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Sometimes, watching a two-hour movie isn't enough. There are plenty of movies that can leave you wanting more after leaving the theater. Not all movies though should be made into a TV show. Movies and TV series are different for a reason. Movies are straight to the point and have a story that is generally easy to wrap up. So, why make a TV series based on a movie that has already ended nicely?
Not all movies that eventually turn into TV shows are bad. For instance, "Cobra Kai" is a popular TV series in the same universe as "The Karate Kid." However, the show is set decades later and has an incredible redemption arc. How can you not root for Johnny Lawrence? Another time when a movie needed to be turned into a TV series was "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The movie has low ratings but was adapted into a TV series where it flourished. Many people even forget it started as a movie. Sometimes it's backward though. There are TV shows that don't need a movie. After this article, check out the TV shows that should never have been turned into movies.
Since movie watching is subjective, it's hard to determine whether a TV series is bad. For this list, 24/7 Tempo reviewed multiple entertainment databases like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. We've curated this list based on movie reviews and comments. 24/7 Tempo also read through online forums and took note of movies and series frequently mentioned.
Follow along to find the movies that should have never been turned into shows, and why.
"My Babysitter's a Vampire" (2010)
- Director: Bruce McDonald
- Cast: Matthew Knight, Vanessa Morgan, and Atticus Mitchell
"My Babysitter's a Vampire" was a hit-or-miss film. Some fans love the movie more than the TV series, while others prefer the show. The polarizing opinions have landed "My Babysitter's a Vampire" on this list.
"My Babysitter's a Vampire" was released on June 10, 2011 on Disney Channel. It centers around a group of teenagers as vampires run rampant in their town. One of the teenagers is a vampire herself. The movie ended on a positive note with the main story being over, and yet a year later, the TV series premiered with the same actors.
The TV show has an IMDb rating of 7.0 and a Google user rating of 93%. It's definitely not the worst show on this list.
"Aladdin" (1992)
- Director: John Musker and Ron Clements
- Cast: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, and Jonathan Freeman
This might be a controversial take. "Aladdin" is a classic and beloved film for many reasons. This animated Disney movie had catchy songs, beautiful animation, and a fun story to follow along. But what about the TV series?
The movie was so popular that three years after its release, "Aladdin" the animated TV series aired. It aired from February 6, 1994, to November 25, 1995, and takes place a year after the first film. Although fun to watch, the series is pretty forgettable. It didn't have a long run for a reason. The ratings though aren't too bad. The series has an IMDb score of 7.3.
"The Lion King" (1994)
- Director: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
- Cast: Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas
During the 90s, Disney was constantly creating TV series based on films. Some were successful, while others faded into the background. Even "The Lion King" had its own series. In this case, "The Lion King" actually had two spin-off series.
The first show was "The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa." It ran from September 8, 1995, to September 24, 1999. This fun buddy show has high ratings, including an 87% on Google. But what about the other show?
Many fans of "The Lion King" didn't like "The Lion Guard," a spin-off of the movie. It had three seasons and 74 episodes. The show has an IMDb score of 6.4.
"Heathers" (1988)
- Director: Michael Lehmann
- Cast: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk
"Heathers" should have remained untouched. This dark teen comedy has so many twists and turns. It became a cult classic for a reason. The movie was even adapted into a very popular musical. So, why was it necessary to have a show?
It wasn't. And the show didn't last long. "Heathers" the TV series ran for one season in 2018. On IMDb, the series scored a 5.6 The rating is worse on Rotten Tomatoes. Season one's audience score was 54%, while the Tomatometer score was 30%.
"Men in Black" (1997)
- Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
- Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Rip Torn
"Men in Black" took the world by storm. This incredibly popular sci-fi action comedy had great characters, incredible designs, and hilarious aliens. It received a sequel, a third film, and a standalone spin-off. But did you know "Men in Black" was also adapted into an animated series?
Although the films were successful, the TV series didn't do as well. It paled in comparison to the movies. "Men in Black: The Series" ran for four seasons and had a completely different cast.
"The Crow" (1994)
- Director: Alex Proyas
- Cast: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, and Michael Wincott
Not a lot of people know this, but "The Crow" also had a TV series. "The Crow" was a gritty superhero film released in 1994. It starred Brandon Lee in his final role as he passed away in a prop gun accident while filming. The movie was moderately successful, although it didn't take long for it to become a cult classic.
So, what was the TV series like? The TV series didn't last long. "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven" had an interesting concept, but only ran for a season. The series was rated highly. Ratings aren't why they made our list. Instead, the series should have never been canceled. Because of its cancellation though, it would have been better if the series was never produced. It left viewers with so many questions.
"Dumb and Dumber" (1994)
- Director: Peter Farrelly
- Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Karen Duffy, and Mike Starr
"Dumb and Dumber" was also adapted into a TV series, but was it really necessary? The movie was funny and likable alone. The series didn't do the film justice.
"Dumb and Dumber" the TV series was short-lived. It premiered in 1995 and aired for 13 episodes. The series had different actors and was rated low. It has an IMDb rating of 5.5 and a Google user score of 58%.
"Party Girl" (1995)
- Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer
- Cast: Parker Posey, Anthony DeSando, Guillermo Díaz, Donna Mitchell, and Liev Schreiber
"Party Girl" was a fun American comedy-drama first released on the internet on June 3, 1995. It did okay with a budget of $150,000 and a box office earning of $472,370. It surprised many when this fun, but casual movie received a show.
The TV series had six episodes, although only four aired. It had a short run from September 9 to October 13, 1996, before it was canceled.
"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" (1989)
- Director: Joe Johnston
- Cast: Rick Moranis, Amy O'Neill, Marcia Strassman, Robert Oliveri, and Thomas Wilson
"Honey I Shrunk the Kids" was extremely popular. It was the first installation in the franchise and didn't really need a TV series. Although the movie didn't need to be turned into a show, the show wasn't awful either.
"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show" aired for three seasons with 66 episodes. For this series, the cooky wacky inventor was played by Peter Scolari.
"Friday" (1995)
- Director: F. Gary Gray
- Cast: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tiny "Zeus" Lister Jr., and Regina King
Very few movies or TV shows can get away with changing the cast. Once an audience is used to the voice or face behind a character, it's hard to change that. More than a decade after the release of the iconic "Friday," the animated series premiered.
"Friday: The Animated Series" was short-lived. It was released in 2007 and only ran for eight episodes. While the actors were different, Ice Cube was the series' executive producer.
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986)
- Director: John Hughes
- Cast: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is one of the best films of all time. It's an exciting film where the main character gets into wacky trouble while also breaking the fourth wall.
For a short while, the film spawned a TV series. The TV series aired from August 23, 1990, to August 11, 1991. It was canceled after one season (13 episodes) due to poor ratings. The show did not star the original actors. (Check out the most-watched TV series finales of all time.)