Top 10 Movies That Would Be Amazing As TV Shows
#10: “Anchorman” franchise (2004-13)
The “Anchorman” films follow a group of ridiculous men in the title profession, led by the absurd Ron Burgundy? “I’m Ron Burgundy?” Dang it, who put a question mark in the script?! Anyway, the classic comedy series has a wealth of quirky and hilarious characters that we’d love to see placed in a workplace comedy, provided they could keep up the films’ insanely quotable dialogue. And we wouldn’t mind seeing a new brawl between anchors every season, either. Whether the show stuck to the 1970s or ‘80s setting or advanced to further decades, we love the idea of more “Anchorman”…though we’re not sure if we love it because we love it, or just because we thought of it. “Do you really love the lamp, or are you just saying it because you saw it?” “I love lamp! I love lamp!”
#9: “The Princess Diaries” franchise (2001-04)
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“The Princess Diaries” movies follow an American girl who discovers she is the princess of a fictional European kingdom. Shows about royalty have become popular recently, and the Meghan Markle-Prince Harry royal wedding has further added interest. “The Princess Diaries” seems like it would be a great fit for a TV show, especially since it brings a comedic streak that similar shows lack. Most of those other programs also deal with historical royalty, so “The Princess Diaries” wouldn’t be tied down by having to adhere to actual events. They could also more closely adapt the books the movies are based on for additional material.
#8: “Inception” (2010)
A game-changing sci-fi film, “Inception” depicts a group of criminals intent on implanting an idea in a man’s head through his dreams. As great as the movie is, we feel like it only scratches the surface as far as what’s possible with the concept and we’d love to see a show explore the concept of entering dreams in more depth. The series could also give more screentime to the supporting characters, who aren’t given as much development as the protagonist. The possibilities for the show are only as limited as the dreams of the people in charge of writing it…and the budget, naturally.
#7: “Boyhood” (2014)
An experimental coming-of-age drama, “Boyhood” chronicles the life of a boy and his family from his childhood to young adulthood. While a television version would potentially be quite the commitment for both those in front of and behind the camera, especially for the child actors, we’d be interested in seeing if the same magic experience of watching someone grow up onscreen could be captured on the small screen as well, whether through a miniseries or through full seasons every year. We just hope someone isn’t waiting on the moment to seize them. “You know how everyone's always saying seize the moment? I don't know, I'm kind of thinking it's the other way around, you know, like the moment seizes us.”
#6: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” franchise” (2009-)
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Based on the “Millennium” book series from Sweden, this film series has taken the world by storm. Following a woman with an eidetic memory and an investigative journalist, this thriller franchise is full of taught, suspenseful twists and turns that have fans on the edge of their seats. The fact that it’s based on books makes it ideal for adapting to television, since they could take their time with the source material and bring more of it to the screen. Additionally, the fact that more original material has been published, despite the creator’s deaths, proves that people are hungry for more stories with these characters, so original material wouldn’t be out of the question either.
#5: “The Truman Show” (1998)
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A dramedy about the title character, whose entire life is a carefully controlled reality show, “The Truman Show” is ideal for adaptation to TV. Reality shows hadn’t even really taken off when the film was released, so seeing how the show would satirize more modern reality tropes would be interesting. Plus, what happens after Truman escapes his show? Is his the only show of its kind, or are there more? Regardless, we’d really like to see it make the jump to television. But, in case we don’t see “The Truman Show” on the small screen, we’ll say “good afternoon, good evening, and good night” to what might have been.
#4: “Bridget Jones's Diary” franchise (2001-16)
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This rom-com series of films follows Bridget Jones, a neurotic woman who’s frequently her own worst enemy and her attempts at finding, and keeping, love. Although the film’s depict Bridget’s finding her true love and eventually having a child, there are plenty of blanks that could be filled in through a TV show. We’re thinking something like a British “Sex and the City,” or else something that explores Bridget’s life further on after she settles down and what she’s like as a parent. That poor kid…we can only imagine the embarrassment…
#3: “Mean Girls” (2004)
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An iconic teen comedy, “Mean Girls” follows homeschooler Cady who finds herself infiltrating a high school’s popular clique to bring them down, only to find herself being corrupted by the experience. High school shows never go out of style, and “Mean Girls” has the perfect blend of clever commentary, memorable characters, and hilarious dialogue that we think would make it great on television. We want more everything from this movie: more takes on high school clichés, more subplots from the fantastic side characters, and more insanely quotable dialogue – especially if any of the three involve Glen Coco!
#2: “The Incredibles” franchise (2004-)
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While we considered choosing “Mystery Men” as our pick for a superhero movie that would be great on TV, ultimately we went with a more mainstream animated hit. “The Incredibles” series follows the title family of superpowered individuals and their fights against villains, as well as a society that distrusts their abilities. With plots that remain timely and relatable, funny characters, “The Incredibles” movies demand to be adapted to the small screen – if only so we can see Edna Mode every week! Unfortunately, Pixar has rarely made the jump to TV, but “The Incredibles” would seem to be a surefire winner. “ Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Percy Jackson” franchise (2010-13) “The Breakfast Club” (1985) “Superbad” (2007) “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000) “Carol” (2015)
#1: “Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)
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The “Harry Potter” books and accompanying movies have captured the imaginations of a whole generation, so why shouldn’t there be a TV series based on them too? The story of Harry and his friends’ adventures at wizarding school could be delved into more freely on TV with more time to let the plot unfold. Alternatively, if J.K. Rowling wanted to expand the Wizarding World, we’d love to see a Marauders prequel or other sides of the wizarding world, though hopefully without the issues many people take with the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise. Bottom line, we’d watch it, you’d watch it, and so would most of the people you know…if they have any taste at all.
