20 best TV shows that got their own movies

11. Monty Python Life of Brian (1979)

Monty Pythons Flying Circus has become synonymous with silly, old-school British fun; from John Cleeses Ministry of Silly Walks to everything about Terry Jones in The Meaning of Life. The TV show ran from 1969 to 1974, and was swiftly cemented into history thanks to movie spin-offs The Meaning of Life, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and our favourite, Life of Brian.

It is impossible not to laugh at Life of Brian. Seriously, its impossible. We would dare you to try it, but we know well win. After a shaky start with funding issues, the film was saved by longtime Monty Python fan and Beatle, George Harrison, who formed his own company to finance the film. What. A. Legend.

10. Goosebumps (2015)

We admit it, we found Goosebumps absolutely fricking terrifying as children. Based on R.L. Stines book series, the TV show aimed to frighten children from the moment it premiered in 1995 to the moment it ended in 1998. Seriously, there was a creepy talking dummy called Spanky, a potato with vampire teeth and a girl who thinks theres a ghost when she actually is the ghost. Shudder.

In a strange twist, Jack Black actually plays R.L. Stine in the 2015 remake, which sees the authors horrors come to life. Its a good movie, but we cant help but wonder what the cancelled Tim Burton version of Goosebumps would have looked like if it had materialized in 1998.

9. Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)

Doctor Who time travelled onto TV in 1963, but it wasnt until 1965 that Peter Cushings fought the Daleks on planet Skaro in Dr. Who and the Daleks. This was swiftly followed by Daleks Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. in 1966. The next time we met the Doctor in a feature length movie was in 1996, when Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy teamed up for a TV special.

There are plenty of Doctor Who episodes that could stand-up as feature length films, especially if The Silence or the Weeping Angels are involved. If were to believe leaked Sony emails from earlier this year, Doctor Who will be made into a film within the next eight years, as long as the shows writers and producers agree on a plot. Well be keeping our fingers crossed.

8. Might Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)

If you were born in the mid-to-late 1980s you were probably a fan of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - a TV show that captured the imagination of kids with Tommy, Kimberley, Billy, Zordon and, of course, Bulk and Skull. Frankly, it makes us happy just thinking about it!

The series was adapted into a big action adventure movie in 1995, featuring Ivan Ooze trying to kill everyones parents, a cool skydiving scene and a tea bag Zordon, which gave kids everywhere serious nightmares. Weve been told to expect another film version in 2017, but we doubt anything will make us feel like big kids as much as the original. Now excuse us while we go and shout Dragonzrd!, Mastodon! and Pterodactyl! into the mirror.

7. Mission: Impossible (1996)

Mission: Impossible made its first appearance in the 1960s and ran for seven years, before taking a break and re-emerging in the 1980s for two seasons. In the 1990s the concept was given another chance to shine, with a little help from Jon Voight and Tom Cruise.

The 1996 classic spawned an iconic soundtrack, and the most potentially devastating ball of sweat in movie history. It also kick stared the hugely lucrative Mission: Impossible franchise, which now includes five movies and a sixth arriving in 2017. We could have picked any of the films to appear in this list (theyre all pretty good), but we stuck with the tried-and-tested original.

6. Inbetweeners (2008)

Nobody expected The Inbetweeners to be as successful as it was when it first aired in 2008. Not only was it hugely popular, but it spawned a number of catchphrases like Bus Wanker and Fwwrrriends, which are still heard in pubs up-and-down the country to this day.

The first Inbetweeners movie arrived in 2008 and it went on to set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a comedy film in the UK. Not bad considering the plot basically follows Will, Simon, Jay and Neil as they disastrously navigate their way around Malia. The flirty dancing scene in the nightclub is both hilarious and agonising to watch so if youve got a hankering for some cringe-comedy nows the time to buy the DVD.

5. Serenity (2005)

Fans the world over screamed into the void when Joss Whedons Firefly was agonisingly cancelled after just nine episodes in 2002. The shows fans revolted (in internet chat rooms and strongly worded letters, obviously) and the 2005 movie Serenity was the result.

Set after the events of the last episode of Firefly, Serenity gave fans some much needed closure and was pioneering in terms of digital film projection, viral marketing campaigns and grass-roots support. In short, POWER TO THE WHEDONVERSE. Wed happily crawl on all fours on a sticky cinema floor to see more of the Firefly crew

4. The Simpsons Movie (2007)

We admit we were a tad sceptical about a Simpsons movie when it was first announced. The characters that never age and never change just seemed to fit so perfectly into half hour bursts, it seemed silly to risk ruining it with a lacklustre movie.

Thankfully, the film turned out great and really gave the writers the chance to show off their satirical and sarcastic streaks. Springfield under the dome was a stroke of genius in terms of plot and was quickly nabbed by Stephen King for his best-selling book (and the follow-up TV show). Well remember The Simpsons movie for Alaska, Barts naked skateboard ride, the sand-pit and the wanted poster at the truck stop. If weve lost you, go and buy the movie.

3. 21 Jump Street (2012)

The original TV series, which starred Johnny Depp as Officer Tom Hanson who goes undercover at a high school, kicked off in 1987, which means it is about as stereotypically 80s as you can possibly imagine. Think The Breakfast Club meets crime drama and youll be on the right track.

The 2012 movie version starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill takes the premise of the TV show (young-looking cops try and solve youth crime) and injects a massive dose of buddy-comedy to the mix. Theres so much about this movie that we love, but extra points have to go to the scene where Schmidt and Jenko get accidentally high forcing them to ride out the drug wave in high school.

2. Addams Family Values (1993)

We were first introduced to Gomez and Morticia Addams in 1964, when the original gothic-comedy TV series hit the screens. But if you ask anyone about The Addams Family you just know theyre going to point to the 1990s movie duo that have become absolute classics.

The remake started with the 1991 film, which followed Christopher Lloyds Fester as he tried to remember his life after getting lost in the Bermuda triangle. However, its the second film, Addams Family Values, that scores a place on our countdown, largely because of the Wednesday Addams camp Thanksgiving scene and Joan Cusack as the evil Debbie Jellinsky. There are other great moments too, like the birth of moustachioed Pubert Addams.

Sarah  Jordan
TV obsessive. Expert in the ShondaLand universe. Buffy the Vampire Slayer until the day I die. General lover of superheroes, dramas, sci-fi, but strictly no horror. I want to make the term 'appendage shows' an actual thing, like 'fetch' in Mean Girls.