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.
