25 Iconic TV Shows Transformed Into Movies

For some reason, some people think that TV shows need to be made into movies. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. Jeff Mezydlow on the MSN.com page YardBarker has compiled a list of iconic TV shows that were made into movies

It's all a matter of personal opinion. Whoever wrote this seems to give their opinion strongly. I consider it a matter of personal preference. One person might like it and another may not. As long as you like it, who cares what everyone else thinks

1. The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)

-Penelope Spheeris, who directed Wayne's World, tried her hand at a movie adaptation of the much beloved TV series The Beverly Hillbillies. About a bunch of down home, good hearted folks from the Appalachia region who strike oil and get rich. The TV show was massively successful, but many think the film version was goofy, but in a bad way. Some think that comedic actor Jim Varney as Jed Clampett was not a good idea

2. Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)

-This TV series ran for a few seasons during the 1960s, at a time when police shows were starting to become popular. The movie, however, was a flop. It was thought that adding big names like Fran Drescher (The Nanny), David Johansen (post-New York Dolls) and John C. McGinley would make it work. It didn't

3. The Flintstones (1994)

-The much beloved cartoon about prehistoric life was made in to a 1994 film and was actually very successful. The sequel to it didn't fare very well, but it was during the summer and people like seeing movies during the summer. The movie seemed a lot more mature in content than the family friendly cartoon was. John Goodman and Rosie O'Donnell, cast as Fred and Betty, didn't seem right for the roles

4. Sgt. Bilko (1997)

-The film was a total bomb. It was inspired by the 1950s show of the same name starring Phil Silvers. In this film, Dan Akyroyd, Phil Hartman and Steve Martin appear. Martin plays the main character. Overall, the film did not do well

5. McHale's Navy (1997)

-The original TV show was a funny, lighthearted program of the 1960s. The film version didn't do so well. Ernest Borgnine from the original series starred in it, but other than him, Debra Messing also starred in it along with Tom Arnold, who played the lead role. To this day, this movie has become forgotten

6. Leave It to Beaver (1997)

-Many think the movie wasn't good, despite the high ratings from a lot of film critics. To any fan of the show, Jerry Mathers will always be Beaver, no matter what role he's playing. The parents in the film, Ward and June were played by Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley

7. Mr. Magoo (1997)

-Leslie Nielsen is one of those comedians who can pull off physical humor in addition to sarcastic humor. When he was cast as Mr. Magoo, the much beloved cartoon character in a film version, the movie was okay at best, but not good

8. Lost in Space (1998)

-The TV series of the same name from the 1960s was incredibly popular, especially when other generations started discovering it via streaming services. Sci-fi films usually go over well with audiences, depending on the storylines. This one, however, didn't fare well among the more popular sci-fi movies. Some think it was the casting of certain actors or actresses to blame for its low ratings

9. The Avengers (1998)

-When people hear "The Avengers" nowadays, their mind might automatically go to the Marvel movies starring the characters Hawkeye, Black Widow, The Hulk, Captain America and Iron Man, certainly not the original TV show from the 1960s. The Avengers was a 1960s British spy TV program centering around two characters-John Steed and Emma Peel. The film was a total disaster. It starred Ralph Fiennes as John Steed, Uma Thurman as Emma Peel and Sean Connery as a villain trying to control the weather

10. The Mod Squad (1999)

-During the late 1960s to early 1970s, cop shows were booming. There was a wealth of options for cop shows, such as Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, The Mod Squad, CHiPS, etc. On the original television program The Mod Squad, Michael Cole, who played Pete, Peggy Lipton, who played Julie and Clarence Williams III, who played Linc, just looked cool while fighting crime. The movie version, however, simply couldn't compare to the original. Claire Daines, Giovanni Ribisi and Omar Epps just couldn't compare with the original

11. Wild Wild West (1999)

-The original TV show was a sci-fi / spy series. Many think that the film should have done better simply because Will Smith is in it. Not everything he is in will be box office gold. Film critics all but bashed the film. The film version of the classic TV show stars Will Smith and Kevin Kline as two Secret Service agents ordered to protect then president Ulysses S. Grant

-I thought the movie was good. It was a little goofy in some parts, but that keeps things interesting. It's all a matter of personal opinion

12. Inspector Gadget (1999)

-The film version of the highly successful cartoon series did fairly well at the theaters. Matthew Broderick was cast as the lead role and while there were some good choices for fellow cast members, apparently that was not enough to save the film from being good

13. Dudley Do-Right (1999)

-The original cartoon was a spin off of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends. Dudley Do-Right is a much beloved character in Canada. It was said that Brendan Fraser didn't give the character his due diligence and even the jokes in the movie seemed forced, not natural. This film was said to be a total bomb

14. S.W.A.T. (2002)

-The original program centered around the SWAT team of a police department. The film version, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell and Jeremy Renner, didn't provide much in the way of action despite the star power

15. I Spy (2002)

-The original series starred comedic actor Bill Cosby and Robert Culp. The film version starred Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson in the lead roles with Famke Janssen along for the ride. One of the thorns in people's sides about this film is that it didn't have much in common with the original TV show. While it's never a bad thing to change things up, fans expected a little more similarity to the TV show

16. Starsky and Hutch (2004)

-It seemed like a good idea at the time. Make a film version of the ultra-popular 1970s cop show. The only problem is that Ben Stiller, who played Starsky and Owen Wilson, who played Hutch, seemed to try far too hard to be like the original pair. The original pair were cool, calm and collected, what some might call "smooth operators." The film version of the detectives were a little too out there and simply not as good as the original. The only thing that made this movie somewhat bearable was the fact that Snoop Dogg took on the role of CI (confidential informant) Huggy Bear

-I can say I saw this and it was not good. The only thing I liked about it was that the original actors, Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky) and David Soul (Hutch) appeared at the end

17. Fat Albert (2004)

-Bill Cosby's life might have fallen apart because of the sexual assault allegations, but Fat Albert is one of the great animated series on TV. When it was considered as a movie, it was a good idea at the time. But many feel that the film version of the much beloved cartoon series simply didn't compare to the original

-I actually liked this. It was funny and whimsical, something that we need more of in today's world

18. The Honeymooners (2005)

-This movie simply didn't do good. Cedric the Entertainer and Mike Epps took on the roles of Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton. Gabrielle Union took on the role of Alice and Regina Hall took on the role of Trixie. The pranks and hi-jinks pulled by Ralph and Ed might have been updated but it simply couldn't compare to the much beloved black and white series

19. Bewitched (2005)

-Will Farrell is a master of comedy. When he's given a chance to re-enact a movie version of a TV show, that is where he seems to falter. In the film Bewitched, he plays Jack Wyatt, an actor playing the role of Darrin Stephens. The whole idea of a show within a movie is simply too confusing. Nicole Kidman and Will Farrell actually received awards for Worst Screen Couple for this film

20. The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)

-Simply put, the movie didn't fare well. Many remember the show as being a down to earth, simple but good show for the time. The movie version simply couldn't compare to the original show. Johnny Knoxville, who played Luke Duke, was a lot better than Sean William Scott, who played Bo Duke. Sean William Scott had just gotten off of the fame of the American Pie series. Jessica Simpson played their sister Daisy Duke, who was, by many, considered a useless character in the movie. The TV show version of Daisy Duke was better. Not only that, but Burt Reynolds played local criminal Boss Hogg. Simply put, this movie didn't fare well

-You're better off just watching the original show and appreciating the unique charm it offers

21. Aeon Flux (2005)

-This sci-fi TV show grew to be a popular show on MTV during the 1990s. Why not cash in on its fame and make a movie? It starred Charlize Theron in the lead role, with a storyline centering around a virus that results in people reinventing themselves for further survival. Dull would be a word best used to describe this

22. Land of the Lost (2009)

-This much beloved NBC Saturday morning program about dinosaurs should not have been made into a movie. Will Farrell already had a bad credit to his name with Bewitched. Now he has Land of the Lost to his name as well. The premise was traveling through a time warp to the era of dinosaurs. Farrell's character Rick Marshall and his friends go through a story that is better left on the TV screen. Critics consider it to be one of the worst mainstream movies ever filmed

23. The Last Airbender (2010)

-This movie is based on the popular children's anime program Avatar: The Last Airbender. There was much rejoicing and celebrating when fans heard that there was to be a movie version of their favorite program. When it came to making the movie, a lot of technical difficulties started popping up. The production seemed rushed and the audience felt denied a chance to draw opinions about the characters. Not only that, but with it taking place somewhere in Asia, many felt it was offensive to feature mostly Caucasian actors and actresses rather than including cast members of Asian descent

24. CHiPs (2017)

-In the late 1970s, early 1980s, CHiPs was a popular cop show starring Erik Estrada (Ponch) and Larry Wilcox (John) as two California Highway Patrols. The film version simply could not compare. Dax Sheppard took on the role of John while Michael Pena took on the role of Ponch and the storyline seemed messy, all over the place

25. Baywatch (2017)

-This was a guilty pleasure for most. It centered around a group of lifeguards working and living in California. It shouldn't be shocking that a movie would be made of this popular 1990s program. Dwayne Johnson played the role David Hasselhoff played on the show. But even having Dwayne Johnson or Zack Efron in the movie was not enough to save it. The plot was messy and weak and the jokes or attempts at humor seemed weak at best

20 TV Shows That Are Still Popular

There are tons of TV shows out there to watch. Nothing beats the classic ones from the 1970s-1990s. They still hold up to this day. Thomas West, a writer for the MSN.com page YardBarker, has compiled a list of 20 TV shows that are still popular

Ironically, I actually watch quite a few of these shows. Such as The Golden Girls, I Love Lucy, The Carol Burnett Show, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, Murder, She Wrote

1. The West Wing

-This political drama gives a good side to government. It shows that there are people who work in government offices who really do have the best interests of the people as their top consideration. This show is a great reminder of alternative options to handling situations

2. The Nanny

-It's a pretty hilarious sitcom. There was humor all around, from Fran Drescher's character to the kids, and there was romance between Fran Fine and her boss Mr. Sheffield. Then, of course, was the long running rivalry between C.C. and Niles. Overall, the show had a good heart as well

3. Maude

-Bea Arthur is mostly known for playing outspoken, sarcastic Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls. Prior to this, she starred on the 1970s television show Maude, as an outspoken feminist. She played a fiery feminist not afraid to speak her mind about the issues of the day, including abortion. And who doesn't love Bea Arthur?

4. All in the Family

-This 1970s-era television show dealt with all of the issues in the world at that time, such as gay rights, feminism, abortion, etc. There was an almost constant battle of the wits between Archie Bunker and his  daughter and son in law. The issues they debate about are still hot topics to this day and it makes the show feel relevant

5. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

-For many who grew up in the 1990s, Will Smith will always be The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. There is a strong sense of culture clash, as Will's character came from the working class area of Philadelphia and suddenly finds himself in the affluent area of Bel-Air, California. His humor is constantly present, making the show funny and also an overall good show to watch. It even spawned a new spin off called Bel-Air

6. Seinfeld

-There is not really much of a premise or plot to the show. It's a show about nothing. Somehow, it's found popularity with people. It's still popular thanks to streaming services. The characters still resonate with people, despite going off of the air nearly thirty years ago

7. Star Trek

-This is one of the most influential sci-fi shows around. It still holds up well to this day. The costumes and special effects seem incredibly outdated, especially in a world that now uses CGI and AI to do special effects. But, it's the outdated costumes and special effects that people love most. The show provided something that was joyful, exciting about the extents that it would go to regarding progressive points of view. It's from a time where things were far simpler. It's still popular to this day and finding new fans almost constantly

8. Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

-There have been few animated characters who have had a long, successful career. One of them is Scooby Doo. He is one of the most successful animated characters, inspiring spin off TV shows, television movies, such as Zombie Island, Alien Invaders, etc. Airing in the late 1960s, the show featured a cowardly Great Dane and five kids solving mysteries the old fashioned way, with clues and investigations. It's a reminder of the days when Saturday morning cartoons were a tradition with kids while others love the simply fun of an old fashioned mystery

9. Gunsmoke

-One of the many Western television programs on TV, they were quite popular in the 1950s. While many of the shows have been long since forgotten, Gunsmoke is not one of them. This show ran twenty seasons, from the 1950s to the 1970s. Today, it might seen as old fashioned, but it still holds up well. Many love the show for the great performances of James Arness, Milburn Stone and Amanda Blake

10. The Jeffersons

-This show was a revolution in TV. Staying on the air from 1975-1985, it showed an upwardly moving black couple and their family. It showed this family in a positive way in an era where black actors and actresses often got stuck in typecast roles. The show appealed to many because of the heartfelt and humorous relationship between Louise "Weezy" Jefferson and her husband George, played by Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley. To this day, this show is still popular and is also gaining new fans

11. The Carol Burnett Show

-This show is still popular thanks to streaming services. When it aired on TV, it was sure to be a night of laughs and music. The lady for whom the show is named, Carol Burnett, starred in sketches along with comedic actors Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. Many of the sketches are still remembered to this day, like the spoof of Gone with the Wind. In the case of the show, it was Went with the Wind. And there were so many guest stars, both actors, actresses and musicians, that everyone loved to see who was going to turn up in a sketch, from Julie Andrews to Jim Nabors to Maggie Smith to The Jackson 5 and more. Each episode of the show would end with the current guest star signing their autograph in a book for Carol. This show even inspired a spin off called Mama's Family, starring Vicki Lawrence as the titular Mama. Carol Burnett would appear from time to time playing Eunice

12. The Mary Tyler Moore Show

-Despite being something straight out of the 1970s, and a second wave of feminism following, the show is still popular. It was revolutionary at the time because it featured an unmarried, independent w

13. Designing Women

-Similar to The Golden Girls, this program, created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, focused on a group of four women who run a design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. This show dealt with touchy topics, such as HIV / AIDS. It was on TV during the 1980s and 1990s and is still a beloved TV show to this day

14. Cheers

-Everyone knows the iconic theme to this show centered around a Boston bar. This show was the very definition of workplace sitcom. It centered on Sam Malone, a bartender running a Boston bar and the various people who enter and leave the bar. Despite being on in the 1980s, it seems dated by today's standards. It's still popular for those looking for a good laugh. And some can even quote the show, like people quoting Norm by saying "It's a dog eat dog world and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear"

15. M*A*S*H

-This TV show was based on a book of the same name. It told the story of a medical unit in Korea during the Korean War. It found the right balance between drama and comedy, creating tear-inducing laughing and heartbreaking grief. It's easy to see why this show still holds up today

16. Murder, She Wrote

-This show takes place in the Maine town of Cabot Cove. It centers on a murder mystery writer named Jessica Fletcher who always manages to find herself at the center of a juicy mystery. Angela Lansbury plays this role perfectly. There's just something about this show that people love. Whether it's the cozy, timeless feel of it or that it's good old fashioned detective work, this show never gets old

17. The Twilight Zone

-Rod Serling and his show The Twilight Zone, have remained one of the most thought-inducing programs out there. Each episode had a moral to learn. So it was as much educational as it was entertaining. Rod Serling had the ability to take anxieties people felt and turn them into stories that were terrifying to watch for the time. When you watch it, it takes you back to 1950s era America and the concerns plaguing the world at that time and their relation to current events

18. Kolchak: The Night Stalker

-This was a short lived television series. It had just 20 episodes. Despite its short run, it did make an impact on some people. It was said to have even inspired The X-Files. Darren McGavin played the title character and the stories were quite scary for the time period. While it doesn't rely on special effects, it relies on an eerie atmosphere, which is the reason it's still entertaining to watch

19. I Love Lucy

-Two of the most remembered episodes of this program were "Lucy Gets a Job" and Lucy Does a Commercial." There's no doubt Lucille Ball was the genius of comedy in the 1950s. She was thrown into superstardom with her program I Love Lucy. Despite airing in the 1950s, something about the show just makes it loveable. Her comedy style was hilarious, joyful and a refreshing change. Lucille Ball is a master of physical comedy as well as sarcastic remarks and facial expressions. It's no wonder the show is still highly popular, thanks to streaming services allowing people to re-discover this show and new fans to discover the show

20. The Golden Girls

-No one can deny the comedic genius of Bea Arthur (Dorothy), Estelle Getty (Sophia), Rue McClanahan (Blanche) and Betty White (Rose). Despite going on the air in 1992, the show was funny, heartfelt, with great actors and actresses, and politically relevant for the time period. They often discussed issues that were just as relevant then as they are now, from same-sex marriage to care and concerns for the elderly and the problems with aging. They tackle these issues with comedy, and cheesecake, of course

Untold Secrets of 90s Shows Pt. II

We all love watching TV. There are shows from the 1990s, especially, that still survive today. Here are some cool facts you may or may not know about some of them

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

-A sitcom that just screams 1990s. From the heavy influence of hip hop to the style of clothing, this show just screams 1990s. Starring Will Smith, it tells the story of a young man who lives in a rough Philadelphia neighborhood and his aunt sends him to live with family in Bel-Air, an affluent suburb in Los Angeles.

Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Vivian on the show, was the only cast member with whom no one got along

The last name of the famed, loved, Caribbean-accented butler Geoffrey was Butler

The last name of the famed, loved, Caribbean-accented butler Geoffrey was Butler

70% of the money that Will Smith earned during the first three seasons was seized by the government to pay back the $3 million he owed in back taxes

Home Improvement

-This 1990s show starred Tim Allen as Tim "Tool Man" Taylor, the host of a Michigan-based home improvement show who had no skills at home improvement while his assistant Al was actually the one with the DIY skills.

The next-door neighbor, Wilson, who was a sort of Buddha-like figure, always imparting wisdom, was based on an actual next-door neighbor that Tim Allen knew from childhood

The audience on "Tool Time" was the actual live audience for the series

Boy Meets World

-Almost every kid who was born and raised in the 1990s pretty much grew up on this show. They can name episodes, guest stars, characters and more they loved about this show. Sadly, I'm one of those kids who grew up on this show. It was a nice, wholesome show that they just don't make anymore. Not only that, but most kids probably thought the English teacher on the show, Mr. Turner, was cool because he drove a motorcycle

Cory's love interest Topanga, despite being a strange name, was named after a canyon in Los Angeles

Full House

-This other wholesome 1990s sitcom tells the story of a widower living in San Francisco with his three daughters. He invites two of his friends to move in to have additional help around the house

Bob Saget was considered less than family friendly when the cameras weren't rolling. He was known to have a dark sense of humor in addition to swearing on set

Michelle appeared to be ambidextrous because Mary-Kate Olsen was left-handed, and Ashley Olsen was right-handed

Saved By the Bell

-This show, despite being filmed in the 1990s, was supposed to take place in the 1980s. 

Mark-Paul Gosselar had to dye his hair blonde every day for his role as Zack

On the show, Jessie, played by Elizabeth Berkley, was supposed to have been addicted to methamphetamine instead of caffeine pills. Producers changed it to caffeine pills because the concept of meth addiction would have been incredibly controversial

The X-Files

-Everyone's favorite show about a government agency investigating aliens and other strange phenomena.

Gillian Anderson, who plays Agent Scully, lied about her age to get a role on this show

Everybody Loves Raymond

-This iconic 1990s show centers around an Italian family in Long Island, New York. It centers around the dysfunctional family of sports columnist Ray Barone. To add insult to injury, Ray's parents moved in right across the street and would invite themselves over any time they felt

The nicknames Ray came up with for Debra were ad-libbed

The houses in which Ray and Debra Barone and his parents lived were right across the street from each other

Charmed

-This supernatural program centered around three sisters who just so happen to also be witches. Their powerful book of spells, The Book of Shadows, was the book from which they cast all their spells

The Book of Shadows on the show weighed nine pounds

King of the Hill

-This show, which was made by Beavis & Butthead creator Mike Judge, centers around a propane salesman, Hank Hill, his wife Peggy and his dysfunctional family and also equally dysfunctional friends in Arlen, Texas

John Ritter voiced the music teacher, Mr. Grandy

Twin Peaks

-This mystery in itself TV show had horror, true crime, mystery and sci-fi. Fans of the show are still watching it to this day, trying to solve the mystery of the town. One of the biggest highlights was that no one knew who the murderer was

The network Twin Peaks was on had to cancel it after 20 episodes because a rival network revealed the identity of Laura's killer to the audiences

Seinfeld

-This "show about nothing" somehow ended up becoming massively successful.

When Julia Louis-Dreyfuss discovered she was pregnant, Jerry Seinfeld thought about a plot idea that had reduced Dreyfuss to tears, not the emotional, pregnancy-related tears, but genuine tears

The "show about nothing" tagline came not from creators, but from fans

Xena: Warrior Princess

-Many a guy had a crush on her when this program was on. Most likely it was because she was muscular, dressed in tight clothes and could handle a sword as well as any man.

The war cry that Xena used was based on something that Arab women used. Their war cry was called ululating

Will & Grace

-Will, a gay New York attorney and Grace, a straight interior designer, both share an apartment and are visited by their friends Jack and Karen, who's a rich socialite lacking morals

After getting the news from her agent that she had landed a role on Will & Grace, Megan Mullally had made an illegal U-turn and was given a ticket by police

3rd Rock from the Sun

-This completely out there show was about aliens moving to Earth and trying to assimilate into society

Ian Lithgow, who played Leon, was the son of John Lithgow, who played Dr. Dick Solomon

Dawson's Creek

-This show, aimed at teenagers, centered around four teenagers navigating adolescence in a coastal town

The necklace that Dawson Leery, who was played by James Van Der Beek, wore was made by his own mother

Living Single

-This show centered around six friends living in a Brooklyn brownstone as they navigated the turbulent waters that is life

The key that Queen Latifah wore around her neck was in honor of her brother, who was killed in a motorcycle accident

Ellen

-Bookstore owner Ellen tries to get by in life with the struggles of friends and family

Ellen received more hate mail for "The Puppy Episode" than any other episode because her character came out as gay

Oprah Winfrey had received more hate mail than ever for appearing in "The Puppy Episode"

Sabrina the Teenage Witch

-This show, starring Melissa Joan Hart as a teen witch living with her two aunts, who show her how to use her new powers

Melissa Joan Hart got the role as Sabrina because her mother was one of the producers of the show

Step By Step

-Two families become one, slowly but surely

Sasha Mitchell, who played Cody, was arrested and charged with domestic abuse

Ren & Stimpy

-This somewhat disgusting cartoon was, somehow, aimed at kids and centered around a cat and a chihuahua

John Kricfalusi, the creator, was known for dating underage girls

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

-In the days before the spin offs of Power Rangers, there was this show, centering around a group of superheroes in brightly color spandex suits and masks

David Yost, who played the Blue Ranger, accused the crew of homophobic bullying. He said it got to the point where he started conversion therapy because the bullying was constant and as a result, he walked away from the show