Pointless research

[caddyman]

It's amazing isn't it, how a subject that crops up in the pub, under the influence of BEER, can become almost obsessive?

I mentioned it a couple of days ago to colleagues and I've had a steady stream of suggestions* regularly ever since. So far we have managed to discount all except, possibly, Highlander.

The question is this, has there ever been a movie that has spawned a TV series directly based upon it, which itself has gone on to inspire a movie itself? The movies must be proper theatrical release movies, not TV movies or specials.

There are many examples of a movie inspiring a TV series (M*A*S*H springs to mind), and an increasing number of TV series that have influenced movies more or less based on them. But is there an example of the Movie - TV series - Movie sequence?

Now, before you jump right in, that old chestnut Star Trek is highly debatable. It started off as a TV series, spawned a cartoon, and inspired a movie sequence. But who would say that the Next Generation was inspired by the movies rather than the original TV show? It's arguable, but to me it doesn't fit.

Equally, regardless of quality, I think Highlander might. The movies spawned the TV series, and then the final movie was clearly inspired by the TV series since it featured both Christopher Lambert and Adrian Paul despite the fact they were supposed to be the same character.

"Re-imaginings" do not count. These are, at best pointless remakes of an older film regardless of any intervening TV series.

Any candidates?


* No, not that sort of suggestion.

Comments

[probablyscotty.livejournal.com]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Honey, I shrank the kids? The Crow? M.I.B? Okay, I watch too much kid's TV.

I take it the Avengers is a reimagining, as with Charlie's Angels and The Addams Family?

Re: geek warning

[probablyscotty.livejournal.com]

Tut tut Jimfer, you fail your geek test! They're cousins, and they appear together onscreen in the movie Highlander: Endgame, and in the pilot for the series.

I did think, though, that Endgame was a straight to video release?

[jfs.livejournal.com]

Christopher Lambert and Adrian Paul weren't supposed to be the same character - one was Connor McLoud, the other was Duncan McLoud.

They were supposed to be cousins, (which I found unlikely given the relative scarcity of Immortals).

In fact, I seem to remember that Christopher Lambert turned up in an early TV episode.

Not that that invalidates your point, mind you.

[probablyscotty.livejournal.com]

McLeod. :-P

It's on in about an hour and a half on FX.

Allegedly.

[probablyscotty.livejournal.com]

The Crow fits as far as I can see. The Crow, then City of Angels, then Stairway to Heaven, the series, followed by Salvation, which is a spin off from the series. :-)

Yay me!

Fanboy site

[jfs.livejournal.com]

McLeod

Can I claim it was a pun?

And in a homage stylee ... how about Computer Game - TV Series - Movie?

Lara Croft - Relic Hunter - Lara Croft :-)

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

Stargate started out as a movie, then became a series, and soon (my fangirl source tells me ;o)) a movie of the series will appear.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Not sure about that - certainly it's spawned a cartoon spin off and the soon to be filmed Stargate: Atlantis TV series. But if a movie does appear yes, that would fit.

Oh no you don't....

[maleghast.livejournal.com]

MacLeod - look at the hilt of Connor's Claymore when he buries Heather in Highlander (the original movie).

(or if you don't trust me - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091203/

I know - accelerating toward unacceptable geekdom as we speak...

Re: Oh no you don't....

[probablyscotty.livejournal.com]

Damnit, outgeeked.

I bow.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I think in all those cases, second movies were sequels, not in themselves inspired by the TV spin off, though I don't know about The Crow.

The Avengers movie (spit) was inspied by the TV sewries but didn't lead to another TV series, the same with Charlie's Angels and the Addams Family - I'm not aware of any new TV series spinning off from these movies.

It occurs to me that Planet of the Apes might be a contender, since there was a movie, several sequels, a TV series and the recent awful 're-imagining'.

Quite how the sequence ran, and whether the movies were inspired by the TV series or just ran in parallel as sequels to the movie, I don't know. But Roddy McDowell was in a lot of them.