Just because television is called the "small screen" doesn't mean it can't have big screen ideas. In the history of the greatest TV shows turned into movies, what are the best of all time?
In 1954, the barriers that separated the world of TV and movies began to blur when the hit television crime drama Dragnet, directed by creator Jack Webb (who also starred) was made into a movie. Dragnet was already something of a "franchise" before this happened - it began life as a radio drama in 1949 - but its financially profitable adaptation into a movie proved that moviegoing audiences were willing to show up for anything, so long as they know what it's about.
Hollywood as a whole had qualms about cinema and television being two totally different worlds, but everything slowly changed as the world marched into the 21st century. Now, when TV and movies all stream together on the same platforms and Oscar-winning actors don't think twice about taking on TV roles, there is a surprisingly large canon of TV shows that have also become equally memorable, if not classic movies.
Here are 35 of the greatest movies that actually came from TV shows.
35. The End of Evangelion (1997)
While incomprehensible even to those who have seen all of Neon Genesis Evangelion, the brazen apocalyptic vision of director Hideaki Anno is hard to discount in this theatrical release designed to wrap up the show's plot. After fans begged for a proper resolution to the popular anime series, Anno - in the midst of emotional duress and depression - answered with a monkey's paw, a movie that does indeed wrap the story of Evangelion in perhaps the most aggressive, resentful way possible. Nothing illustrates Anno's antagonistic relationship between his work and his admirers better than the very end of The End of Evangelion, in which a fan-favorite love interest expresses disgust towards the main character as they sit atop the ruins of the world.
34. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
The golden era of Nickelodeon's mega-successful SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon gets an unofficial ending in the 2004 film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Written and directed by SpongeBob's late creator Stephen Hillenburg, the movie follows SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny) and his best friend Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) as they race to clear Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) after he's framed for stealing the crown of King Neptune. As the story goes, the movie was intended to act as the true finale for SpongeBob's story, but greed on the part of network executives who wanted more compelled Hillenburg to step down as showrunner. The movie remains a high-water mark, boasting all of Hillenburg's memorable madcap humor with a better budget.
33. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)
It's something of a high-wire act for a TV show entirely centered around bad movies to become a movie itself. Thankfully, the 1996 "film" Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie hardly changes a thing from its own formula. The only difference is, like, a more elaborate opening and somehow better jokes. Mike Nelson (played by Michael J. Nelson) is still stranded on a spaceship where he's forced to watch bad movies as part of a mad scientist's ongoing experiments. On deck is the 1955 oddity This Island Earth where, hey, you can see the Cubs losing.
32. Jackass Forever (2022)
The artistic redemption of the Jackass series is nothing short of miraculous. Originally airing on MTV as a crudely produced hardcore prank show that stuffy adults bemoaned as the decline of civilization, a combination of millennial nostalgia and pandemic-wrought determination to live life fully made the 2022 release Jackass Forever an improbable critical darling. In a review for Variety, Owen Gleiberman praised the movie as living up to its tradition of "elaborate frat-house hazing stunts" only to execute them in ways "that lies somewhere between psychotic and religious."
31. Charlie's Angels (2000)
Doubling down on the sex appeal that the original classic TV show only playfully acknowledged, McG's summer 2000 tentpole Charlie's Angels brings to the big screen - and into the 21st century - a trio of drop-dead beautiful freelance investigators who work for the unseen benefactor Charlie. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu take charge in the film, which takes place in the same continuity as the original show and picks up where it left off decades prior. Is Charlie's Angels corny? Is it camp? It is somehow all of those things and more. A cranked-up sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, came in 2003, and a less popular but frankly misunderstood reboot hit theaters in 2019 from director Elizabeth Banks with Naomi Scott, Kristen Stewart, and Ella Balinska in the lead roles.
30. Dragnet (1987)
Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks team up in this laugh-a-minute sendup of 1940s detective media, itself based on the radio show-turned-TV hit Dragnet. Aykroyd plays the part of Joe Friday, nephew of the original Joe Friday portrayed by Jack Webb. Aykroyd's Friday is a man basically frozen in time, his sharp suits, trilby hat, and outdated speech making him stick out in modern day Los Angeles. He is assigned a new partner, the cocky and streetwise Pep (Hanks), as they take on a case involving a millionaire adult magazine publisher and a Satanic cult. Dragnet isn't the most popular movie in either Hanks or Aykroyd's filmographies, but you can't deny the appeal of the two rapping in "City of Crime."
29. The Equalizer (2014)
The hit 1980s TV series enjoyed a boiling hot 21st century revival in Antoine Fuqua's 2014 feature film starring Denzel Washington. While clearly designed to be "Denzel's Taken" - even down to its plot involving sex traffickers - the movie allowed Denzel to finally exhibit his action hero chops opposite a sympathetic Chloë Grace Moretz as the young woman he protects from Russian criminals. The success of the movie spawned a new film series starring Washington, as well as an adjacent TV revival with Queen Latifah in the main role that premiered in 2021.
28. South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut (1999)
South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone so relished how much controversy their Comedy Central series stirred among parents and censorship groups, they had to sing it in song. In 1999, the pair released South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut, a satirical animated musical that lampoons the misguided moral panic over popular media. After the children of South Park obsess over an R-rated film version of their favorite cartoon, their parents step up to protect them - by waging war against Canada. Also, Saddam Hussein and Satan are both involved. We can't quote literally any of the songs here, but just know they're devilishly catchy.
27. The A-Team (2010)
Based on the 1980s television smash that included in its cast the iconic Mr. T, the 2010 feature film reboot, directed by Joe Carnahan, stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Sharlto Copley, Patrick Wilson, and former UFC Light Heavyweight champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Essentially a retelling of The A-Team's origin story - as a group of elite operators who seek to clear their names while hunting down the one who framed them - the 2010 movie surprises as a stronger, more muscular movie than its Gen X nostalgia pandering lets on.
26. The Green Hornet (2011)
The Green Hornet would have faded into obscurity if not for Bruce Lee. In 1966, the martial arts screen legend starred as Kato - sidekick to the titular hero The Green Hornet, played by Van Williams - in a one-season television version of the hit radio show. Thanks to Lee's legendary status, there finally came a big budget movie version in 2011 with Seth Rogen taking charge and Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou as Kato, plus Christoph Waltz and Cameron Diaz in supporting roles. While The Green Hornet lacked the firepower to outmaneuver the nascent Marvel Cinematic Universe, its unusual direction from Michel Gondry has allowed it lasting distinction compared to more overproduced contemporaries.
25. MacGruber (2010)
Time has been nothing but kind to MacGruber. Though it bombed at the box office, this big screen version of the popular Saturday Night Live sketch has enjoyed cult status thanks to committed performances by Will Forte and Kirsten Wiig, plus a ridiculously quotable script. ("Your God can't save you, but I can." So good.) A parody of 1980s TV shows like MacGyver, MacGruber stars Forte reprising his SNL character in a plot that brings him back to action and assembles a crack team to prevent the destruction of Washington D.C. We all salute MacGruber.
24. Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door (2001)
Anyone with good taste will recognize Cowboy Bebop as one of the greatest anime shows of all time. In 2001, creator Shinichirō Watanabe helmed a big screen version of his hybrid sci-fi/Western series, titled Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door. (In the U.S., the movie was simply titled Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.) Set between episodes 22 and 23 of the original series, the movie follows the freelance bounty hunters of the Bebop as they track down a terrorist to prevent the release of a virus that can exterminate all life on Mars. Stylish and atmospheric, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door proves not all movie versions of a hit TV show are in it for a cheap payday.
23. Saban's Power Rangers (2017)
The Power Rangers franchise has inspired several movies, each with their own appeal for nostalgic audiences. But the 2017 reboot movie from director Dean Israelite stands alone, being an impressively moody and sometimes beautiful reimagining of the cheesy childrens' TV hit of the '90s. Essentially "The Breakfast Club meets Fantastic Four," Power Rangers surpasses low expectations as a derivative, post-Twilight tentpole with heart, humor, and heroics. Its darling cast includes Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, and Becky G, plus Elizabeth Banks hamming it up in a skintight green alien costume. You can't ask for more from a true mighty morphin' movie.
22. Get Smart (2007)
The 1960s was full of spy media - and full of spoofs of them, too. In 1965, Mel Brooks and Buck Henry premiered their spy satire Get Smart, which was designed as a parody of James Bond and Inspector Clouseau. In 2008, Get Smart found a new generation in Peter Segal's live-action reboot starring Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway. While critics didn't all fall for the movie's honey trap, Get Smart was still a major box office winner; it grossed over $230 million worldwide. A sequel was in various stages of development for years, with Carrell himself writing a script, until Segal shut down any possibility in 2019, citing how too much time had passed. One might say they took the title of their movie quite literally.
21. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
Breaking Bad ended its legendary run on AMC on a high note. But in 2019, creator Vince Gilligan created a moving coda to Jesse Pinkman's story with El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. Set immediately after the events of Breaking Bad, El Camino follows Jesse (a returning Aaron Paul) on a desperate and urgent escape, only to be challenged by a few final obstacles that stand in his way to freedom and starting over. While a continuation of Breaking Bad may sound unnecessary, the dependably careful direction of Gilligan and a revelatory Aaron Paul make El Camino a road worth taking.
20. The Fall Guy (2024)
Few people alive could tell you that The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, was based on an old TV show from the 1980s. And indeed, it was. But David Leitch's summer 2024 release is a dynamite tribute to all eras of Hollywood stunt performers. Gosling stars in the movie as Colt Seavers (originally played by Lee Majors), a Hollywood stuntman who is dragged into a deep behind-the-scenes conspiracy involving the disappearance of action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Explosive and wholesome, with the walking charisma cannon that is Ryan Gosling, The Fall Guy can make us all want to take a leap of faith.
19. The Simpsons Movie (2007)
While The Simpsons Movie released during a prolonged flop era for the show, this long-in-development production won over almost all audiences with its throwback sense of humor and still relevant social satire. After Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta, reprising his role from the show) accidentally pollutes all of Springfield, the town is encased in a sealed glass dome. Eventually, the Simpsons family must save their friends and neighbors even though they're so royally mad. The Simpsons Movie was a critical and commercial hit that wasn't afraid to have a few laughs while exploring important issues like religion and environmentalism.
18. Serenity (2005)
When Fox canceled Joss Whedon's cult science fiction Western series Firefly, its fans rallied to prove that no one can stop the signal. In 2005, the impossible dream became reality when Firefly enjoyed a sequel movie in Serenity, written and directed by Whedon as the true finale to his beloved show. Set shortly after the series, the movie follows the crew of the ship Serenity who finally learn the terrible truth behind one of the galaxy's biggest threats. All the while, they race to escape "The Operative" (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a highly capable operative intent to bring them to custody for the tyrannical Alliance.
17. Deadwood: The Movie (2019)
More than a decade after it went off the air, HBO's prestige Western drama Deadwood enjoyed one last round in the saloon with Deadwood: The Movie, written by creator David Milch and directed by Daniel Minahan. A continuation of the original show and wholly designed to wrap up leftover story threads, Deadwood: The Movie takes place amid celebrations for South Dakota's newfound statehood - but not all of its inhabitants are feeling joyous. Deadwood; The Movie reunites most of the show's original cast (at least those whose characters were still alive, anyway) as their characters ride off into the sunset and into the footnotes of history books for good.
16. Shin Ultraman (2022)
Decades after the Japanese superhero icon debuted on television airwaves in 1966, he was completely reborn in the 2022 release Shin Ultraman, directed by Shinji Higuchi. The second project in Higuchi and Hideaki Anno's collaborative "Shin" anthology, following Shin Godzilla in 2016 and preceding Shin Kamen Rider in 2023, Shin Ultraman reimagines the arrival of the towering silver titan Ultraman, who defends the people of Earth from menacing kaiju. Sharing the same spirit of urgency as the other Shin movies and featuring a unique marriage of past and present in its production design, Shin Ultraman is to bear witness to a hero's welcome rebirth.
15. The Addams Family (1991)
While The Addams Family began life as a cartoon, the 1964 television sitcom played a huge stylistic and artistic influence over Barry Sonnenfield's hit movie (and debut as director). Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci - as breakout character Wednesday Addams - all star in The Addams Family, a big screen imagining of the creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky suburban household. But past all the cobwebs and black wardrobes, Sonnenfield's movie is primarily about rebuilding, in its story about the long-lost relative Fester Addams (Lloyd) when he comes home after decades away with no contact.
14. Wayne's World (1992)
The popular Saturday Night Live sketch comes to the big screen as Mike Myers and Dana Carvey again play their basement-dwelling metalheads with their own public access show. This time, a sleazy network executive, played by Rob Lowe, attempts to produce a bigger, more commercialized version of Wayne's World, all while stealing Wayne's own girlfriend Cassandra (Tia Carrere) out from under him. In this send-up of rags to only marginally better riches rock 'n roll stories, Wayne's World is a ballroom blitz of a good time.
13. Star Trek (2009)
The landmark Star Trek television series has spawned more movies than anyone can count on both hands, with 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan easily the most celebrated of all. But in 2009, director J.J. Abrams helmed the debatably more consequential reboot film, simply titled Star Trek. A breathtaking new take on the original for contemporary audiences, Star Trek blasted off by reigniting its relevance for a new era while also cementing J.J. Abrams as a major science fiction director. A few years later he'd helm another reboot-esque project for the rival Star Wars franchise, 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
12. 21 Jump Street (2012)
Even for a television series from the 1980s, 21 Jump Street had few die-hard fans circa 2012. (Anecdotally: I used to spot the complete series DVD set buried in the bargain bins at Walmart.) But with Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, the Jump Street franchise had a sudden resurgence thanks to a lively, balls-to-the-wall reboot 21 Jump Street. Bearing the same premise as the show - that of cops who pose as high school students for an undercover mission - Tatum and Hill pass with honors in an energetic action-comedy that spawned an even better sequel, 22 Jump Street.
11. Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
One of the biggest movies of 2006 and arguably all of the 2000s is easily Borat. The title character, an inept Kazakhstani journalist, originates as one of several different characters from Sascha Baron Cohen's hit show Da Ali G Show. In Borat, Cohen's character is dispatched by his government to the United States in an effort to educate its people on American culture, only for him to wind up on a wild chase to kidnap and marry Baywatch's Pamela Anderson. This improvisational mockumentary had everyone saying "My wife!" all the way until the movie's anticipated (and equally magnificent) 2020 sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
10. Mission: Impossible (1996)
Tom Cruise has become so synonymous with the Mission: Impossible movies, it's easy to forget that the entire franchise began life as a 1960s television series. (In fact, that's where its iconic theme song comes from.) While the show did not have an Ethan Hunt, both the show and the movie deal with the episodic adventures of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF), a crack team of specialists whose job description includes memorizing case details before they permanently self-destruct. While each of the Mission: Impossible movies have their strengths, the 1996 feature film was the spark that ignited it all.
9. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
The uncomfortable presence of O.J. Simpson aside, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! brings the comical misadventures of Police Squad! to the big screen with legendary comic star Leslie Nielsen back in his role as Frank Drebin. A parody of police and detective noirs, The Naked Gun tells an intentionally ludicrous story in which Frank tries to stop a criminal plot involving mind control. Directed by David Zucker, The Naked Gun is armed and dangerous with its arsenal of slapstick gags and puns, as well as supporting actors Prisilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, and George Kennedy who compliment Nielsen's deadpan delivery and goofy faces.
8. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Everyone has a favorite Batman movie. But aficionados may likely all agree that Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best of them all. Set in the same canon as the Emmy-winning Batman: The Animated Series, Mask of the Phantasm introduces a new love interest and nemesis for Batman in a story that challenges Batman's understanding of justice when crime bosses are killed one by one. (They still made toys after this movie, by the way.) While planned for a direct-to-video release, Warner Bros. had strong faith in the movie - as they should have - to release it in theaters, only for it to bomb until it came out on home video afterward. All Batman movies are great in their own ways, but Mask of the Phantasm, with its twist ending, is truly one of a kind.
7. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
In the aftermath of Twin Peaks, fans wanted nothing more than for the story to continue. (They eventually got their wish with Twin Peaks: The Return in 2017.) But only a year after the show ended, in 1992, David Lynch and writer Robert Engels gave them the stunning and surreal prequel that explores the last week in the life of popular high school student Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). Darker and less comical than the show, which is remembered for its unusual genre blend of detective fiction, horror, and soap opera satire, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me remains one of Lynch's most revered and mystifying movies of his career.
6. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Celebrated filmmaker Tim Burton made his directing debut with Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, a big screen adventure for Paul Reubens' quirky character Pee-Wee from The Pee-Wee Herman Show. A farcical retelling of the Italian classic film Bicycle Thieves, Pee-Wee goes on a zany search across America to retrieve his stolen bicycle. While Pee-Wee's Big Adventure earned some positive reviews during its release, it eventually earned status as a true cult classic, both for Burton's directing and Reubens' endlessly lovable weirdo.
5. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
In the dead heat of the Cold War, the 1960s spy-fi series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. saw the buddy pairing of two espionage agents - one American and one Russian - who are tasked with working together for a top-secret international organization. In 2015, this recipe for a would-be blockbuster went big in Guy Ritchie's film adaptation starring Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. (Elizabeth Debicki, Alicia Vikander, and Hugh Grant all fill out supporting roles.) Stylish and sexy, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is one of those movies that so totally deserved a sequel, if only so we can all keep enjoying the fashion inspo.
4. The Untouchables (1987)
Strictly speaking, Brian De Palma did not adapt the 1959-1963 television series The Untouchables. Both the show and De Palma's movie were adaptations of Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley's own memoir. Still, the series' reputation as a landmark, hard-nosed crime drama no doubt informed De Palma's approach to his film, which stars Kevin Costner as Prohibition agent Eliot Ness and Robert De Niro as famed gangster Al Capone. The Untouchables is simply top-notch American crime at its finest, and no matter what version you watch, you're in for a treat.
3. The Muppet Movie (1979)
Produced during the third season of the original incarnation of The Muppet Show, the 1979 road trip movie The Muppet Movie gave audiences a look at how Kermit the Frog gathered his band of misfits and dreamers to eventually wind up in Los Angeles. One of the first mainstream movies to employ surrealist humor, meta-references, lampooning of L.A. lifestyles, and a parade of celebrity cameos, The Muppet Movie helped spawn even more Muppet movies, making them all household names. In 2009, The Muppet Movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Not bad for a movie where Gonzo hits on a chicken.
2. The Fugitive (1993)
It might be hard to picture it now, but before The Fugitive was an iconic '90s movie starring Harrison Ford, it was an episodic TV show that ran for four entire seasons. Both the show and the movie share the same premise: Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford in the movie, David Janssen in the show) is a physician wrongfully accused of murdering his wife. After he's sentenced, Kimble escapes and begins a cross-country trip to find the real killer. Somehow, an actual 120 episodes were made without that story running out of steam. (And it was actually very popular!) But the movie cuts it all down to a tighter 130 minutes, or just over two hours.
1. Miami Vice (2006)
Some 20 years after Michael Mann produced the pastel-colored, neon-lit '80 cop drama Miami Vice for NBC, the filmmaker - at the behest of Jamie Foxx - adapted the series into a grittier noir film revolving around haunted men. Colin Farrell and Foxx co-star as Miami detectives who go undercover to combat illegal substance trafficking rings. While initial response to Miami Vice was lukewarm in 2006, it has gone on to become a cult classic, a movie appreciated for its tragic atmosphere and darker retelling of what used to be a more colorful action drama. But only the movie taught us how to be a fiend for mojitos.
