Watching TV at the Movies

As I watched "Star Trek 2:The Wrath of Khan" the other night, I started thinking about movies featuring TV casts. The original Star Trek cast transitioned to the big screen more successfully than any other, starring in 6 theatrical feature films. What about the other TV shows that have been made into films with at least some of the original TV cast? Join me, on my way to the local cinema, traveling through the vast wasteland known as Television.

The first TV show to appear at the local Theater was “Dragnet” in 1954. The Jack Webb creation started as a Radio series before moving to TV. I’ve never seen this movie but I’m guessing it is very "Jack Webb". That is all you need to know.

The next TV transition was “Our Miss Brooks” in 1956. This movie appeared after the demise of the series and featured the original TV cast. For some odd reason the film ignored the story lines of the series about a schoolteacher.

Universal drafted the crew of the black & white 60’s sitcom, McHale’s Navy for the big screen in two low budget Color feature films during the run of the 1962-1966 series. They made one of them without McHale!

The Munsters followed their TV series with a lame feature film set in London but filmed at Universal Studios. 1966’s “Munsters, Go Home!” was the Munsters’ debut in color. Did we really need proof that Herman was green?

The year was 1966. America was experiencing the height of Batman-mania. The TV show Batman was airing on ABC twice a week to huge audiences. That summer FOX released “Batman” starring Adam West, Burt Ward and 4 Arch Criminals from the TV show in what was probably the most successful TV Show movie of the 60’s. This was a fun movie that captured some of what was great about the series. There is a hilarious scene with Batman trying to dispose of a giant bomb on a busy pier.

Speaking of bombs, the Monkees segued from their canceled TV show to the theaters with a bizarre movie called “Head”. Words can not adequate describe this very strange film that was written by Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson. The extreme lack of filmgoers led to this movie being pulled after one week. The few people who did see the film left dumbfounded. It has attracted a cult following over the years and is required viewing in film schools.

Anybody remember the Saturday morning show, H.R. Pufnstuf? Well, the talking dragon mayor of Living Island frolicked at the movies with Jimmy, Freddie the Flute and Witchiepoo in “Pufnstuff”. Mama Cass Elliot from The Mamas & The Papas also starred in this 1970 musical.

In 1980 Maxwell Smart returned from an extended stay in an undisclosed location for “The Nude Bomb”. Don Adams was amusing but none of the classic characters from “Get Smart” appeared in this not so nude bomb.

Police Squad! was a very funny and very short-lived series from 1982. With only 6 episodes produced this was probably the least successful show to be made into a feature. 1989’s “The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad!” became a big box office hit and spawned 2 sequels.

Twin Peaks, a series I’ve never seen, was a big hit in 1990. It’s day in the sun was brief as the ratings plummeted in 1991. That did not stop David Lynch from bringing the show and most of the cast to the movies with “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” in 1992. Unfortunately, he could not bring a sizeable audience to this critically drubbed prequel.

In 1994 the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation made the giant leap to cinematic glory with "Generations", the first of four features based on the syndicated hit. It actually featured cast members from the original series as well. Shatner is always better on the big screen!

The hottest kids show in the mid-90's was the Power Rangers. So hot that FOX was compelled to bring them to the cineplex with 1995's "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie". It was actually more enjoyable than the series. The movie was a marginal hit and led to a low budget sequel in 1997.

In the middle of the X-Files’ successful run on TV, “The X-Files: Fight the Future” arrived at the local cinemas. This 1998 film was moderately successful in the US but was a big hit internationally. 2008 saw the release of "X-Files: I Want to Believe". They could not find enough believers.

Strong DVD sales of the short-lived FOX Sci-fi series Firefly, led to a big screen version entitled “Serenity”. Praise from critics and Joss Whedon fans did not translate into big box-office numbers for this 2005 futuristic western.

I’ve ignored the movies made from Cable TV shows because 3 of them I really don’t want to write about.

Animated TV shows also moved to the movies. Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, Alvin & The Chipmunks, The Jetsons , Goof Troop, Duck Tales, Batman:The Animated Series and The Simpsons all were adapted to the big screen with the voice talents from the TV Shows. “The Simpsons Movie” was a huge hit while most of the others were as flat as Hanna- Barbera animation. Batman was pretty cool though.

Theatrical features starring TV casts have been around as long as TV. I believe I’ve hit on all the U.S. shows that were adapted to features. The question always arises about why would someone pay to see something that they could get for free. In most of the cases listed above, they wouldn’t. Maybe Hollywood got it wrong. Maybe they just picked the wrong shows. Of all the shows that have ever aired, McHale’s Navy gets two movies? Come on! I went through my TV Encyclopedia searching for the one show that would have been a surefire hit movie. After hours of meticulous research I found it. Not Bonanza, not Dallas, not Punky Brewster, not MacGyver, not Golden Girls and not According to Jim. The show that would have been a blockbuster movie is “Saved By the Bell”! Screech on the big screen. It would have been Oscar time in Bayside!