Television borrows from the big screen all the time. A film builds a world and a cast of characters, and then a network asks whether that world could sustain weeks, months or years of storytelling.
Some of these adaptations became bigger than the films they came from. Others quietly faded. Here are ten that began as movies, with the details that make each one worth knowing.
MAS*H
Robert Altman’s 1970 film M*A*S*H was a dark comedy about army surgeons in the Korean War. It was adapted from Richard Hooker’s novel and became a major hit for 20th Century Fox. CBS then turned it into a television series that premiered in 1972.
The series ran for eleven seasons and ended in 1983. Its finale remains one of the most watched broadcasts in American television history. The show shifted toward warmer, more character-driven stories than the film’s sharper satire.
Fargo
The Coen brothers released Fargo in 1996, a crime story set in snowy Minnesota and North Dakota. It won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress for Frances McDormand. Noah Hawley brought it to FX as an anthology series in 2014.
Each season tells a new story with a new cast, linked by tone and by occasional connections to earlier events. The show has won major awards and drawn big names across its seasons. The Coens served as executive producers.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer was written by Joss Whedon, but the finished movie was lighter and campier than he intended. Whedon got another chance when the WB launched the television version in 1997. Sarah Michelle Gellar starred as Buffy Summers.
The series ran for seven seasons and became a cult favorite, spawning the spinoff Angel. Critics often rate it well above the movie. It also became a frequent subject of academic study.
Parenthood
Ron Howard directed the 1989 film Parenthood, an ensemble comedy about several generations of one family. It starred Steve Martin and earned Oscar nominations. NBC adapted it into a series that premiered in 2010, with Howard among the producers.
The series ran for six seasons, ending in 2015. It followed the Braverman family and leaned toward drama more than the film did. Lauren Graham and Peter Krause led the cast.
Friday Night Lights
The 2004 film Friday Night Lights starred Billy Bob Thornton and was based on H.G. Bissinger’s book about high school football in Odessa, Texas. Peter Berg directed it. Berg also developed the NBC series, which began in 2006.
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The show moved the story to the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, and ran for five seasons. It was praised for its naturalistic look and its focus on community. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton starred.
Westworld
Michael Crichton wrote and directed the 1973 film Westworld, about a theme park where robots malfunction. Yul Brynner played the gunslinger android. HBO revived the idea as a series in 2016.
Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy developed the show, which expanded the premise into a layered science fiction drama. It ran for four seasons and was canceled in 2022. It was later removed from HBO Max, which drew attention at the time.
Stargate SG-1
The 1994 film Stargate was directed by Roland Emmerich and starred Kurt Russell and James Spader. It followed an Army team that travels through an ancient portal to another world. Showtime launched Stargate SG-1 in 1997.
The series ran for ten seasons, which made it one of the longest running North American science fiction shows. It later moved to Sci Fi Channel. It also led to spinoffs including Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.
Roswell Conspiracies and Similar Cult Adaptations: Teen Wolf
The 1985 film Teen Wolf starred Michael J. Fox as a high schooler who discovers he is a werewolf. It was a comedy and a box office success. MTV launched a very different series in 2011.
The new version was a darker supernatural drama starring Tyler Posey. It ran for six seasons, finishing in 2017. A film sequel, Teen Wolf: The Movie, arrived in 2023 on Paramount+.
What We Do in the Shadows
Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement made the 2014 mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows about vampire flatmates in Wellington, New Zealand. It became a cult hit. FX turned it into a series in 2019, set in Staten Island.
Clement and Waititi were involved as executive producers. The show ran for six seasons and concluded in 2024. It earned strong critical praise and multiple Emmy nominations.
Dirty Dancing
The 1987 film Dirty Dancing starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey and became a lasting romantic classic. CBS tried a short-lived series version in 1988. It followed the resort setting but did not catch on.
The series was canceled after a single season. A television movie remake aired on ABC in 2017. A sequel film with Jennifer Grey has been in development.
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