Sheep Feature:Top 5 TV Shows We Wish Were Movies!

Top 5 TV Shows We Wish Were Movies

How many times have you wished a particular television show would develop into a movie? This happened with some fan favorites, including "The Simpsons," "The Addams Family," "Sex and the City," and "21 Jump Street." But there are plenty more we would like to see; here are the top five we think should be next on the big screen.

"Game of Thrones"

HBO scored big, again, with its medieval period piece "Game of Thrones." Based on George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice," the fantasy tells the story of warring families in the mythical Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The series follows the murders, betrayals, and backstabbing of the Stark and Baratheon families.

The scope and setting of the series is the perfect fodder for the big screen. Massive sets, impressive wardrobes, and enough scandal to please our baser instincts. It's also an epic tale, which means it could easily be turned into a big-screen trilogy, making fans and investors exceedingly happy.

"Homeland"

Showtime has a long list of successful original programming, some of which would be fantastic as major motion pictures. Their latest, "Homeland," is a high-action international spy thriller that pits a determined CIA agent (Claire Danes) with a loose grip on reality against a U.S. Marine-turned-congressman (Damian Lewis), who was just repatriated after being held captive by radical Muslim extremists for eight years.

The series, now in its second season, offers high-action and high-tension in every episode, and spent a great deal of its budget shooting in Virginia and Washington, D.C. for an authentic government feel, and Tel Aviv, Israel for a notable Middle East flavor.

We expect that the "Homeland" movie would rival similar big-budget espionage films, like "Syriana," "The Bourne Identity," and "Argo."

"Burn Notice"

Several years ago, USA Network made a commitment to delivering quality television entertainment. They scored big hits with shows like "Monk," "White Collar," "In Plain Sight," and "Burn Notice," which is now in its sixth successful season.

While technically an espionage-type program about a spy (Jeffery Donovan) who was outted by his own agency , it includes and lot of family-style warmth and mature humor, as well as high-action and high-tension. The series stars veteran actress Sharon Gless, international model and actress Gabrielle Anwar, and everyone's favorite likeable guy, Bruce Campbell.

The series infinitely benefited through the contributions of Creative Consultant Michael J. Wilson, a 30-year CIA veteran. He adds authenticity to the spy mentality, weaponry, and methods and means.

Already an international hit, airing in more than 60 countries, the series is supported by books, prequels, and a television movie. "Burn Notice" would work exceedingly well on the big screen with a bigger budget and several international filming locales.

"Boardwalk Empire"

There have been a number of films that successfully dealt with the issue of organized criminals and their exploits set in the alcohol prohibition period of the 1920s and '30s. The HBO's series, "Boardwalk Empire," handles the topic extremely well, casting Steve Buscemi as the real-life Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, a powerful New Jersey political figure with a dominating control of Atlantic City.

The series strength rests on its historical accuracy with the mixture of manufactured events that feel real. It's the perfect blend of historical fact and fiction and the deft cast, including Gretchen Mol, Bobby Cannavale, Vincent Piazza, and Jack Huston, hit the mark on even the littlest details.

On the big screen, "Boardwalk Empire" would sizzle with style and ambiance and many of the big name stars on the show have film-acting experience. This would help make for an even more legitimate telling of a time in our history when corruption was out in the open and the bad guys didn't really care who knew.

"The Walking Dead"

AMC has a lineup of excellent shows, including "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," and the network struck gold again with its zombie apocalypse tale, "The Walking Dead."

In the pilot episode, Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) awakes from a coma to find he's now living in a world filled with zombies. The show follows his journey with a group of friends and family in search of sanctuary from the flesh-seekers. The series was developed by Frank Darabont ("The Green Mile" and "The Salton Sea") and it's been consistently good since the opening scene.

There is plenty of graphic blood and violence, but it is tempered by the fact it's a highly accessible program on basic cable television. Sure, there are plenty of zombie movies, but this is one that would benefit from a big-budget and an "R" rating, so it could deal properly with the subject. It would also appeal to horror fans everywhere, as the comic book by the same name has a decent following.

Not everything on television translates to the big screen successfully, but we think these five would have a serious shot at box office success. Which of your favorite television shows would you like to see turned into a movie?

About the Author:  Lisa has been writing about TV for 3 years now, and loves to cuddle up with some popcorn and a good movie.  When she isn’t writing content for Satellitetv.com, she is spending time with her new husband.