t done yet), especially for star Bruce Campbell. So, it’s no wonder they ended up turning Sam Rami’s cabin in the woods, Lovecraftian horror flicks into a full-fledged TV show. Best of all, it was actually pretty damn good and managed to capture that bizarre blend of horror and absurdity that was a staple of the films. The piece de resistance though was Campbell himself returning in the lead role as Ash Williams, forced out of retirement to help keep the world safe from demons once more. As always, Ash is less than PC, which is why he was given some handy sidekicks to help update him for millennials. Alas, it only made it three seasons, but that just makes it easier to binge-watch.
7. Westworld
Network: HBO
You’ll notice a trend on this list of TV shows based on movies that a lot of the source materials for these series aren’t really “good.” Westworld was a campy 70s flick about a western-themed amusement park filled with androids. In typical science fiction fashion, the androids suffer a little glitch that makes them turn on the park attendees. The series goes so much deeper than that as it tackles all the perils that come with creating artificial intelligence and even the very meaning of what it is to be alive. HBO’s Westworld dives into the people who made the park possible and all the roles required from developing the technology to creating narratives within the park for the androids to follow. Just like the movie though, the robots in the park slowly become self-aware, which is bad news for the visitors.
6. Bates Motel
Network: A&E
America has a sick fascination with murderers and psychopaths. So, it’s no wonder an old school “psycho” like Norman Bates got a series. Of course, we all (hopefully) know what happened to good old Norman in his later years, but what made him so messed up that he’d keep his mother’s corpse around and dress up in her clothes? Well, Bates Motel tries to answer that as it tells the character’s origin story. Just like in the film, the show takes place in one of the most infamous hotels in movie history. However, Norman’s dear old mother is very much alive when the series starts and their relationship is… Well, it’s interesting. As the series unfolds, Norman’s mental illness becomes worse and worse, forcing his mother to protect not only her son but those around him as well. He truly is a son only a mother could love.