Hollywood executives love money more than their mothers, so it should surprise no one that sitcom adaptations are penciled into their release schedules if there's a sniff it can make major money. While there is a history of solid success, including hits like 21 Jump Street and The Addams Family, there are also plenty of bad movies - heck, even downright terrible features - in certain instances.
It isn't always the fault of the filmmakers, screenwriters, or actors, though. Sometimes, these stories should stay in their original format rather than try to make the wheel square. With that said, let's check out the worst TV-to-movie adaptations - and don't forget to vote up the most dishonorable films on this list!
- Photo:
In 1964, Bewitched dared to be different from other sitcoms of the era. In this show, a witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) falls for an ordinary guy, first played by Dick York and later Dick Sargent. The two fall in love and marry, while Samantha promises to keep the witchcraft in check. Spoiler alert: it doesn't always happen.
Starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, the 2005 film adaptation of Bewitched tries to be meta by including a plot that this is an actual remake of the sitcom while adding the twist that the actor playing Samantha is a real-life witch. The film didn't exactly enchant the audience or critics, with Cinema Crazed calling it "a stupid, pompous waste of money and talent."
Better on TV?- Photo:
Everyone loves watching shows about youngsters getting into mischief. In the late 1950s, audiences were introduced to the adventures of the little rascal known as Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, who embarks on episodic shenanigans due to his youthful exuberance and uncanny knack for attracting trouble.
Decades later, Beaver made his way onto the big screen in the 1997 film directed by Andy Cadiff. Starring Cameron Finley as the titular character, Leave It to Beaver delivers the same "aw, shucks" humor as the show. However, audiences and critics were having none of it. SFGATE deemed the formula and presentation outdated, writing that the film "barely seems aware of its own time warp."
Better on TV?- Photo:
In the early 1960s, Car 54, Where Are You? aired for 60 episodes and tickled the viewers' funny bones as they watched two incompatible New York police officers go about blundering cases and finding themselves in precarious situations. Yet, somehow, these two cops always seem to get the job done in the end and save the day.
The sitcom received a film adaptation in 1994, starring David Johansen and John C. McGinley. To say it was received negatively would be too kind. Car 54, Where Are You? has the inglorious distinction of holding a 0% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A character actor of McGinley's prowess certainly deserved better.
Better on TV?- Photo:
In the late '70s and early '80s, audiences got their cop-based guffaws from CHiPS. The show follows two highway patrol officers, Ponch (Erik Estrada) and Jon (Larry Wilcox), who find themselves in hilarious and unexpected situations while on the job. Unquestionably, the electric chemistry between the leads is the secret ingredient of the sitcom's lasting success.
In 2017, Dax Shepard wrote, directed, and starred in a big-screen adaptation of CHiPs alongside Michael Peña. The film received a critical beatdown, and the audience wasn't left chuckling by the end of it. In fact, original star Wilcox told USA Today that the movie adaptation is "low-brow humor. Dumb and Dumber on motorcycles."
Better on TV?- Photo:
McHale's Navy debuted to rapturous chuckles in 1962. Starring the charismatic Ernest Borgnine as Quinton McHale, it follows McHale as the titular captain of a Navy boat during the events of World War II. Much like every sitcom, the crew features quirky and unforgettable characters that get up to all kinds of hijinks rather than do their work.
The sitcom had a few in-continuity films, but its remake arrived in the form of the eponymous 1997 movie directed by Bryan Spicer. Borgnine makes an appearance here, but it is Tom Arnold who takes over the role of McHale. McHale's Navy holds an embarrassing 3% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and belly-flopped at the box office, only making $4.4 million domestically from a $42 million budget.
Better on TV?- Photo:
Perhaps unsurprisingly, The Dukes of Hazzard is about two cousins named Bo and Luke Duke who get themselves into all sorts of “hazardous” situations with their pals and other relatives. In every episode, they get up to mischief while avoiding the long arm of the law. The formula proved successful, though, as it was one of its era's most popular TV shows and built up a loyal, cult-like following.
In 2005, the Dukes made the jump to the big screen in a Jay Chandrasekhar-directed film adaptation. Starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, and Jessica Simpson, it attempted to recreate the magic from the series. Unfortunately, it trailed straight into the swamp, receiving seven Razzie nominations. Its only saving grace was that the total bomb known as the Son of the Mask was released in the same year.
Better on TV?
