HEH! Work It's been Canceled!

[mr3urious]

I found out that they're actually was a Bad News Bears TV series that ran for 26 episodes around the time the movie was relevant. Whatever made Back in the Game fail probably didn't work for that, either. Other than the screwy timeslot, of course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bad_News_Bears_(TV_series)

 

[D'Snowth]

A lot of movies were given TV shows that failed... NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE was given the ABC sitcom DELTA HOUSE (one of the last sitcoms that used the original/classic laugh track used from the 50s, 60s, and 70s), PRIVATE BENJAMIN was also given a series that failed... I think part of the problem is back in those days, movie stars were considered, "Too big," "too important," and "too expensive" to even remotely consider lowering themselves to television work, so the entire ensemble of the movies would have to be recast with TV actors who couldn't quite recapture the original essence the characters in the movies had. I think THE ODD COUPLE and M*A*S*H are basically the only exceptions, though the former's original film was based on a play, and the latter's original film was based on a novel.

 

[mr3urious]

I think THE ODD COUPLE and M*A*S*H are basically the only exceptions, though the former's original film was based on a play, and the latter's original film was based on a novel.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off was also given a sitcom, but that failed both critically and commercially. On the other hand, the similar Parker Lewis Can't Lose was a much bigger success, and is said to be much truer to the spirit of Ferris Bueller.

Also, I really enjoyed the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids TV series (with Peter Scolari as Wayne Szalinski) and watched it religiously as a kid. Unlike the films, it had some really out-there plots often involving Wayne's buggy inventions, such as a teddy bear being infected by a computer virus and trying to take over the world, or Wayne's boss falling in love with his wife via a love machine and trying to kill him.

 

[charlietheowl]

I think THE ODD COUPLE and M*A*S*H are basically the only exceptions, though the former's original film was based on a play, and the latter's original film was based on a novel.

The only other successful one I could think of is Alice, which was based on the movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, but I don't know if that totally counts since the movie was much more serious than the show (from what I've read).

 

[D'Snowth]

I honestly didn't know ALICE was based on a movie, but then again, I never really ever got to see ALICE.

 

[Drtooth]

A lot of movies were given TV shows that failed... NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE was given the ABC sitcom DELTA HOUSE (one of the last sitcoms that used the original/classic laugh track used from the 50s, 60s, and 70s), PRIVATE BENJAMIN was also given a series that failed... I think part of the problem is back in those days, movie stars were considered, "Too big," "too important," and "too expensive" to even remotely consider lowering themselves to television work, so the entire ensemble of the movies would have to be recast with TV actors who couldn't quite recapture the original essence the characters in the movies had. I think THE ODD COUPLE and M*A*S*H are basically the only exceptions, though the former's original film was based on a play, and the latter's original film was based on a novel.

MASH and The Odd Couple also attested to having sharp writing and a replacement cast that was just as, if not more lovable than the original movie casts. The MASH TV series pretty much overshadowed both the book and the film. The Odd Couple is almost more well known as a sitcom as well. Any Odd Couple reference in something will always go back to the TV show.

Also, I really enjoyed the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids TV series (with Peter Scolari as Wayne Szalinski) and watched it religiously as a kid. Unlike the films, it had some really out-there plots often involving Wayne's buggy inventions, such as a teddy bear being infected by a computer virus and trying to take over the world, or Wayne's boss falling in love with his wife via a love machine and trying to kill him.

I'd tend to think that was a slightly different instance with syndication... but then again, they tried several movie based series in syndication that barely lasted a year (which is almost a guarantee when you're not dealing with a network). I remember a Police Academy series that didn't last too long, on the air well after the movies were relevant. At least it was slightly better than the cartoon.

 

[Drtooth]

BUMP...

I didn't really bother looking for the news for this and found it out via TVshows on DVD... That horrible Hostages Show is a one season wonder. To hammer the point home, the DVD of the series is burn on demand exclusive (something fit for the obscurest of Hanna Barbera cartoons and really old cowboy shows that weren't memorable). WOW! NO ONE liked that debacle, huh? Yet they scuffled Hawaii Five O (a pretty decent show, actually) to the Friday Night death slot to accommodate this terrible thing that wouldn't even have been good as a 2 hour movie, let alone a series. The reviews were all nasty, the ratings stunk... I'm surprised they let it finish the season.


So good freaking riddance to that.

 

[charlietheowl]

They're trying again with Dylan McDermott though, giving him the lead in their exploitation drama Stalker, which CBS is trying to promote as uplifting in their promos for some bizarre reason. My guess is he'll be in the one season club again pretty soon.

 

[Drtooth]

That show doesn't sound that good either. I wouldn't blame the actor for anything more than singing on. As much as Hostages was based on an Israeli series and its inclusion on CBS was trying to cash in off of Homeland (the popular Israeli show localization), it didn't fit as a TV show. It would have been a meh movie that probably just made back its budget. At best. But the show looked very nasty and uninviting, and according to critics, it was even worse.

TV networks have to realize that some things work better in movie form (Super Fun Night, that horrible baseball thing) than as full fledged TV programs.

 

[Muppet Master]

I can not see why I have not found this thread earlier. I watched the terrible sitcom's first episode hating every bit of it, though the second episode was arguably decent, nevernthless it was hilarious how it got canceled, and it was also the easiest full series I have ever watched .