Whenever a movie inspires a television spinoff, we need to beware. Such second-generation productions are often really terrible.
On a few rare occasions, though, a thoroughly average movie has given rise to a really exceptional television series. Here are three of my favorite examples.
Alien Nation – This sci-fi take on the buddy cop theme made for some fine television time. The slower pace of a series gave the two main actors time to develop rich and sympathetic characters, and the dramatic development went far beyond simple racism memes.
Stargate SG-1 – The source movie was ponderous and unsatisfying, even with a young James Spader to look at. The television series, however, was a delightful surprise. The quality of the writing is consistently good, and the production values are impressive. A great storytelling milieu, well executed.
La Femme Nikita – I’m not a fan of either the original French movie or the American remake. The Canadian television series is one of my all-time favorites, though, and never seems to lose its edgy appeal. This is a series for those who don’t need a happy ending to like a show. You won’t find any happy endings here, but I still find it hard to look away.