I get a lot of flack from various people about my love of TV and general disdain for films in these Top 5 lists. I just like TV, what else can I say. So I decided to do a list of TV shows from the past that I think would be great as movies. Some are rumored, some are not. I would watch them all. I also want to note that I pulled a muscle in my back today, I can neither sit nor stand with out being in considerable pain. It has nothing to do with this list, I just felt like complaining since there is no one here for me to bitch to.
5. 24 – This is one show that gets talked about a lot for being a prime candidate for the big screen treatment. Which is funny since as a TV show it was so defined by its format and structure of all the events happening in one day in real time. How would this translate onto the big screen? Would it be only a two hour selection of a day or would they just scrap that entirely and condense the action over a few days? Either way I think its a good idea. Who doesn’t want Jack Bauer back to kill terrorists with ball point pens? I know I do.
4. Castle - I know that this show is still on the air, but I love the chemistry between Castle and Detective Beckett. Castle is a fun, light but at the same time dark and smart cop show. It has a strong procedural format and the supporting characters are well rounded. Basically I am just a huge fan of Nathan Fillion’s work and would love to see him succeed even further then a show on ABC on monday nights.
3. The Good Guys – Another show has succumbed to the friday night death slot of FOX (Have fun with that, Fringe). This was such a fun and entertaining cop show with Bradley Whitford going balls out as a former superstar cop who is paired with an upcoming detective played by Colin Hanks (he reminds me of a young Peter Scolari) They are tasked with investigating property crimes but always somehow manage to crack a bigger case. The music was great, the action solid and it was a fun homage to ’80s cop shows. No one watched it, so I guess they won’t make a movie but its a nice dream.
2. The Wire – This is a tough one to justify, so just give me a sec to collect my thoughts and come down from this buzz from all the muscle relaxants I am on…. Whoa. Okay, this would be a movie exclusively for fans of the series. The Wire is such a great slow burn show that it would seem impossible to introduce all the important players of the world to a new audience. But honestly, who wouldn’t want to spend more time with some of these characters. It could just be a show about McNulty and Bunk. I would watch that. Or the continuing adventures of Bubbles. It will all be good. Trust me.
1. Arrested Development - This is the one that actually may happen. According to IMDB it is happening. I honest to god hope that it does happen. This show was taken from us way too soon. It had so much more to explore and so many great jokes to call back. They did such a great job with all the characters that transitioning to a movie would be seamless. I guess right now the biggest hurdle would be getting everyone back on board. I think they would be game, maybe except for Michael Cera, but if that happens they could just get Jesse Eisenberg and no one would notice. I wish I hadn’t boxed up my season 3 DVDs, I could really go for some AD right now.
What about if a running show took a season off and continued their story via film? I know that Ron Howard has announced he’s doing something like this with Stephen King’s Gunslinger stories.
But think of it – how cool would it be if season 3 of Walking Dead was a 2+ hour boheamouth on the big screen, and the fall out set the stage for season 4?
they won’t make ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT movie … the only progression is on TV …the hype has passed.
THE WIRE movie? no no no. Its all over – theres nothing else.
Now, X-FILES needs to continue the franchise with movies, whilst THE SOPRANOS [spilers ahead] could choose one character, Chris we could flash back to? Maybe someone who is in the ‘world’ Tony was in – but we don’t see tony ever because his story is finished. Maybe use the characters and base the film 5/10 years later whereby Tony and his family has been missing for 2 years… start from there.
24 is happening so i hear … but the format, im sure, is lost…
I think, some film to tie together the brit series LIFE ON MARS and ASHES TO ASHES? that’d be good. As a FRIENDS fan, I have always been pissed with the ending that got (and that bloody guitar! piercing your ear buds as the credits come up!).
thats my thoughts …
Simon
http://www.screeninsight.com
5. A 24 movie? If it doesn’t happen soon, it can never happen. Nobody can play Jack Bauer but Keifer Sutherland. Nobody! Except perhaps Chuck Norris, but that would probably rip a hole in space time, like when two black holes collide with eachother.
4. Castle… Bring it on, I suppose. But I think I prefer the light trviality the show maintains on the small screen. Wouldn’t they have to accomplish something relevant on the big screen?
3. RIP The Good Guys! One of my favourite shows of the year – and that’s alongside of Dexter and Sons of Anarchy! As for a movie… in a way it’s already a movie. It doesn’t just send up cop shows of the 80s, it sends up cop movies from all times. Really, what I’d want from this is another season.
2. Speaking of another season – that’s the only way it could work for The Wire. The slow pace needed to set the mood of the show can’t be adapted to the big screen. CAN’T! It’s a full 12 episodes or it’s nothing as far as I’m concerned!
1. I’ve heard that this is a no go as well. But can’t we do an Arrested Development Christmas Special? I’d even see that on pay-per-view!
Arrested Development Christmas Carol with Jeffrey Tambor as Scrooge. The rest will work itself out. However, if George Lucas gets involved I’m making a run for it.
Castle and The Good Guys are two shows that sit highly on my ‘if they’re on and I’m in front of a TV I’m watching them, otherwise there’s little need for me to hunt them down.’ However, I’ve always felt Fillion could dominate the big screen in the right role (Serenity) but often gets stuck in fine films that people, for whatever reason (stupidity), avoid.