Series that became movies: the biggest hits and tragic failures

From 'Mission Impossible' to 'Monty Python,' we take a look at some of the series that made a leap from the small to the big screen. They show us that bigger isn’t always better.

Beginning in 1983 and running for 5 episodes, this hugely popular series about a group of ex-commandos for hire dominated Saturday night T.V. with a wonderful mix of characters and an ability to make weapons out of almost nothing. Silly, cheesy, and great fun.

Released in 2010 with a strong cast including Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, what could possibly go wrong? Released in the summer, the 'A Team' film simply could not compete with the world cup. It wasn’t bad and had everything you could want in a remake, but it failed at the box office.

Here's one of the rare entries where the films are more successful than the series. Although it only had three seasons, this 60s camp classic will remain beautiful vintage cheese. A true piece of its time, silly and overacted - we love it.

Photo: ABC

Oh, where do we begin? Leaving aside the 1966 version, which is the same cast as the series, we start with Michael Keaton as Batman in 1989 in Tim Burton's 1989 brilliantly gothic film. Has anything really come close to Jack Nicholson's Joker?

Then came a series of brilliant (and some not-so-brilliant) films and spin-offs with actors such as Christian Bale, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, and Robert Patterson. And there's a special mention for the brilliant 2017 lego Batman movie.

If only for giving the world the awesome Johnny Depp, we will love this 1987 series about a young cop who goes undercover to investigate crimes in a high school. It ran for five seasons and projected Depp to the status of teen heartthrob.

As with many modern remake films of 80s TV series, this was a comedy and it starred Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. It was a clear success, as they made a sequel.

Photo: Netflix

It started in 1989 and ran for an incredible eleven seasons - not to forget the spin-off 'Baywatch Nights.' The story of everyday lifeguards (who all looked like supermodels, of course) was a major success. It also gave us the legendary Pamela Anderson.

Again, the film became a comedy, but it really showed the world how far we have come in the last 20-plus years. This time, the men were just as attractive as the women. The movie is silly and funny with Dwayne Johnston taking over from David Hasselhoff and introducing the shirtless and ripped Zac Effron as the eye candy. Thanks to a low budget, the summer blockbuster made money, but it didn't make a lot of fans.

Photo: Paramount Pictures

The 1970s series shows three female detectives who work at an agency run by a mysterious man giving assignments over the telephone. The series ran for five seasons and was a hit with audiences.

The film starred Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz in 2000. It was successful enough to justify a sequel and then a remake directed by Elizabeth Banks in 2019. All of them were worthy heirs to the brilliant original series. Between them, they grossed a total of $596 million, against a budget of $261 million.

This is an interesting one because it was originally a series. then there were two films made, and then a remake of the series appeared. The first series ran from 1985-1989 and it made a comeback in 2021, this time with a female lead.

The Equalizer story produced some excellent films starring the brilliant Denzel Washington as an ex-government assassin turned 'avenger of the weak' and 'protector of those who need protecting.' He was a killer with a heart of gold. If we look at the films' financial successes, they didn't do badly and made a good profit.

This American cartoon was first released in 1960 and ran for six seasons. It is based around the fictional, prehistoric town of Bedrock where man and dinosaur work side by side.

Photo: Hanna-Barbera Productions/Warner Bros.

It is always a brave move to bring any cartoon to life. The first film was released in 1996, before any great advancements in special effects, and became a good family film thanks to wonderful casting. After changing the main actors for the second film, the sequel was bitterly disappointing.

Four friends embark on various adventures in and out of school while trying to navigate their way through adolescence. Classic, brash, British humor. The series is wonderfully acted, brilliantly written, and packed with hilarious, troubled characters. There were only three seasons, but the show was good enough for a leap to the big screen.

Photo: Channel 4

The 2011 movie was pretty much a feature-film-length version of the series, with the same actors and brilliant humor. A sequel came along in 2014 that was just as good and just as awkward but with a bigger budget. The films certainly leave you hiding behind a cushion in embarrassment.

Photo: Bwark Productions

Originally an MTV segment, this experimental production became so popular that it got its own show. The main concept? Just a bunch of crazy guys doing ridiculous and dangerous stunts. It was incredibly popular and ran for only three seasons before making it to the big screen.

Bigger and better (with a larger budget), Johnny Knoxville and his band of crazy brothers are still making films 20 years later. It just goes to show you don’t always mature with age.

First aired in 1964, this is an espionage story based around a fictional spy agency starring David McCallum and Robert Vaughn. In fact, it was written with a little help from a certain Ian Fleming, the writer of James Bond. Originally, the show was to be based around the American agent played by Vaughn, but the Russian agent was so popular that the writers ended up making them partners.

Photo: NBC

The 2015 film version was directed by Guy Ritchie and starred Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. On paper, it should have been a success. It received mixed reviews and then sadly bombed at the box office, making it unlikely that there will be a sequel.

Did you even know 'Mission Impossible' was once a series? Airing from 1966 to 1973, the series followed a small covert team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force. They fought the bad guys and saved the world.

Now, it's one of the world's biggest film franchises. There are six films and two more planned - with the seventh installment coming in July 2023. It has to be said, the films have less of a 'team' feel about them, possibly because there is little room for anything else on the big screen when Tom Cruise is involved. Nevertheless, it's a brilliant series of action-packed movies and spectacular stunts.

Photo: Paramount Pictures

With the number of seasons now running in its thirties, 'The Simpsons' first aired in 1989 with its unique view on American suburban life. Bart’s catchphrases and Homer’s stupidity have made it world famous and influenced generations of cartoon makers.

Photo: Fox Broadcasting Company

The show finally made it to the big screen in 2007. Simpsons fans rejoiced as they finally got their wish: a whole hour and a half of Homer and the gang doing what they do best. The film received great reviews and great financial success. A winner all around.

It's hard to believe that the original series only ran for three seasons. Star Trek has since become a cult classic with more spin-offs than we dare to count. It was groundbreaking, cheesy, and utterly magnificent.

'Star Trek' puts its name to an incredible 13 films to date. There are films with the original cast, the 'next generation,' and remakes. No one can doubt the success of the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.

Photo: Paramount Pictures

It’s 'Monty Python's Flying Circus'! The series began in 1969 and ran for four seasons before making it to the big screen. Of course, it is totally surreal and hilarious; with classic sketches that are still remembered and imitated to this day.

The films are daring and very, very funny. The Python team released four films and a special at the Hollywood Bowl. As with the series, there are quotable lines, brilliant writing, and wonderful characters. Timeless classics, they were as controversial as they were funny. "He’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy..."

Photo: 'Life of Brian'/HandMade Films

The successful series ran from 1979-1985 and followed the Duke cousins and their moonshine-running business at its peak. It challenged 'Dallas' in terms of ratings and provided a mixture of action, comedy, and sweet car chases.

Sadly, by the time it reached the big screen in 2005, it just seemed outdated. The world had changed and having a car called General Lee with the Southern Cross on it just wasn't acceptable anymore. That, and the film was just not great: even Rotten Tomatoes only gave it 14%.

Photo: Warner Bros.

The series follows the adventures of a talking sponge and his friends who live underwater. Audiences have had a staggering 13 seasons of underwater silliness.

Photo: Nickelodeon

So far we have had three big-screen adaptations of this funny little sponge and there are more planned. It is clearly more than just your average children's cartoon when you have the likes of Scarlett Johansson and Alec Baldwin lending their voices. Of course, there is also that hilarious cameo from David Hasselhoff in the first film.

Photo: Nickelodeon

Beginning in 1977 and running for six seasons, the series followed two California highway patrol motorcycle officers as they face action-packed, dramatic, and amusing situations; all whilst working together to fight crime.

Photo: NBC

The movie was a sad disappointment. Released in 2017, the comic version of the popular TV show was a huge flop both critically and commercially. It lacked the style and originality of the series. Somehow, film isn't always better than a good series, and a remake isn't always better than the original.

Photo: Primate Pictures