10 Beloved Movies That Have Made Their Way Back to Our Screens as TV Shows

Books being turned into movies has been a common practice for a long time now. The Pillar of Fire (1899), a short silent film based on an 1887 novel by H. Rider Haggard, is evidence of such. However, with the rise of streaming, films are more frequently becoming the inspiration and base for many TV shows. With that, we get to see many of our favorite characters making a return to our screens.

1. A League of Their Own (1992 and 2022-present)

The series based on the classic Tom Hanks’ movie introduces new plotlines and characters to viewers, but it still tells the story of the Rockford Peaches, a women’s professional baseball team. The cast includes names like D’Arcy Carden and Chanté Adams in the lead roles and Nick Offerman as a guest star. So far, only 1 season has been released with 8 episodes.

2. The Karate Kid franchise (1984-1989) and Cobra Kai (2018-present)

Ralph Macchio returned to screens as The Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, almost 30 years after he had last portrayed the iconic ’80s character. Originally a YouTube Red series, Cobra Kai eventually made its way to Netflix as the show gained popularity. Now in its fifth season, the series allows fans of the film franchise to watch their favorite characters live with new adventures while also captivating younger viewers with its new characters and modern take on martial arts.

3. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999 and 2009-2010)

A decade after the world was first introduced to the successful rom-com starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, a sitcom with the same name based on 10 Things I Hate About You premiered. On the show, the characters of Patrick and Kat were brought to life by Ethan Peck and Lindsey Shaw. Unfortunately, the series was canceled after only one season.

4. The High School Musical franchise (2006-2008) and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019-present)

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series brings new characters to the high school that was made famous by the 2000s movies that catapulted Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens into the spotlight. A mockumentary that follows a group of students taking part in a High School Musical school production, the show is now in its third season. A fourth season is in production and set to feature actors from the original franchise.

5. Heathers (1988 and 2018)

Heathers, the TV show, debuted 30 years after the film starring Winona Ryder that it’s based on was released. The modern-day reboot has a single season and included a special guest appearance from Shannen Doherty from the original cast.

6. The Lord of the Rings saga (2001-2003) and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022-present)

Much to the delight of the film saga’s fans, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings new stories from J. R. R. Tolkien to the screen as a prequel to the events of the movies. The show features younger versions of characters from the films, including Cate Blanchett’s character, Galadriel, now played by Morfydd Clark.

However, not every creative decision from the show has garnered public approval so far. In it, they introduced a Dwarven princess, who is completely beardless. Although this might sound normal to those who aren’t familiar with J. R. R. Tolkien’s work, to the die-hard fans, it was a hard pill to swallow, since both male and female Dwarves can’t be told apart due to their bearded appearances in the original lore.

Up to this point, the show has just one season, but production for a second one is already underway.

7. The Mighty Ducks franchise (1992-1996) and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (2021-present)

With Lauren Graham playing the main character and Emilio Estevez back to reprise his original role of coach Gordon Bombay, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers made its debut in 2021. Since then, the series has already been renewed for a second season. The plot follows a 12-year-old boy who urged his mother to create a new underdog team to face off against the hockey powerhouse, the Mighty Ducks junior team.

8. About a Boy (2002 and 2014-2015)

The sitcom, About a Boy, premiered in 2014. With David Walton playing the part of Will Freeman, previously portrayed by Hugh Grant, and Benjamin Stockham as the 11-year-old Marcus Bowa, the show was quickly renewed for a second season. However, a third one never came out, as the series was canceled by NBC.

9. Parenthood (1989 and 2010-2015)

Although loosely based on the 1989 film, Parenthood still revolves around the adventures of a single family. The then-Buckman family was turned into the Braverman clan for the smaller screen, and it welcomed names such as Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, and Dax Shepard to the main ensemble. It ran for 6 seasons.

10. The Pitch Perfect franchise (2012-2017) and Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (2022-present)

A spin-off to the Pitch Perfect movies, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin centers around Bumper Allen with Adam DeVine set to reprise his role. The show premieres on November 23, 2022, and also stars Sarah Hyland and Jameela Jamil as series regulars.

What’s your opinion on movies being adapted into TV shows? Has your favorite film gained its own TV series?