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It's no surprise that Hollywood looks to the small screen for inspiration.
With original ideas in seemingly limited supply, television is a natural place for money-hungry producers to turn to in the hope of finding the next bankable franchise.
It's because of this that the world has suffered some truly horrendous films based on shows that simply didn't need a cinematic adventure.
Should all TV shows stay on the telly? Not necessarily. There are fine examples of big screen translations that have seriously impressed: The Addams Family , Mission: Impossible and 21 Jump Street , to name a few.
But, the list of the failures is even more bursting. To celebrate one of these – the new Downton Abbey
Click through below to see what made the list.
Show all 29 1 /2929 TV shows that have been made into bad films 29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The A-Team Joe Carnahan’s dusty and grimy adaptation retained the catchphrases and character personalities of the original series, while surrounding them with an entirely incoherent plot and noisy sub-Michael Bay action. Liam Neeson made for a fun Hannibal Smith and UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson did his best as BA Baracus, but a never-more-slappable Bradley Cooper and the chronically unappealing Sharlto Copley were the pits.
20th Century Fox
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Aeon Flux A sad-all-round adaptation of the cult MTV animated series from the 1990s, Aeon Flux abandoned the avant-garde, largely dialogue-free sensuality of its source material for generic action and dodgy special effects. If it weren’t for the classy presence of Charlize Theron and director Karyn Kusama, whose early cut was radically altered by producers, this would have basically been a bargain-bin Milla Jovovich joint. And that, honestly, would have been a lot more fun.
Paramount Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The Avengers Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman must have been grateful when Marvel came along and helped scrub 1998 film The Avengers even further out of cultural memory. But for those who had to endure their hammy 1998 adaptation of the classic spy series, it’d take a lot more than Iron Man and Captain America to make us forget the image of Sean Connery inexplicably dressed in a giant bear costume and trying to control the weather. Shudders.
Warner Bros
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Bad Education Although The Bad Education Movie arrived in a similar summertime slot to the successful Inbetweeners film, this sitcom adaptation was nowhere near as popular. Jack Whitehall’s performance was panned by critics who said he appeared “desperate to shock” as delinquent teacher Alfie Wickers and described the whole movie as a “farce”.
Endemol UK
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Are You Being Served? This 1977 film based on BBC sitcom Are You Being Served? took its inspiration from a theatre production in Blackpool. While it found success on stage, the big screen version was met with hostility, with one critic calling it "guilty of violating almost every law of comedy and film".
EMI
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Baywatch David Hasselhoff is unforgettable as the hunky chief lifeguard Mitch Buchannon patrolling a sunny beach in Baywatch. After a rocky start when the first season was cancelled on NBC, it became the world's most-watched TV show, running in its original format for 10 years until 1999. The unnecessary big-screen version of the show starred Dwayne Johnson in Hasselhoff’s role and Zac Efron as a new recruit. Even the nostalgic cameo from the show's former star didn’t make up for the paper-thin plot.
Paramount Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Bewitched Because nose-centric glory for Nicole Kidman couldn’t happen twice, this adaptation of sparkly magical sitcom Bewitched arrived two years after the actor won her Oscar for The Hours, and promptly became a key component in her Queen of Flops reputation throughout the late-2000s. This had brilliance written all over it, from Nora Ephron behind the camera to Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman and Shirley MacLaine in the supporting cast, but still somehow managed to stink.
Columbia Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Keith Lemon Leigh Francis character Keith Lemon received the big screen treatment in 2012's Keith Lemon: The Film, one of the only titles to have ever received zero per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. Putting pins in one's eyes is rumoured to be a better experience.
Lionsgate
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Dad's Army Despite an all-star cast that included Bill Nighy, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Gambon and Tony Jones, the poorly judged spin-off of the much-loved BBC sitcom Dad's Army (2016) took a pounding from critics, who derided the attempt at an homage to a TV show that had nothing wrong with it in the first place.
Universal Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Dark Shadows The nadir of Tim Burton’s career, Dark Shadows was a film nobody was particularly crying out for, most of the fans of the original 1960s fantasy soap opera long dead and the general public having by then grown tired of Johnny Depp’s “heavily made-up comedy weirdo” schtick. Most egregious, however, was the film’s failure to properly utilise Michelle Pfeiffer 20 years after she played Catwoman in Burton’s Batman Returns.
Warner Bros Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Downton Abbey Julian Fellowes took the beloved TV drama about the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and the people who serve them – and turned it into one long fawning session about the royals. Absolutely nothing happens in this film where an entire sub-plot involves a boiler being fixed, and another, completely implausible storyline about an assassination attempt on the king. The only real intrigue is why Thomas, the butler, has suddenly acquired a very orange tan. This is what happens when British institutions get a Hollywood makeover, folks.
Focus Features
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The Dukes of Hazzard There was a time when Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson were the hottest cast in town. There was never a time this unwanted cinematic revival of the action comedy series wasn't entirely stupid.
Warner Bros Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Entourage Life imitated art when the main stars at the heart of HBO show Entourage hit the red carpet for the film version. Sadly, it lacked the vim that was present in most seasons of the show and ultimately felt like a mediocre feature-length episode.
Warner Bros Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Harry Enfield's Television Programme Kevin and Perry Go Large was no doubt adored by teens everywhere upon its released in 2000, which is why it's gained a cult following in the years since. In all honesty, the film is so terrible it's actually brilliant.
Icon Film Distribution
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The League of Gentlemen 2005 film The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse is proof that Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson can do wrong. On the bright side, it's reassuring to know the multi-talented quartet are indeed human after all.
United International Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The Magic Roundabout It's not exactly clear who The Magic Roundabout film was intended for considering kids at the time would have had no idea who Dougal, Zebedee or company were. Save for providing work for Robbie Williams, Tom Baker and Bill Nighy, this version wasn’t much use for anyone.
Pathé Distribution
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Mrs Brown's Boys We are all to blame for the abysmal Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie. If the sitcom's Christmas specials weren't the most-watched episodes of television in the UK every year, then Brendan O'Carroll probably wouldn’t have ever thought a film could be possible.
Universal Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The Office Ricky Gervais just couldn't stay away from his Office character David Brent and gave him the big screen treatment in 2016's Life on the Road. Every second paled in comparison to ever single episode of the classic BBC series.
Entertainment One
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Pokémon The experience of watching the first ever Pokémon film – titled Pokémon: The First Movie – can be likened to watching a YouTube tutorial of someone playing a Pokémon video game, only somehow more boring.
Toho
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Postman Pat The charming story of Postman Pat and his black and white cat in the fictional and busy village of Greendale first screened on the BBC in 1981. What a shame that Postman Pat: The Movie in 2014 – the 3D animated feature film version – managed to stray so far from its original simplicity. It sees Postman Pat (voiced by Stephen Mangan) enter an X-Factor style-singing contest, and despite featuring an impressive array of voice actors, including Rupert Grint, Jim Broadbent and David Tennant, the film was too scary for the under-fives – especially the scene that sees Pat turn into a sinister robot.
Lionsgate
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Sex and the City Sex and the City had all the ingredients for a great movie: starry cast, cult fanbase, glamorous setting. Alas, both films were an embarrassment to the original series. Not enough happened in the movies to warrant anything longer than a 30-minute episode and unfortunately we can never unsee Sarah Jessica Parker and co doing that bizarre slo-mo walk through the desert.
Warner Bros Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Spooks The problem with 2015 film Spooks: The Greater Good is that is arrived about 10 years too late. Spooks was a decent BBC drama that ended in 2011 and that's how it should have stayed.
Entertainment One
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films SWAT Based on the 1975 series of the same name, this action crime thriller starred Samuel L Jackson, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Jeremy Renner, and Colin Farrell in one of his early box office hits. There was plenty of high-octane drama and Farrell was convincing as a hot-shot cop taking on a French drug lord (Olivier Martinez), but it’s also completely predictable and, ultimately, extremely pointless.
Columbia Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The Sweeney An updated version of BBC crime series The Sweeney starring Ray Winstone sounds like something from spoof heaven. The finished film, released in 2012, didn't really do much to convince anyone that it wasn't.
Entertainment One
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Thunderbirds Sure, Ben Kingsley as The Hood is a great spot of casting, but practically everything else in the film version of Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds failed to make the grade. Anderson himself was most damning; he called it "the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my entire life."
Universal Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The Twilight Zone There are some interesting things in Twilight Zone: The Movie, but it loses points for featuring one of the worst pieces of work from Steven Spielberg: a segment set in a retirement home titled "Kick the Can".
Warner Bros
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Veronica Mars Just because the Veronica Mars cast and its loyal fans really wanted a movie spin-off to be made, it doesn’t mean it should have ever actually happened. The TV show was revived thanks to funds raised by star Kristen Bell on Kickstarter, but the film was criticised for making literally no sense for anyone who hadn’t watched the series.
Warner Bros. Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films Wild Wild West Famously bad, Wild Wild West was adapted from the 1960s TV show and was the 2000 recipient of the golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture.
Warner Bros Pictures
29 TV shows that have been made into bad films The X-Files You’d have thought that taking The X-Files to the big screen, midway through the show’s original run, would result in some major revelations about the show’s oft-maligned alien mythology at its centre. Alas, it only opened up another barrel of questions to which series creator Chris Carter always struggled to answer.
20th Century Fox
Downton Abbey is in cinemas now.
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