10 Best (and 5 Worst) Movie-Inspired TV Shows
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BEST: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Inspired by: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
What Worked: No one could have predicted the phenomenon that would result when a young Sarah Michelle Gellar stepped into the shoes of Buffy Summers — except maybe creator Joss Whedon. But there turned out to be a lot more to the ditzy cheerleader with a destiny (originally played by Kristy Swanson). Add in a band of loyal Scoobies, a couple of mysterious (and hot!) vampires, and you have a series that will live on well past the apocalypse. (We know it can; they lived through several.) —Sandra Gonzalez
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BEST: M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
Inspired by: M*A*S*H (1970)
What Worked: Robert Altman's hit film was a blistering counter-culture satire of war-movie jingoism that relocated Vietnam era disillusionment to the Korean War. The TV spinoff, with Alan Alda transforming Donald Sutherland's Hawkeye Pierce from a burnt-out stoner into a cynic with a heart, inevitably replaced Altman's bite with a more sentimental approach. How do you run for 11 seasons and score the biggest finale audience of all time? That's how. —Christian Blauvelt
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BEST: Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
Inspired by: Friday Night Lights (2004)
What Worked: To the very end, FNL was the type of adaptation most movies and books can only dream to have. Even a battle against low ratings and a network swap (thanks, DirecTV!) didn't cause the Emmy-nominated show to lose creative steam, proving that clear eyes, full hearts, and five seasons of compelling character stories can't lose. —Sandra Gonzalez
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BEST: The Odd Couple (1970-83)
Inspired by: The Odd Couple (1968)
What Worked: Chemistry, chemistry, and chemistry. Jack Klugman and Tony Randall's characters were as perfectly mismatched as Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon's original Oscar and Felix, who first came to life in Neil Simon's Broadway play. Watching Randall's fastidious photographer react to Klugman's sportswriter's latest mayhem, and one can't help but see the template for Frasier. —Jeff Labrecque
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BEST: Fame (1982-87)
Inspired by: Fame (1980)
What Worked: If you're going to dance in the street, you might as well do it every week, right? Several cast members (Debbie Allen, Lee Curreri, Gene Anthony Ray) hoped viewers would remember their names as they made the move to the small screen. Joining the film vets were several soon-to-be-famous faces including Cynthia Gibb (a.k.a. Penny from Dirty Dancing), Lori Songer (Ariel in Footloose), Nia Peeples, and even a young Janet Jackson. —Lanford Beard
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BEST: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-14)
Inspired by: Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith (2005)
What Worked: Ever since Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker in 1977's Star Wars that he had fought in the Clone Wars, fans wondered what exactly this enigmatic conflict was all about. Though it was featured in the prequel trilogy and Genndy Tartakovsky's 2003-05 Clone Wars hand-drawn microseries, Star Wars diehards never got to dive that deep into the war that precipitated the rise of the Empire until the 3-D series launched by Lucasfilm Animation in 2008 and concluding with a final season on Netflix. Combining the original trilogy's gee-whiz spirit with the prequels' political edge, The Clone Wars proved to be impressive... most impressive. —Christian Blauvelt
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BEST: The Pink Panther Show (1969-76)
Inspired by: The Pink Panther (1963)
The role of clumsy French police inspector Jacques Clouseau has been portrayed by Peter Sellers (and later Alan Arkin and Steve Martin) on the big screen, but when it came time for the small-screen adaptation, the part went to a very bright, and very animated feline (who first appeared in the opening sequences of the films). It shouldn't have worked but somehow the literal Pink Panther managed to be just as funny — and clueless — as the original. —Nuzhat Naoreen
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BEST: Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
Inspired by: Stargate (1994)
What Worked: It never hurts to have MacGyver on your side. Richard Dean Anderson took the lead (and took over for Kurt Russell) in this ambitious action-adventure show. While many shows have struggled to bring big screen effects to television, SG-1 managed it with aplomb, scoring eight Emmy nominations over its 10-year syndicated run. —Lanford Beard
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BEST: Alice (1976-85)
Inspired by: Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
What Worked: Linda Lavin stepped into the waitress apron worn by Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese's film, and helped establish an entirely different comic dynamic at Mel's Diner. Vic Tayback was the lone holdover, playing the crusty Mel, and sassy Flo (Polly Holliday) gave the show a go-to catchphrase (''Kiss my grits!'') that cinched its staying power. —Jeff Labrecque
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BEST: La Femme Nikita (1997-2001)
Inspired by: La Femme Nikita (1990)
What Worked: All credit to the 21st-century Nikita, Maggie Q, but Peta Wilson was the first to bring Luc Besson's sinewy assassin to life, and she did it with an emotional texture the slicker CW series hasn't entirely mastered. Wilson's Nikita wasn't a drug-addicted killer but an innocent thrust into shadow organization Section One, which made her more emotionally accessible and ramped up the moral stakes of Nikita's story. —Lanford Beard
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WORST: Clueless (1996-99)
Inspired by: Clueless (1995)
What Didn't Work: In the world of designer goods, this series was most definitely a bad knock-off. Though it starred many of the original cast members, without lead Alicia Silverstone it just couldn't capture the same chemistry...or the interest of viewers. To top it all off, it also dropped or deviated from some big storylines (like Cher's slow-simmering romance with Josh). An adaptation that doesn't honor the original? As if! —Nuzhat Naoreen
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WORST: Dirty Dancing (1988-89)
Inspired by: Dirty Dancing (1987)
What Didn't Work: They might have been more traditionally good-looking than the original dancing duo, but Patrick Cassidy and Melora Hardin couldn't match Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey's silver screen sizzle. The show's creators also decided to change Baby's last name and her father's occupation in addition to making her Johnny's talent director. The modifications were fruitless and the series itself lacked the light-heartedness that characterized the movie.
The show was also subject to a reality TV reboot in 2005, making its predecessor look like a masterpiece. The dancing competition hosted by Jennifer Lopez ex Cris Judd was a snooze. Maybe they should have ended the season with a pachanga? —Maane Khatchatourian
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WORST: Ferris Bueller (1990)
Inspired by: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
What Didn't Work: Even with a pre-Friends Jennifer Aniston as Ferris's sister, Jeannie, the 1990 TV show only lasted a couple of months, and it was easy to see why. They turned Ferris into a nerd, and moved away from Chicago. Without the chance to act like Abe ''Sausage King of Chicago'' Froman or highjack a parade in the Windy City streets, Ferris could not be saved. —Erin Strecker
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WORST: Working Girl (1990)
Inspired by: Working Girl (1988)
What Didn't Work: Although she's a seasoned pro now, Sandra Bullock was still learning the craft as Tess McGill, a secretary-turned-junior executive who had to put up with a stuffy boss at work and suffocating parents at home. Aside from the occasional witty one-liner from the dreamy George Newbern, the show was a bore, complete with forced dialogue and predictable plot lines. —Maane Khatchatourian
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WORST: My Big Fat Greek Life (2003)
Inspired by: My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
What Didn't Work: Like the film, the series starred Nia Vardalos as Nia (Toula from the movie) but lacked the charm of the sleeper-hit film. The fact that John Corbett never showed up didn't help matters. In the end, there wasn't enough Windex in the world to fix this TV adaptation no one wanted in the first place. —Erin Strecker