Classic TV Shows that Bombed as Movies

[The Voice of Reason]

Lost in Space

Wanted Dead or Alive

The Beverly Hillbillies

Kojak

 

[KeithE4]

The Nude Bomb (Get Smart)
McHale's Navy
Head (The Monkees)
My Favorite Martian

It's probably easier to list those shows that were made into successful movies, like The Fugitive, The Naked Gun, and some (but not all) of the Star Trek movies.

 

[Ultimajock]

The Honeymooners

The Twilight Zone (thanks to the pall cast over it by John Landis' slicing-and-dicing of his cast)

The Shadow (yes, this was originally a classic radio series, but it also made its way to TV in '54 with Tom Helmore as Lamont Cranston)

 

[bpatrick]

I was under the impression that "Bewitched" didn't do too well
as a movie. I thought the premise was almost completely unrelated
to the series: the actress playing Samantha actually is a witch.

Well, at least no one has done injustice to the memory of Lucille Ball
by trying a movie version of "I Love Lucy" ("Lucy And Desi: Before The
Laughter," a TV-movie, doesn't count).

 

[Ultimajock]

The Munsters (Fred Gwynne's makeup as Herman Munster should never really have been seen in colour)

You'll Never Get Rich/Sgt. Bilko

Sesame Street (Follow That Bird)

 

[Markieo]

The Mod Squad

 

[1st of 5]

Their failure could be due to the younger directors/producers attempting to create something modern and appealing to the ADD Clinton generation, resulting in something that has very little in relation to the original show. They may share the same name, but as for the rest, yuck! This also applies to classic motion pictures: War of the Worlds, King Kong (original), The Day the Earth Stood Still, etc, etc, etc. I'm just thankful that no idiot still has not desecrated Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

 

[LKellerIII]

Their failure could be due to the younger directors/producers attempting to create something modern and appealing to the ADD Clinton generation, resulting in something that has very little in relation to the original show. They may share the same name, but as for the rest, yuck! This also applies to classic motion pictures: War of the Worlds, King Kong (original), The Day the Earth Stood Still, etc, etc, etc. I'm just thankful that no idiot still has not desecrated Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was a 1961 movie first. Walter Pidgeon played Admiral Nelson (Richard Basehart in the TV series. Robert Sterling played the part of Captain Crane, played in the Tv series by David Hedison.

The film was no classic, but it was a decent mid-budget sci-fi flick. By comparison, the TV series was a ridiculous low-budget schlock-fest.

 

[OldNumber7]

Dragnet
The Untouchables
The Brady Bunch

 

[TexasTom]

McHale's Navy

Not quite true -- a couple of "McHale's Navy" movies were produced with the original cast back in the sixties, and those did pretty well, I think. The more recent film, however, was a bomb.

 

[LKellerIII]

Dragnet
The Untouchables
The Brady Bunch

I assume you're referring to the 1987 version of Dragnet with Dan Aykroyd. Both that Dragnet and the Brady Bunch movie we're parodies. Neither was a bomb. Both were inexpensively produced comedies, and both made money - especially Brady Bunch.

 

[RyanHoward]

Dragnet
The Untouchables
The Brady Bunch

I assume you're referring to the 1987 version of Dragnet with Dan Aykroyd. Both that Dragnet and the Brady Bunch movie we're parodies. Neither was a bomb. Both were inexpensively produced comedies, and both made money - especially Brady Bunch.

The Untouchables was also made into a film in 1987. It was a police drama starring Sean Connery and Kevin Costner. That film was a box-office smash.

 

[bpatrick]

"Leave It To Beaver"

 

[ricksegers]

I add Wild Wild West and Land of the Lost.

 

[KeithE4]

McHale's Navy

Not quite true -- a couple of "McHale's Navy" movies were produced with the original cast back in the sixties, and those did pretty well, I think. The more recent film, however, was a bomb.

The latest one was what I was talking about, although the movies that starred the original cast weren't all that great either.

 

[Kurt Toy]

I saw The Nude Bomb when it was released theatrically. I now wish I didn't.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

There's talk of a movie version of "77 Sunset Strip". My guess is we'll be able to add that to the list eventually, if it gets produced. "Wild Wild West" made most of the "10 Worst" lists the year it came out (late 90's, I think).

 

[azumanga]

The Untouchables was also made into a film in 1987. It was a police drama starring Sean Connery and Kevin Costner. That film was a box-office smash.

It would later become an all-new television series, which I think only lasted a couple of seasons in first-run syndication.

 

[kirkiefan]

Speed Racer,the classic (and campy)late 60s Japanimation series turned into a live action movie only a couple of years ago bombed theatrically (by crtics) although it yielded financially (over $18 mil upon its initial release). Christina Ricci played Trixie....can she outdo Corrine Orr's emotional gasps???

A hype campaign promoting its DVD and Blu-Ray release is in high gear on its website.
Ah-yes gang.....Hype sells (unfortunately) even if the movie is awful...Just ask Paris Hiljack(ton) and Jessica (a-Hee') Simpleton!

 

[LKellerIII]

Probably the bomb of all time in this category is The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle - based on the Jay Ward animated series, and released in 2000.

Some talented actors were involved, including Robert De Niro as Fearless Leader, Jason Alexander as Boris Badenov, and Rene Russo as Natasha Fatale. June Foray came out of retirement to play the voice of Rocky the Squirrel, as she had for the animated series.

The film grossed only $35 million, less than half of what it cost to produce. Critics universally hated it.