Summary

• Shows offer more time to develop characters and stories, allowing for deeper emotional arcs than movies.
• TV and streaming series often outshine their movie counterparts, drawing from various source materials.
• Examples like Buffy and Cobra Kai prove that TV adaptations can sur their original films in popularity and quality.

Television shows have several notable advantages over movies, and many series over the years that have sprung from a pre-existing film have gone on to outdo their cinematic counterparts. Premises for TV shows don't come out of thin air, and more often than not, the best TV and streaming series are based on pre-existing books, comics, video games, and movies. Movies in particular may not seem like great beds for growing a beloved, long-running TV show due to their limited scope, but their 2-hour plots can sometimes be extrapolated upon into cultural touchstones of the small screen.

Shows have a lot of advantages over movies, which sometimes allow them to adapt the same stories better. For one, the increased length of time audiences are able to spend with characters due to an episodic format makes it far easier to develop satisfying arcs, which can span lengths of time longer than entire films. The increased variety of directors, writers, and other talent that come together to form the backbone of the average TV show also can outpace the imagination of one or two screenwriters funneled through the vision of a singular producer.

7 Buffy The Vampire Slayer

7 seasons

The seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer have gone on to become some of the most beloved television of all time, enrapturing audiences with its humor, tender character development, female empowerment themes and popularization of vampire tropes. Entire academic studies have been devoted to the success of the series, which has steadily grown to become a staggering pop culture phenomenon, even having several spin-offs taking place within the so-called "Buffyverse". This might make it all the more surprising for many to learn that Buffy the Vampire Slayer was based on a little-known film.

The 1992 comedy Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been largely lost in the annals of cinematic history, far overshadowed by its series. Though also written and created by the same mind behind the show, the infamous Joss Whedon, the movie failed to capture the imaginations of audiences at the time, being only moderately successful at the box office and unpopular with 90s critics. With its lighter tone, increased focus on comedy, and cut-and-dry happy ending, the film didn't exactly leave a big impression.

Comparatively, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series wasn't afraid of getting dark, with episodes incorporating themes of sexual assault, sudden death, and lingering trauma that would make the film version blush. Sarah Michelle Gellar also rallied audiences behind a starring performance of blazing charisma that the lead actress of the film couldn't hold a candle to. Between its captivating serialization, renewed focus, increased breadth, and ability to strike a chord with an entire generation, it's no wonder that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie is all but forgotten compared to the series.

6 What We Do In The Shadows

6 seasons (Ongoing)

Vampires being an ever-popular comedy subgenre thanks to the efforts of series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, What We Do In The Shadows took an even more comedic approach to the nocturnal blood-suckers. One of Taika Waititi's best films, the mockumentary centered around the lives of three screwball vampires just trying to get by in an increasingly unfamiliar modern world, starring the director himself as one of the subjects. But Jermaine Clement's beloved comedy revival managed to inject fresh life into the premise over the course of five, soon to be six, acclaimed seasons.

The What We Do In The Shadows series is strikingly similar to the film, maintaining the documentary framing device a la The Office while retaining Waititi's impeccable comedic timing.

The What We Do In The Shadows series is strikingly similar to the film, maintaining the documentary framing device a la The Office while retaining Waititi's impeccable comedic timing, even without his direct oversight. The primary aspect of the show that sets it ahead of the film is its cast, with talent like Matt Berry, Harvey Guillén, and Mark Proksch all lending their impressive comedic chops. The simple fact that the new cast are funnier is no more painfully obvious than in the episode in which the movie vampires return, instantly being the least interesting characters in the room.

5 Cobra Kai

6 seasons (Ongoing)

Basking in the glory of 80s nostalgia isn't anything new for television nor movies, but no revival of an ancient property has managed to sur its successor quite like Cobra Kai. The original Karate Kid was undeniably one of the greatest sports films of all time, and popularized entire tropes like the training montage, enigmatic master, and belligerent school bully that takes things too far all on its own. However, the movie's sequels fell by the wayside, not being ed as a worthy franchise in the same vein as the Rocky movies, culminating in a lukewarm revival with Jayden Smith.

Luckily, Cobra Kai was there to pick up the pieces. The series has the hook of telling things from Johnny's point of view, adding some shades of gray to the black-and-white story of the original film. Returning cast William Michael Zabka and Ralph Macchio don't miss a beat, demonstrating the acting experience they've accumulated in the many years since The Karate Kid alongside a new generation of teen actors that, frankly, put their old performances to shame. Subverting the tropes made tired by the original film, there's no question that Cobra Kai has long outpaced its source material.

4 Westworld

4 seasons

There was a time when Westworld was one of the most talked-about streaming series to ever come out of HBO Max. While the heady glimpse into a future of wanton indulgence has fallen slightly out of favor compared to its triumphant debut, there's no denying that the streaming series has far outpaced its source material. With captivating mysteries and career-defining performances from the likes of Jeffery Wright, James Marsden, and Evan Rachel Wood, the sci-fi series was on track to enter the prestige television hall of fame before Westworld was suddenly prematurely canceled.

Despite its downfall, the Westworld series still stands head and shoulders above its movie inspiration of the same name. One of the few Michael Creighton stories made for the medium of film rather than a novel, Westworld had an odd combination of traits for the Jurassic Park writer's directorial debut. Surprisingly, the narrative was actually the weak point of Creighton's Westworld rather than the visuals, with a handwaved robot uprising happening simply because the story demanded it. Though not a bad film by any measure, the original film couldn't hold a candle to the best episodes of the show.

3 12 Monkeys

4 seasons

The original 12 Monkeys was one of the Monty Python's Flying Circus veteran's most high-profile pieces.

One of the most irreverent and unique filmmakers alive, adapting the works of Terry Gilliam into a cohesive and sensible serialized narrative is a daunting task. The original 12 Monkeys was one of the Monty Python's Flying Circus veteran's most high-profile pieces, starring Bruce Willis as a time-traveling convict sent back to prevent a post-apocalyptic future. Like much of Gilliam's work, many critics and audiences didn't know what to make of the chaotic narrative, but the dark tone and careful direction left big shoes to fill for a revival of the universe.

Luckily, the four seasons of the 12 Monkeys series have managed to age even better than Gilliam's original work. Though it was under-appreciated by critics at the time of its release, the 12 Monkeys Show took advantage of the strides in time travel stories made since the era of the 1995 movie. Whereas Gilliam's film basks in a simple reveal and narrower, bewildered performances, the series added more depth to the world and brought the characters down to earth, grounding the esoteric tale of humanity's survival in a context that's easier to appreciate.

2 One Day

1 season

Bringing a book to life, especially one that takes place over the course of 20 years, is no easy feat, and a limited TV series is particularly well-suited to the task. Enter One Day, one of Netflix's highest-rated original projects in the realm of romance and drama, and for good reason. Like the book of the same name, the show tracks a single recurring day in the lives of its romantic leads, Emma and Dexter, whose heartfelt love story and devastating brushes with tragedy mix to create a truly poignant story.

Meanwhile, the 2011 One Day movie featuring Anne Hathaway adapted the story into something of a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy, not terrible, but nowhere near as profound and heart-warming as the Netflix show. Netflix's One Day is significantly better than the movie due to some key deviations the story makes, as well as the insatiable chemistry of Ambika Mod's Emma and Leo Woodall's Dexter. From Anne Hathaway's terrible English accent to the expanded role of the ing cast, the One Day series does a lot to improve on its predecessor film.

1 Godzilla: The Series

2 seasons

The 1998 American Godzilla film is widely reviled as one of the worst Godzilla movies of all time, warping Japan's beloved walking atom bomb into a gangly dinosaur easily outsmarted by Matthew Broderick. Godzilla felt far from his venerated title of King of the Monsters in the 90s blockbuster, with a butchered character design, reduced intelligence and personality, and a lackluster ing cast of humans that made the film a disaster movie in more ways than one. Nicknamed "Zilla", this version of Godzilla became so widely mocked that the real Godzilla actually killed Zilla on screen in Godzilla: Final Wars.

This makes it all the more shocking that something good managed to come out of the movie, that being the little-known animated series simply titled Godzilla: The Series. Following the only surviving offspring of the 1998 film's kaiju, the series followed the efforts of a sort of human Godzilla team called "H.E.A.T." that followed the massive lizard as he battled a variety of other colossal creatures. More faithful to the original Godzilla than the film it was based off of, the animated TV show had better characters and a fun monster-of-the-week format.