Five TV shows better than their original movies

It's not all '80s in the life of a '80s blogger. Sometimes I'm forced to make hard, life-changing decisions and commit them to print. And so I spend hours and days agonizing over analytical pieces like the piece that ran in today's St. Petersburg Times ... about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Oh sure, the only thing stuck in the '80s about Buffy was the episode where Sarah Michelle Gellar actually says the words: "Can you say 'Stuck in the '80s'?" (Yes, I can. Daily, in fact.) But I love the show anyway. Perhaps only because "Spike" acts like Billy Idol. So please enjoy today's first blog item -- there's a sprinkling of '80s-ness to it -- with a grain of salt ... and preferably a wooden stake.

Buffy fans, here’s some news you can sink your fangs into: Your favorite TV show about the undead is about to get new life — on the big screen. A new movie version of Buffy The Vampire Slayer seems destined to take shape soon with plenty of Hollywood biggies taking meetings and pitching scripts.

But wait. The creator of the TV show, Joss Whedon, is reportedly not on board for the film version, which is seen as more of a “restart” than a reunion. (Somewhere Sarah Michelle Gellar’s agent is sobbing.)

So that means no Angel, Spike, Giles, Xander or Willow either?!? What in the Hellmouth is going on? Talk about driving a stake through the hearts of fans who have been Buffy-less for six years since 2003, when the cult TV show went off the air.

Plus, consider how truly evil the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie was. Again, no Joss Whedon involvement. See a bad omen?

TOP 5 TV SHOWS BETTER THAN THEIR ORIGINAL MOVIES:

1. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1997-2003): The 1992 big screen version starred Kristy Swanson and Donald Sutherland and bears little resemblance to the TV series it spawned. Meanwhile, the TV show was included in Time magazine’s list of 100 best shows of all time.

2. THE PAPER CHASE (1978-79; 1983-86): John Houseman, who co-starred in both the movie and show as the prickly law school professor Kingsfield, highlights the show that was resurrected on Showtime after being considered too good for network TV.

3. M*A*S*H (1972-1983): Robert Altman’s 1970 film is indeed a classic, but you can’t picture the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital without Alan Alda playing Hawkeye. Plus, the series finale remains the most-watched episode in TV history.

4. IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT: (1988-1995): The only thing disappointing about the 1967 movie, which won five Academy Awards, is that it left us wanting more. And the TV show was so good, star Carroll O’Connor was able to step out of his Archie Bunker shadow.

5. STARGATE SG-1 (1997-2008): Though it ran only on the Showtime and Sci-Fi cable networks, Richard Dean Anderson and company didn’t have to work too hard to eclipse the 1994 stinker that starred Kurt Russell, James Spader and you-know-who from The Crying Game.

Comments

[Spears]

Yep, it's subjective, but having seen both the TV show and the series, I still prefer the series of In the Heat of the Night. I never liked Rod Steiger in the film. Not sure why. Just didn't feel like a good fit.

As for Joss and the movie, yep, he wrote the script, but someone else massacred the execution.

[Vegasgirlfriend]

Steve - do your homework. Joss was involved with the original Buffy movie, but the studio took the film away from him, which is why it sucks. Now hopefully Joss will get back on that Wonder Woman movie I've been waiting 30 years for.

[Douglas Arthur]

Steve,

I'm afraid I am going to have to disagree about your assessment of In The Heat Of The Night. TV Show nowhere near as good as 5-Time Oscar-winning movie! Not going to let that one slip by without comment as a film fan. I like Carrol O'Connor, but he can't hold a candle to Rod Steiger and Howard Rollins doesn't even come close to Sidney Poitier. The movie won Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Sound. I know the TV show won a few Golden Globes over the years...but have you seen some of the things that win Golden Globes??

Anyway, I know its subjective, but I think you need to seriously reconsider this one.

In other matters:

The BattleStar Galactica "movie" was the pilot, and was released to theater AFTER its debut on TV. I believe it was one of the last movies released in the failed SENSAROUND format (essentially a series of subwoofers to make the theater rumble...we take it for granted now, but sound in theaters was mostly Mono back in the day so "innovations" like stereo and subwoofers were novelties) Galactica failed to take off the way producers had hoped, given the expense of it at the time, so they tried to recoup some of their losses by releasing the film to theaters after the first season.

If my memory serves me, The Buck Rogers movie did come out before the show, but as someone previously said I think it was done with the intention of making a TV show. The production values are roughly the same, so I'd call that one a push...though the infamous "Space Vampire" episode might give the TV show an edge...

I've rambled enough...

[Spears]

I sorta group V, BSG and Buck Rogers into the TV series only categories, even though two of them sorta launched their pilots in the theaters.

Stargate obviously counts as a movie turned series. So does Alien Nation for that matter, which I thought was a better TV show than movie as well. (Though the movie did have some classic lines you couldn't possibly use on regular TV.)

[80sfan]

The 2 hour Battlestar movie was actually released in theaters although I am not sure why.

[Ellen]

Hi Spears-
I did not mean you - I apologize for the miscommunication. I meant lack of love for sci fi by the people commenting prior to my first comment. Back in the day if you said "sci fi" some people would give you a look as if you belonged in an asylum or something.

What is funny is that the people who made the movie Stargate are planning to make a sequel based on the original movie - not the series. Those who made the series are planning a movie based on the series. Potentially they could be competing and unrelated to each other.

I do not know if V would count - it was a mini series that turned into a second mini series because making a series was too expensive. Then the series came out anyway and ignored parts of the second mini series and ignored itself a couple of times as well. Now a new one is coming out that ignores both the second mini series and the tv series. I just finished the book - interesting.

[Spears]

Ken -- Friday Night Lights is an EXCELLENT pick and should have been on my Top 5 list. I thought the movie was just okay, but the TV series is fantastic.

My mistake!

[Ken]

How about Friday Night Lights???!!!! That show has single handedly made me want to get into high school coaching again. I darn near tear up everytime I watch that show.

[Spears]

I wouldn't say there's a lack of love for Sci Fi shows. Keep in mind that for today's list, the TV show needs to have sprung from a movie.

I didn't know if Babylon 5 had a movie. And did Battlestar Galactica have a movie that kicked it off? I thought that was just a 2-hour pilot.

One that's hard to judge is Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. I believe the pilot did actually run in theaters first, though it was always the intention to make it a TV show next. So that's a little tricky.

[Ellen]

Wow. Lack of love here for sci fi shows. Shows like Buffy, Angel, Babylon 5, Stargate, BSG (the newer series) blew away most of the mindless sitcoms with their regurgitated formulas and fake laughs.

I did see the original movie for Buffy - it almost made me not watch the series. A friend was telling me it was nothing like the movie so took a chance and really got into it.

[Spears]

Whoa, Renee! Wow, a bold stand there. But you really believe that?

I love Rutger Hauer and Pee Wee Herman as much as the next '80s fan, but I think the series just blows away the movie.

I'm sure Luke Perry regrets ever making that flick.

[Al]

Stargate is just about as bad as Babylon 5 or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine until the final season.

[renee]

WHAT! Buffy the movie was FAR superior. the whole concept was better and much more entertaining than that stupid teensoap series. Yes i know this may be an unpopular stand but the movie was awesome, and the series never held a candle to it!

[Spears]

Re. Weird Science -- yes, the movie was far better, which is why it didn't make this list. For this list, the TV show has to be better than the movie.

[Miguel]

I don`t like Fame at all.Be it the movie or the Tv show.I never got into this Buffy thing either.I agree with you on M.A.S.H.
I never watched In The Heat Of The Night the TV show. But i just loved the movie.Brilliant! I find it very difficult to imagine the TV show could be better than the movie.

[Bill]

no mention of Weird Science? the movie was so far superior...

[Pawpads]

At least now I know where the "Can you say Stuck in the 80's" soundbite comes from on your podcasts.

[Marie]

I hated Stargate. I fell asleep during the movie and the series made me snooze as well.

[Steve Spears]

I liked both the movie and TV show equally for Fame, so I didn't include it on the list.

I have another list of five movies that were tainted by their TV series, but figured I'd save it for a rainy day.

[Bassnote]

Sorry Heather, but the movie "Fame" was much better than the t.v. show.

[Heather in Ottawa]

What about Fame?