25 films that spun off into successful TV shows

The Coen Brothers' film inspired the FX series of the same name, which follows the town of Fargo over eight decades. It turns out this town has been dealing with murders since the '20s, even though everyone is more polite than your grandma. 

King Kong ain't got nothin' on the original, which starred Denzel Washington as the corrupt detective and Ethan Hawke as the cop in training. But he probably could take down the reboot. Even so, there's much to enjoy in this CBS show that's been on for five seasons. 

Joss Whedon wrote a movie that was so bad it was good, but then created a legitimately good TV show. It's not often one of these titles outdoes the original since the original usually has to be good enough to merit a reboot. 

What would happen if you became a werewolf in high school? Would you hide it from your friends or show off your new skin? It's a solid concept for a movie and a genius concept for a show. There's only so much Michael J. Fox could do with this premise, but there's so much more he could do with five seasons. 

Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze had the time of their lives in 1987, turning a summer camp into a sweaty tango of emotions. The film raked in $213 million at the box office and became as quotable as any movie. The show came along one year later to capitalize on that success. 

This 2000s rom-com had one of the key ingredients of all 2000s rom-coms: Hugh Grant. Too bad the show couldn't have nabbed Grant for the remake, though the story of a 30-something adopting a boy does have some great qualities. 

Ever heard of Julia Stiles? Heath Ledger? Joseph Gordon-Levitt? All three of these stars became famous from 10 Things I Hate About You, a rom-com about two sisters trying to find a date to prom. The show takes that concept and extends it over two seasons. 

Peter Berg, who directed the film, adapted a decent movie about a high school football team into one of the all-time great TV shows. The drama of these players gets fleshed out over five seasons, along with the going-ons of their small Texas town. Anyone who has lived in Texas knows how accurate this take on high school football is. 

Better than the original? As if! But the sitcom does have some touches that kept it on air for three seasons. It helps to have most of the cast back, though Alicia Silverstone didn't reprise her role as everyone's favorite character. 

Bradley Cooper starred in one of the most mind-bending (and probably stupid) action flicks of all time. In Limitless, he takes a drug that makes the world spin and gives him extra powers. It gave stoners something to talk about on the weekends and the rest of us something to watch on the plane. The show did the same for three seasons. 

There isn't much to recommend about this TV show, other than that it was Sandra Bullock's first time on air. Other than that, it was just another show canceled after one season. 

Everyone has talked to their Uber driver about one problem or another. Girlfriend issues or a night out? Maybe it's someone who's been bullying you at work? That's where Denzel Washington comes in — an Uber driver who hears your problems and solves them. This action flick saw Washington help those in need and even smash a dude with a hammer. The TV show does more of the same. 

The movie starring Peter Sellers in the role of Jaques Clouseau has inspired numerous spin-offs, reboots, and franchises, along with numerous riffs on the theme song. The best of these has got to be The Pink Panther Show, an animated series that lasted over 10 seasons. 

Alice doesn't live on the big screen anymore. She lives on the small screen with Linda Lavin in the title role. In the adaptation of Martin Scorsese's classic, Lavin takes on the burden of a dead husband and a son who misses his father. She takes on that burden for nine seasons of Alice, which is longer than most TV shows stay on the air.

The show has more in common with Philip K. Dıck's source material than Steven Spielberg's adaptation, which starred Tom Cruise in the leading role. That's a good thing and a bad thing. Maybe this show could have used a little more Spielberg and a little less Philip.

Somehow this comedy has been given two spinoffs. Both were canceled after one season, but the 1990 version was able to capture some of the original's charm. 

For a long time, Barbershop was one of the only Black comedies. It seemed Hollywood wasn't interested in making Black comedies, only movies about Black people being mistreated by whites. That's why Ice Cube's comedy was such a treat. It let a bunch of talented actors riff on screen who otherwise might not have gotten the chance.

Not many people know that Westworld is a remake of a B-movie. Even fewer know that Michael Crichton wrote the script. The show's genius concept comes from a visionary mind who came up with the idea for Jurassic Park a few decades later. You can draw parallels between the dinosaurs trapped in their cage and the robots trapped in their park. Both are reminders not to mess with the natural order. 

Arriving less than 10 years after Bong Joon Ho's classic, Snowpiercer tells the story of a train that houses most of humanity. Divided into sections, the show takes that film's concept and steers it off the rails. 

How do you top a movie that won five Oscars? You don't. All you can do is try to recapture some of that magic. In The Heat Of The Night is what many consider to be Sidney Poitier's finest role, with quotable lines that are a part of the culture. The show is loosely inspired by Poitier's detective and his partner, who solve a murder case in the South. 

Like 10 Things I Hate About You, The Real Ghostbusters takes a movie that made a bunch of people famous and updates it for TV. It's an animated take on the '80s classic, with all three characters returning for more ghostbusting. 

The fantasy film became a Netflix prequel called The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Both are gems in their own right. 

Not many people know that Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys was itself a remake. Based on the greatest short ever made (La Jatee ), the movie sees Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis as people with a mental health conditions in the near future. In the TV show, people with mental health conditions make a run for it. 

A movie about a bunch of art students might sound like a drag. We've all had a conversation with an art student who tried to sound way smarter than they actually are. But the musical Fame couldn't be any less pretentious, with a joyous spirit to go along with its heady material. Both the movie and the show danced their way to awards glory.  

We all remember 11th grade. What we wouldn't give to ditch class for a day and run around with our friends. That's the kind of fantasy Ferris Bueller traffics in. Both the show and the movie see Ferris ditching class, dancing in the parade, and talking to the camera.