So what’s the opinion? I think MASH* tops the heap and The Odd Couple would be second. Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes to mind. I recall the The Ghost & Mrs. Muir being fairly good for the time period. Though this is the same time as The Odd Couple so maybe not.
There were a lot in the early days of TV.
Lassie; The Thin Man, Topper, Life of Riley (though I think it was a popular radio program first), Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, etc.
Fargo is definitely in the running.
Stargate SG1 was significantly better than the run-of-the-mill scifi adventure it’s based upon.
I also recall *Highlander: the Series *being superior to anything other than the the original movie. (not the highest bar to cross and doubtful whether the adult me will find it entertaining)
I’m going with The Ghost & Mrs. Muir with MASH as a slightly distant second (they cleaned up the TV version too much) and Alien Nation a close third.
The Paper Chase
If you’re including TV movies, “Sunshine” (TVM, 1973) spun off the “dramedy” of the same name (1975) which was excellent, but was cancelled after only 13 episodes; more than likely because it was one of the first sit-coms that didn’t use a laugh track and no one knew where to laugh. This was followed by another TVM in 1977, “Sunshine Christmas,” which was just as good as the original movie and the series.
I loved that show. And my suggestion is Friday Night Lights.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
My favorite was in the OP: The Odd Couple. And I’m talking about the one with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall not one of the remakes.
Pink Panther animated,* MASH**, Fargo*
Does something like Agents of SHIELD count? It’s not really based on any particular movie, but it ties in with a bunch of pre-existing movies, plus movies that came out after the show started.
That was a decent show, but I cannot recall seeing it in re-runs. Did it never catch on in syndication?
The Courtship of Eddie’s Father was pretty good. So good in fact, that the series is being remade.
Mr. Belvedere. One of my favorite shows of all time, though I’ve never seen the movies.
Ferris Bueller would lie at the opposite end of the spectrum.
I consider The West Wing to be of a piece with The American President, though there are many good counterarguments.
IIRC, Paper Chase was an HBO show. Although some HBO shows went on to syndication (Sex and the City), most of them don’t. I don’t think The Paper Chase ever did.
No. The Paper Chase was a 1978 series on CBS but cancelled after one season. In 1983, Showtime revived the series for three more seasons. As for syndication, the Wikipedia article says the show was aired by The Family Channel in the late 1980s and then by A&E.
Ah – it was Showtime’s run I’m thinking of then. All I know is that it was on cable, and I couldn’t get it.
I don’t recall the CBS run. Don’t recall it running on those other cable channels, possibly for the same reason.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Fame!
Does Love, Sidney count?
They missed PEE-WEE’S PLAYHOUSE.