‘Rambo’ and five other terrible TV shows based on movies
It looks like “Rambo” is heading to the small screen.
Earlier this week, it was announced that a TV show based on the hit '80s action franchise is currently in development. The news came along with the rider that Sylvester Stallone was involved on a “creative level” and might even revive his role as the titular John Rambo.
The character, as if you need reminding, can be traced back to David Morrell’s 1972 novel “First Blood;” but is best known for the 1982 film of the same name in which Stallone famously brought the Vietnam vet to life on the big screen. It marked the start of a love affair with audiences that would span four films over more than three decades, the last of which the economically titled “Rambo” was released in 2008.
It’s hard to avoid the feeling that they’re making a terrible mistake. After all, does anyone really want to watch an aging action hero eke out his adventures over 24 episodes? Probably not. But then again, even if it ends up being as awful as we expect it might be, “Rambo” wouldn’t be the worst TV show to have started life on the silver screen. That (dis)honour is reserved for our rogues gallery below; a collection of the very worst TV shows that were based on movies.
Ferris Bueller - 1990-1991
Based on the 1986 John Hughes classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," “Ferris Buellar” the TV series ran for one season on ABC in the early '90s before someone realized they’d made a terrible mistake and yanked it off of the airwaves. The film stars Charlie Sclatter channeling his inner Zack Morris in the title role whilst “Friends” star Jennifer Aniston stars as his sister Jeannie.
My Big Fat Greek Life – 2003
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” was a smash hit when it hit the cinemas, raking in more than $350 million on a measly $5 million budget. The same can’t be said about this disastrous attempt to translate it to TV, which came to a screeching halt just seven episode into a sitcom that was only mildly more enjoyable than watching paint dry.
Blade: The Series – 2006
The excellently named rapper-turned-actor Sticky Fingaz was faced with the unenviable task of stepping into Wesley Snipes’s sizable shoes when someone decided it would be a good idea to bring “Blade” to the small screen. They were wrong.
Casablanca – 1955-1956
The madcap plans to shoehorn movies into TV shows is nothing new. In fact, it’s something that’s been going on for more than half a century. In the 1950s, some bright spark decided one of the best movies of all time would make a for a great TV show. It didn’t. Instead the resulting series - a prequel set in the years leading up to the film - struggled, despite casting actors from the original movie to add some much-needed credibility.
The Crow: Stairway to Heaven – 1998 – 1999
This Canadian show was a magnum opus of awfulness that attempted to wring the last ounces of goodwill out of audiences who’d originally fell in love with the Brandon Lee-starring film. Fortunately it was put out of its misery after just one season.
What’s the worst TV show based on a movie that you’ve ever watched? Let us know in the comments section below.
