# Films derived from TV Series



## ray gower (Jul 22, 2002)

I do enjoy a good film. I also enjoy a good television show and not being an out and out critic, quite a few of both that are not so good.

So can somebody tell me why, when a forthcoming film will be based upon a TV show, or even the old matinee cinema shorts, I cringe?

Is it because:- 
1/   They are inevitably an ordinary episode, with lots of padding thrown in (ala Star Trek).
2/   Miss the point of what the original programme was (The Avengers).
3/   Lose all trace of the story behind the special effects (Mission Impossible).
4/   Made on the same budget as a TV production (Flash Gordon)
5/   Or am I just getting old?

I admit not all of them are turkey's (Bilko). Quite a few have done immensely well at the box office and have undoubtedly made somebody money. 
But no matter how much I may have enjoyed the film, as a film; when finished I am left wondering why they bothered, or if the people that produced it actually saw the original, or at least the same show as me?

Now rumours abound of a 'live action' Thunderbirds film. Which bodes badly, bearing all the chances of the five points above plus over modernising (Thunderbird 5 now a 'Communications Snooping Satellite') and serious over Americanisation (the fate of Doctor Who). I quiver in fear!


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## Tabitha (Jul 22, 2002)

I get that same feeling too Ray, while there are some movie adaptations I enjoy more than the tv they are based on (Star Trek, for example), generally speaking the translation never quite works.  I think it is the same problem as adapting a book - tv series have a lot longer to show us characterisation and background plot, whereas a movie has to try and squeeze all the info into 90 minutes or so.
No matter how good the movies are - I always end up thinking that overall, the series did it better.


By the way, there is a thread a bit similar to this (although not merge-worthy IMO) in the SciFi TV mini forum:
http://www.ascifi.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13429
It lists many of the shows that have been adapted into movies.


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## nic (Jul 30, 2002)

I enjoyed the x-file movie.

I went with 2 friends - 1 an x-file fan like myself and another who has never watched the show.
When we came out the cinema we all agreed it was a good movie. From my point of view it was a story unique to the film, but also related to the tv series.
I wasn't expecting my non-x-file friend to like it, but he thought it was great. I remember him saying "Wow, is every episode like that?"
Me and my other friend just sort of looked at each other.
I think the x-file film had the story of an excellent episode, just with a bigger budget.


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