Top Ten TV to Movie Adaptations

• Entertainment
• Top10

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

I’ll admit, my first instinct when parcelled with the project of compiling the Top Ten TV to Movie Adaptations was “I’d rather drink a milkshake of my own bile”. I mean, the intersection between film and TV has never been a particularly vibrant one, perhaps second only to the sequel as a predeterminant of cinematic shitness. But then I thought about it for a bit longer (and really contemplated drinking a milkshake of my own bile) and realised there were actually some pretty excellent films out there that began their life on the small screen. Even a few you might not have realised had such humble origins. So, without further ado, I present the Top Ten TV to Movie Adaptations.

10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Well, I haven’t been game to watch it as an adult, but from what I recall at the age of 5 this was a really good film. Although, even I knew the second movie with that Vanilla Ice song was a little regrettable.




9. The Transformers: The Movie
While the first of the Michael Bay franchise was... OK, everyone knows the quality really topped out with the 1986 animated tie-in. In particular, this song. Ohhhhhh yeah.




8. The Simpsons Movie
I approached this movie with total dread, convinced as I was that it would be the final, fiery ruin of the TV show that shaped my childhood more than any other, so was beyond surprised when it actually ended up being... well, good. Really good. Perhaps not season 3-9 good, but it was one of the best comedies released all year. Also, the Spider Pig song sounds fantastic in French.




7. The Muppet Movie
To keep The Simpsons theme going.

Lisa: Dad, what's a Muppet?
Homer: Well, it's not quite a mop and it's not quite a puppet... but man (laughs). So to answer your question, I don't know.
Bart: Why did they make that one Muppet out of leather?
Marge: That's not a leather Muppet, that's Troy McClure. Back in the '70s he was quite the teen heartthrob.




6. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
While I loved Naked Gun when I was younger, I was only introduced to the TV show Police Squad! last year. Which, if you love shtick, is probably better than the film, but I have the utmost respect for any movie that can get away with the line “Nice beaver”.




5. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
They had a song called Uncle Fucker. UNCLE FUCKER.




4. The Fugitive
This one crept up on me, which is perhaps fair given the TV show ended in 1967, but top-to-bottom The Fugitive is an excellently crafted action-thriller with one of the most realistic body-off-a-dam moments ever committed to celluloid. Cough.




3. Wayne’s World
Borderline heretically, and in complete contravention of the way I started this list, I think I preferred the sequel (I was young and the sequel’s gags are a lot broader/less metal-related), but rarely has a single sketch been spun into a film so effectively. Also, it introduced an entire generation to Bohemian Rhapsody. Which, depending on what karaoke night you attend, may or may not be a good thing.




2. Star Trek

Alright, so some of the 11 movies have been good, some have been utterly awful (everyone remember when they met God in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier? No? Oh, uh, me neither), some have been fantastic, but all have been KHAAAAAAAAAN.




1. Borat
The unfortunate rise of bros-who-wear-over-the-shoulder-mankinis-to-be-hilarious notwithstanding, Borat is very close to the funniest film comedy released in the last couple of decades. A deserving top place-getter.




0. Arrested Development
Well, we live in hope. So, here’s the cast doing the chicken dance at the discussion panel where they confirmed their plans for the upcoming film. Don’t fail me you glorious bastards.