For decades, films have been adapted into television series with varying success. Many times the television shows are inferior to the films they're based on and aren't able to recreate the charm that the source material brought. Whether it be replacing the actors from the film in the TV show or the quality just flat out not being there, many viewers proceed film-adapted TV shows with caution.
While many film-adapted shows have gone on to be fan favorites and match their movie counterpart in quality, it's not an easy feat. There are just as many, if not more, that don't last past one season and are immediately forgotten by the audiences that they were intended to serve. Different film concepts have lots of potential to translate well into television but can backfire when poorly executed.
Uncle Buck (1990) & (2016)
Uncle Buck is one of the more popular comedy films from the 1980s and ended up spawning two TV series based on the film. While both are similar in premise, both were not received well by viewers and critics alike. The first attempt at an Uncle Buck show in 1990 had a dark backstory in comparison to the film, with Buck becoming the guardians of his nieces instead of their babysitter. It was taken off the air before the 22-episode season could conclude, with 6 episodes going unaired.
2016's Uncle Buck show starring Mike Epps performed slightly better than the 1990 series but was ultimately canceled after 8 episodes. It was closer in tone to the film it was based on and had a solid cast but just couldn't pull its weight.
Tron: Uprising (2012 - 2013)
Overall, Tron: Uprising was not necessarily a bad show as it did have a good cast of characters and impressive animation. Based on both Tron and Tron: Legacy, it attempted to expand the Tron lore and provide more backstory to the films it was based on.
The show only received one 19-episode season and was canceled in early 2013 after disappointing ratings. The voice cast was stacked including Mandy Moore, Bruce Boxleitner, and Elijah Wood as Beck, the main protagonist of the series. This show does have the potential to be rebooted in the future but is currently another unfortunate victim of low ratings.
Blade: The Series (2006)
The Blade trilogy of films is considered important and influential to the superhero genre, with many films that proceeded it taking inspiration from the Wesley Snipes led franchise. At the time, viewers couldn't see any other actor other than Snipes in the role of Eric Brooks so when it was decided that rapper Sticky Fingaz would take over in the TV series, it was not received very well.
Blade: The Series had its moments but it couldn't capture the charm the films had with many of the criticisms being focused on its lack of character development. With a new Blade film in the works in the MCU, the character is destined to reach new heights of popularity and Mahershalla Ali has the opportunity to give the character a fresh start.
Damien (2016)
The concept of Damien should have worked in theory, being a spin-off series of 1976's The Omen. With source material from one of the greatest horror films of all time and the series focusing on its main antagonist, it had a solid concept but just couldn't put it all together.
Taking place years after The Omen, the show follows Damien after he'd grown up to be a photographer and moved on from his evil past. Throughout the 10-episode season, he struggles to balance the peace he had found with his Antichrist side. After leaning more into the drama genre over its horror roots, it tries its best to stand on its own but was still overshadowed by the film series it comes from.
The Karate Kid (1989)
The Karate Kid holds a special place in the memory of viewers everywhere as the story of a kid being mentored to defend himself against his bullies can easily resonate with general audiences. Like a handful of classic '80s films, it received an animated television series but it was short-lived.
While the series still featured the same characters from the film, it replaced many elements from the movie that made it stand out in the first place. In a way, the show was removed from reality by introducing magical concepts and a quest-based storyline. The series originally planned to have 65 episodes for its first season but was cut down and canceled after only 13 episodes.
Ferris Bueller (1990 - 1991)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is widely regarded as one of director John Hughes' best films, reaching iconic status in the decades since its release in 1986. The TV show didn't fare nearly as well, receiving only one 13-episode season. Along with the recasting of every character from the film, there were key differences in the show that viewers just couldn't look past.
On top of taking place in Santa Monica as opposed to the film's setting of suburban Chicago, it wasn't more than a typical high school sitcom with characters from a popular movie. It gets credit for its initial self-awareness and sets itself up as the events that inspired the actual film, but it doesn't capitalize on being as meta as it could've been after the pilot.
Napoleon Dynamite (2012)
When it comes to cult classics, Napoleon Dynamite is up there with the best. So when it was announced that it would be receiving an animated series with the Hess's as co-creators and executive producers and Jon Heder returning in the titular role, the excitement was there. But ultimately, the show couldn't live up to the hype despite many of the film's crew working on it.
The series doesn't continue or even reference the events from the film but instead takes the premise of the film and transfers it to the television format. It probably would have faired better if it was a continuation of the film considering the show brings back all of the main characters but it felt as if the show was a do-over to an already great story.
Training Day (2017)
Denzel Washington won his first Oscar for Training Day back in 2001 and since then, it's been considered one of the best films in his filmography. Although its thought of highly as one of the better crime thrillers of the last few decades, the TV show of the same name that was released 16 years later could not match its greatness.
The Training Day series takes place 15 years after the film and focuses on new characters, with Bill Paxton as Frank Roarke and Justin Cornwell as Kyle Craig in the two main roles, respectively. It can be difficult to fill the shoes of Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke but Paxton and Cornwell weren't aided with a good script.
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997 - 1998)
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle trilogy of the early '90s wasn't critically praised but audiences were very fond of them, especially the first two. As the first live-action TMNT films, they continued the popularity of the characters throughout the next decade alongside the unrelated animated show that premiered in 1987. The live-action films spawned the short-lived Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation series, which was originally intended to be the fourth film before being reworked into a show.
The Next Mutation saw many key differences between the show and every other continuity of TMNT, most notably making the turtles unrelated to each other. The show also introduced the character of Venus de Milo and is still her only appearance in any TMNT property.
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1992)
The time-traveling duo of Bill & Ted saw a great amount of success after their first two films and it spawned two different television shows within two years. The first was an animated show which lasted 2 seasons (season 1 including the original cast of the films) and a second live-action series that was only given one season and didn't fare as well as the first.
With an unaired pilot episode, the show follows the same premise of the film with Bill and Ted traveling through different periods using a phone booth. The series included the cast of the second season of the animated show and remains forgotten amongst Bill & Ted-related media.