# TV shows that would make great video games
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 28, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657 "2011-07-28T19:25:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/1 "2011-07-28T19:25:04Z")
A friend and I were discussing this last night - with LA Noire and the like, what TV shows would be adaptable into a great video game?
My answer was **Magnum P.I.**.
Cheesy 80’s clothes, the music, the Ferrari, the Lads, Higgins, controlling TC in the Island Hoppers chopper, trips to the King Kameamea Club, trips to the Navy base. Missions that followed famous episodes, like the guy that blinks before he strikes, crazy Sharon Stone, and of course “Did you see the Sunrise?”
All the actors are still alive and probably wouldn’t mind the voice-over work. Except for Tom Selleck, who would probably do it b/c he though he was cool.
Any others?
---
### Author:  [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/2 "2011-07-28T19:34:52Z")
AIRWOLF a supersonic helicopter that kicks butt. A natural.
Whoops a quick check shows it exists.
---
### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/3 "2011-07-28T19:44:05Z")
Dexter. Seek, investigate, plan, prepare, sneak in, execute, sneak out, dispose of evidence. The Hitman series already does a fair amount of that.
Cops. From both sides.
If very well executed, The Wire could be engrossing. Anything short of excellent execution and it could be quite boring.
Breaking Bad: Play while learning a trade!
OK, maybe not the last one.
---
### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/4 "2011-07-28T19:46:37Z")
The “Arrested Development” text adventure game by Infocom.
---
### Author:  [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/5 "2011-07-28T21:33:30Z")
I always thought a Stargate SG1 based game could be really good. Something like an action-adventure-RPG in the vein of Mass Effect.
Yes, there have been a couple of Stargate games before, but one is a crappy SNES action platformer based on the movie not the show (it predates the show), and the other an MMO (blech) that’s apparently been canned.
---
### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/6 "2011-07-28T21:54:55Z")
Whoa! I meant “Tom Selleck would do it b/c he thought [del]he[/del] **it** was cool.” Boy did _that_ change the meaning.
---
### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/7 "2011-07-28T23:05:28Z")
Babylon 5. There was a starfury pilot game that was 90% done before Sierra restructured and cancelled the project. Still bitter.
Which totally just reminded me that there’s a [free community made game](http://ifhgame.ru/main/info) around the same concept that I never tried.
---
### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/8 "2011-07-28T23:15:10Z")
_Chuck_. Spy action/adventure game with an unreliable Intersect.
---
### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/9 "2011-07-28T23:16:00Z")
This Old House. No, I am not kidding. Done right it would be a very popular creative strategy game. You start off with a certain amount of money and get to fix up a house with good bones but needing serious updates. There may be some nasty surprises through unexpected work that needs to be done or contractors that run behind schedule. You have to manage it all yourself or do the work yourself to save money but at a serious time cost. If you do a really good job, you can sell it to buy another fixer-upper and start again with more money. The object is to parlay a rather small starting sum of money into the nicest house you can end up with. Active user communities would allow you to share your house photos or even trade projects with others. See also: The Sims, house flipping reality TV shows. This isn’t a good game to play in real life these days due to the bad real estate market but there is still a lot of interest in the concept.
---
### Author:  [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/10 "2011-07-29T17:55:10Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#):
>
> Breaking Bad: Play while learning a trade!
>
> OK, maybe not the last one.
Sure! You could call it, “Meth Tycoon.”
---
### Author:  [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/11 "2011-07-29T18:31:55Z")
There are already two **Deadliest Catch** games. So, why not a **Gold Rush Alaska** game? You just hang around all day talking to NPCs about why the equipment doesn’t work, and watch your money tick down to zero. And there’s a “Punch Dorsey” minigame halfway in.
---
### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/12 "2011-07-29T18:37:57Z")
> [@TBG](#):
>
> I always thought a Stargate SG1 based game could be really good. Something like an action-adventure-RPG in the vein of Mass Effect.
>
> Yes, there have been a couple of Stargate games before, but one is a crappy SNES action platformer based on the movie not the show (it predates the show), and the other an MMO (blech) that’s apparently been canned.
There’s also a Gameboy game based on the movie. It’s a Tetris-style 3D puzzle game where you could make matches by either stacking Stargate symbols on top of each other or by arranging them in a circle.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the movie beyond the symbols and the fact that the playing field was circular, but it was actually fairly entertaining.
I agree, though. The setting has incredible potential for an action-adventure game. It’s really too bad that the Stargate franchise seems to be winding down in popularity.
ETA: I’ll be damned. There was a pretty recent [action game](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate:_Resistance) based on SG-1. It was developed, released, and canned all without me knowing about it. Damn shame.
---
### Author:  [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/13 "2011-07-30T00:49:34Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> _Chuck_. Spy action/adventure game with an unreliable Intersect.
First thing I thought of. The premise of the show has everything you would need for a really cool game: action, adventure, puzzles, comedy, romance, colorful characters, and geeky references.
---
### Author:  [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/14 "2011-07-31T00:02:09Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> There’s also a Gameboy game based on the movie. It’s a Tetris-style 3D puzzle game where you could make matches by either stacking Stargate symbols on top of each other or by arranging them in a circle.
>
> It had absolutely nothing to do with the movie beyond the symbols and the fact that the playing field was circular, but it was actually fairly entertaining.
>
> I agree, though. The setting has incredible potential for an action-adventure game. It’s really too bad that the Stargate franchise seems to be winding down in popularity.
>
> ETA: I’ll be damned. There was a pretty recent [action game](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate:_Resistance) based on SG-1. It was developed, released, and canned all without me knowing about it. Damn shame.
Huh, wow, two more, but still strangely next to nothing for such a long lived franchise. I mean, hell, Grey’s Anatomy’s had almost as many games. [Grey’s frickin Anatomy!](http://www.gamespot.com/ds/adventure/greysanatomy/index.html)
---
### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/15 "2011-07-31T00:34:27Z")
Battlestar Galactica. The new one. Those super maneuverable looked incredibly fun to play around with. A “X-wing vs TIE fighter” type based on Cylons vs Colonials would be awesome.
---
### Author:  [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2011, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/16 "2011-07-31T09:20:11Z")
Jersey Shore, done as a reboot of [Chiller](http://www.somebits.com/weblog/culture/games/emulation/chiller.html).
---
### Author:  [@ShanYao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShanYao)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/17 "2011-08-02T08:10:17Z")
Spy action/adventure game and not a reliable cross…
[True Blood Seasons 1-3](http://www.wholesalecheapdvd.com/True-Blood-Seasons-1-3-DVD-Boxset-FREE-SHIPPING-381.html)
[true blood seasons 1-3 dvd boxset](http://www.wholesalecheapdvd.com/True-Blood-Seasons-1-3-DVD-Boxset-FREE-SHIPPING-381.html)
[Family Guy Seasons 1-9 DVD Boxset](http://www.wholesalecheapdvd.com/Family-Guy-Seasons-1-9-DVD-Boxset-FREE-SHIPPING-492.html)
---
### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/18 "2011-08-02T08:43:57Z")
ShanYao spamlinks reported
---
### Author:  [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/19 "2011-08-02T09:00:05Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#):
>
> Cops. From both sides.
From the police side of things, there was a laserdisc arcade light gun game by Atari that used the Cops license.
---
### Author:  [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657/20 "2011-08-02T14:38:22Z")
24: You have 24 hours to save the world!
(Unfortunately in the video game they’d have to give you equipment screens, pauses and saves. :D)
On the PS3 they’d give the Incredibly Stupid Achievement Award if you play it all the way though without saving.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-would-make-great-video-games/590657.md?page=2)