Great AdaptationsRanking, deconstructing, and thinking about movies based on books, TV shows based on comics, plays based on cartoons, musicals based on toys, etc.
Over 400 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of 15 Surprisingly Great TV Shows Based On Great Movies
Voting Rules
Vote up the stories that worked great on the big screen and the small screen.
Adaptations of any sort are risky. Whether going from book to film, or stage, or television, intellectual property does not always translate well from one medium to another. At best, adaptations manage to improve upon flawed source material; at worst, they can upset fans of the original, or just feel pointless, as has often been the case when adapting films into television shows. Though it can be a challenge when adapting the other way, from small screen to large, the film-to-TV pipeline has a poor track record.
Occasionally, lightning strikes twice, and a great film becomes a great TV show that can hold up to comparisons to the original and stand as a great show in its own right. Here are the best examples of that double-achievement.
Richard Hooker's novel M*A*S*H was first adapted into a dark comedy film in 1970, following the exploits of three army surgeons - Hawkeye (Donald Sutherland), Duke (Tom Skerritt), and Trapper John (Elliott Gould) - at a mobile army hospital during the Korean War. Robert Altman's film resonated with audiences at the time by using that war as a setting to comment on the (then-present) Vietnam War, and was recognized with the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.
The television adaptation, however, turned out to be the most well-known iteration of the franchise. Airing from 1972 to 1983, the show maintained a balance of the darkness of war with a comedic tone, and widely expanding the cast to an ensemble that evolved over the seasons. Additionally, the theme song was “Suicide is Painless,” which had been featured in the film. M*A*S*H's legacy in TV as well as film cannot be overstated, as the series finale was, and remains, the most-watched scripted TV episode in terms of live viewership.
Of the various films adapting Thomas Harris's novels about serial killer and cannibal Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs is the most famous, winning five Academy Awards, including best picture. Anthony Hopkins gave an arresting performance as Hannibal, captivating for his simultaneously genial and terrifying demeanor. Jodie Foster's performance as FBI Agent Clarice Starling, depending on Hannibal's help, also earned wide praise.
NBC's TV adaptation, however, had Hannibal working with Will Graham, an agent who appeared in two of the other Hannibal films (1986's Manhunter and 2002's Silence prequel Red Dragon). The show set up Will and Hannibal as colleagues tracking other serial killers; Dr. Lecter is a killer himself, eluding Will's detection. Mads Mikkelsen had a different take on Hannibal Lecter, while retaining the same eerie, hyper-intelligent charm from Anthony Hopkins's portrayal. The show maintained strong reviews through its three-season run and distinguished itself from the films with the compelling push-and-pull dynamic between Will and Hannibal as the only two people who understand each other.
The hilarious vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, written by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, was beloved from the outset for its seamless blend of fantasy and mundanity. Vampire roommates Viago (Waititi), Vladislav the Poker (Clement) and Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) share a flat in Wellington, New Zealand, dealing with typical roommate issues like splitting rent, and accidentally drinking blood from each other's victims lying around the flat.
Waititi and Clement returned to create the TV adaptation with the same core concept of a documentary about daily life of vampires, this time set in Staten Island. Though the creators do not act in this series (save for a brief cameo or two), the new characters of Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, and Colin Robinson, plus their human familiar Guillermo, make for a perfect ensemble to spark endless misadventures. The FX adaptation has been nominated for 17 Emmy Awards so far from its first four seasons, proving the success of bringing the film's formula to an ongoing series.
Fargo is one of the Coen Brothers' most successful films, with both the writing and directing highly ranked by critics. The allegedly-but-not-really true story followed Frances McDormand as a police chief tracking a cluster of killings, all stemming from a complex fake-kidnapping plot, throughout the snowy Minnesota winter. Several other notable actors starred, including William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi. McDormand won the Academy Award for best actress while the Coens took home the trophy for best original screenplay.
Despite that incredibly high bar, the 2014 Fargo TV series from FX managed to distinguish itself as a positive adaptation. Noah Hawley took on most of the writing, while the Coens served as executive producers. The series utilizes an anthology format, with each season telling a story of a crime in a new setting with new characters, maintaining the complex web of relationships and memorable characters of the film, but through totally new stories. Though each season featured a new star-studded cast and a different time period, the specificity of each setting – often maintaining a snowy landscape – always nodded to the original film's aesthetic. In 2022, the series was renewed for a fifth season, and continues to enjoy success of its own, undaunted by the film's reputation.
Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events was a dominant young-adult book series at the turn of the millennium, so it's not surprising a film adaptation was promptly made.
The film came out in 2004, before the 13-book series was finished, and covered the plot of only the first three books. Jim Carrey starred as Count Olaf, along with a troupe of great guest stars as the various well-meaning adults - including Meryl Streep, Catherine O'Hara and Jennifer Coolidge - who attempt (and fail) to help the Baudelaire orphans escape Count Olaf's clutches.
The Netflix series - released from 2017 to 2019, well after the books were finished - had more time to adapt the full series in detail, with two episodes dedicated to each book. Neil Patrick Harris picked up the mantle of Count Olaf, with a sinister yet comedic demeanor; he also showed off his vocal chops, singing the series' theme song. Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket provided narration pulled straight from the books, keeping the author's distinct voice involved. Additionally, more episodes meant including more guest stars like Joan Cusack, Will Arnett, and, once again, Catherine O'Hara (in a different role). While the film paved the way, the series had a chance to build on what was already done well and satisfied fans of the series and new viewers alike.
Highly successful author Michael Crichton took to Hollywood as writer and director of Westworld, a chilling sci-fi exploration of an immersive theme park staffed with androids. The movie follows guests present at Westworld when the androids begin to malfunction and start harming guests they're not supposed to harm. Yul Brynner played the chilling Gunslinger, a Westworld android who was programmed to engage in fake "duels" with guests but ends up murdering humans en masse until he's destroyed, along with the other faulty robots. Crichton's film directing debut was well-received, and the film was remembered fondly enough to get a sequel and an HBO adaptation 40 years later.
HBO's TV version of Westworld became a major hit, exploring the humanity of the androids (or "hosts") in more depth as the programmers impart upon some of them the ability to form memories and become sentient. One host, Dolores (played by Evan Rachel Wood) is highlighted as a protagonist and leads the other Hosts in a revolution against their human programmers and guests. Though most of the characters are distinct from the film, the guest known as the "Man in Black" (played by Ed Harris) echoes the Gunslinger's appearance. Though the plot grew more complicated and declined in viewership with later seasons, the show won a total of nine Emmy awards over its four-season run, a level of success that most adaptations would envy.
