14 TV Shows That Didn’t Live Up To Their Big-Screen Inspirations
A decade ago this week, Fox tried to replicate big-screen success on the small-screen with Minority Report, a TV adaptation of a hit 2000s-era Steven Spielberg film. Unfortunately for the network, the majority report from critics was that the new version was a nonstarter.
Add that show to a long list of successful movies that begat unsuccessful TV shows. Read ’em and weep in the photo gallery below.
Blade: The Series
This 2006 series continued the story of the Blade film trilogy, with rapper Sticky Fingaz subbing in for Wesley Snipes as the vampire-hunting superhero on a channel fittingly called Spike. But the vamps won: This Blade only aired 13 shows before getting cut.
Clueless
No, producers weren’t Clueless in their decision to replace Alicia Silverstone for this 1996 TV version of the modern-day Emma story: Silverstone had a $10 million movie deal at the time. So Rachel Blanchard played Cher in her stead, but the new Clueless lasted three seasons between ABC and UPN.
Dirty Dancing
Viewers must not have had the time of their lives as they watched Melora Hardin and Patrick Cassidy take over for Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in this 1988 TV show about a fleet-footed romance at a vacation resort. The CBS series only lasted a dozen episodes.
The Exorcist
A sequel to the 1973 horror classic, 2016’s The Exorcist got good reviews, especially when it revealed whom Geena Davis’ character really was. Even so, the TV show — featuring Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels as demon-expellers — lasted just two seasons on Fox.
Ferris Bueller
Bueller? Bueller? NBC quickly expelled this 1990 spin on the classic 1986 John Hughes movie, a TV show that claimed Matthew Broderick’s slacker teen was an imposter. It’s one of our picks for the 90s’ worst shows… but at least it gave Jennifer Aniston some work.
The Firm
John Grisham’s tale of a young lawyer caught in a corrupt organization got the small-screen treatment in 2012, after Tom Cruise starred in the 1993 film adaptation. The update had Josh Lucas playing an older version of the same character… for the show’s one and only season.
Heathers
Two real-life mass shootings delayed the release of this 2018 TV show — a reboot of a 1988 big-screen story involving school violence — and a third compelled Paramount Network to not air a pair of episodes. Ultimately, the cable network just scrapped the show after its Season 1.
Lethal Weapon
Nearly three decades after 1987’s Lethal Weapon launched a successful big-screen trilogy, Fox gave a buddy-cop formula a try with a 2016 show of the same name. It wasn’t a hit, and eventually, both its stars exited: Clayne Crawford was fired, and Damon Wayans quit.
Limitless
2015’s Limitless, a CBS series based on the 2011 sci-fi film, actually proved limited. Though Bradley Cooper showed up to reprise his role as a drug-enhanced super-human, TV viewers didn’t latch onto the character’s small-screen replacement (Jake McDorman), and CBS cut the show after Season 1.
Minority Report
Steven Spielberg turned a Philip K. Dick story into a mind-bending blockbuster starring Cruise, and then Fox turned the story into a Spielberg-produced 2015 series. And during that show’s one and only season, viewers probably channeled their inner precog and had visions of its demise.
Parenthood
2010’s Parenthood was a hit… and wasn’t the TV adaptation of the 1989 coming-of-age comedy-drama of the same name. That’d be 1990’s Parenthood, a more direct translation of the original, which lasted just 12 episodes (despite the charms of a young Leonardo DiCaprio).
Rush Hour
Remember the 1998 buddy-cop comedy starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker? Sure you do; like Lethal Weapon, it launched a film trilogy. Remember the 2016 TV version with Jon Foo and Justin Hires? Probably not; it debuted to middling ratings, and Fox canceled it a month and a half later.
Training Day
2001’s Training Day was a box office hit that gave Denzel Washington an Oscar. 2017’s Training Day was a short-lived TV series that had Bill Paxton follow in Washington’s footsteps in the role of a corrupt LAPD detective. Paxton died four weeks after the show’s debut, and CBS canceled the show shortly thereafter.
True Lies
Another CBS one-season blunder was this 2023 action series starring Steve Howey as a spy and Ginger Gonzaga as his unaware wife, roles that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtisplayed in the film of the same name. Unlike the TV show, the film was a sweeping success, earning some of 1994’s biggest box-office numbers.
Conversation10 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Register or sign in to join the conversation.
-
G
It‘s a shame the two stars of the Lethal Weapon series couldn’t get along. It was a fantastic first season.
1
-
C
Sorry, but the Lethal Weapon series was very good!
1
-
G
Don't forget the short lived "Delta House." An attempt to adapt the R -rated Animal House to family friendly prime time network TV just didn't work. It only lasted 13 episodes.
1
-
G
Planet of the apes the series.
-
G
Working Girl with Sandra Bullock.
-
B
Jamie Lee Curtis was born a man!
-
A
Some of these were actually good and somewhat successful
-
O
‘Clueless’ the show was actually decent. ‘Ferris Bueller’ was garbage. It came on after ‘Fresh Prince’. ‘Parker Lewis Can’t Lose’ kicked it’s ass on Fox!
-
O
There were quite a few this list missed. Off the top of my head: Fast times, 10 things I hate about you, bad teacher. Far less "successful" ones come to mind. M.A.S.H and Friday night lights. That's for another list though, I guess
-
C
You forgot about the Uncle Buck show I think that lasted 6 episodes.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services