# TV series that work on the big screen?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 12, 2017, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438 "2017-05-12T10:07:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/1 "2017-05-12T10:07:24Z")
There are some movies - like Star Wars - which do not translate well to the small screen. But I’m wondering about the reverse: are there TV series that translate well to be shown on cinema screens? Do, for instance, Game of Thrones and Spartacus work well on cinema-sized screens?
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### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/2 "2017-05-12T10:28:45Z")
COMMUNlTY!
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/3 "2017-05-12T10:32:00Z")
> [@Quartz](#):
>
> There are some movies - like Star Wars - which do not translate well to the small screen. But I’m wondering about the reverse: are there TV series that translate well to be shown on cinema screens?
What, like Star _Trek?_
😉
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/4 "2017-05-12T11:12:11Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> What, like Star _Trek?_
>
> 😉
Pass the kipper, Jeeves! SLAP! 😃
No, I’m not talking about films made from TV series; I’m talking about the actual TV series themselves.
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### Author:  [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/5 "2017-05-12T14:46:57Z")
While the two attempts have been weak I could see a well done X Files movie being possible.
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### Author:  [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/6 "2017-05-12T15:55:25Z")
I think that some ST:TNG and ST:DS9 eps woulds work on the big scree, especially if they could tweak the effects a bit.
Mostly the two-parters, of course. “Way of the Warrior” from DS9 would be fine. Heck, the later prime timeline films came across as long episodes anyway.
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### Author:  [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/7 "2017-05-12T16:13:31Z")
Several “Doctor Who” episodes have been screened in movie theaters. I’ve never been to any of them, so I can’t tell how well they translate but it apparently works well enough that they keep doing it.
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### Author:  [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/8 "2017-05-12T16:21:32Z")
Regarding the OP example of\* Game of Thrones\*, about 2 years ago HBO partnered with IMAX to show several episodes on the big BIG screen. By all reports, it was impressive looking.
What the OP seems to be asking is can something produced on a TV budget work on the big screen. I’d say it depends on the budget. Original S_tar Trek_? No - it would look cheap and cheesy. Something the original _Roots_? I think it would work.
With the bigger budgets of more modern limited series, and the reduction in cost of CGI, I think we’ll be seeing more suitable candidates. I think _American Gods_ would work.
Animation is an area where the cost difference is not as noticeable. Heck, the Clone Wars movie literally was the first 3 episodes of the show edited together into a feature film. It still looked good. Not Pixar quality, but it didn’t scream TV budget either. And I saw an Adventure Time episode screened before a movie which looked perfectly fine. (I believe the producers were trying to make it eligible for an Oscar, which is why it was shown in a theatre).
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/9 "2017-05-12T16:55:05Z")
The size of the screen has no effect on the quality of the story. If it’s good on a small screen, it’ll be good on a big screen, and vice versa.
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### Author:  [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/10 "2017-05-12T16:55:42Z")
I don’t know if it counts but the two most recent Dragon ball super movies did pretty well and the same time period is covered in the series although quite a few more episodes.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2017, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/11 "2017-05-13T11:06:50Z")
IIRC, the pilot episode for THE INCREDIBLE HULK – the one with Bill Bixby explaining, and Lou Ferrigno demonstrating, that you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry – wound up later getting released in theaters, after it became obvious that _hey, people would pay to see this on the big screen._ (One of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE two-part episodes got the same treatment: frame a mobster for crimes he _didn’t_ commit, so his own organization will murder him? Yeah, okay, folks will buy tickets for that.)
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/12 "2017-05-13T11:18:13Z")
Firefly did.
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2017, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/13 "2017-05-13T11:25:01Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#):
>
> What the OP seems to be asking is can something produced on a TV budget work on the big screen.
I’m sorry, I thought I was quite clear. I meant something produced for the small - TV - screen being shown on the big - cinema - screen.
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2017, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/14 "2017-05-13T11:27:23Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> The size of the screen has no effect on the quality of the story. If it’s good on a small screen, it’ll be good on a big screen, and vice versa.
I have found that to not be correct. The classic example is Star Wars. Two scenes in particular: the opening Star Destroyer scene and the interrogation of Princess Leia with the floating orb. Both lose their impact when shown on a small screen.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2017, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-work-on-the-big-screen/786438/15 "2017-05-13T12:31:55Z")
> [@Quartz](#):
>
> I have found that to not be correct. The classic example is Star Wars. Two scenes in particular: the opening Star Destroyer scene and the interrogation of Princess Leia with the floating orb. Both lose their impact when shown on a small screen.
Both work just as well for me on a 19 in. Screen.
If you need big spectacle to make your movie work, the movie is a failure.