# What 50s-70s TV shows haven't been made into movies in the past 20 years? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216 "2008-05-05T23:59:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/1 "2008-05-05T23:59:17Z")
Some folks at work were talking about yet another TV show being made into a movie, and it made me wonder, what’s left from the 50s-70s to make into movies? Eventually they’ll run out… I came up with: My Three Sons The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (I don’t think TV movies with the orginial actors should count, ftr) Make Room for Daddy Father Knows Best My Mother the Car And that’s about it. There’s more, aren’t there? ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Halfabee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Eric\_Halfabee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric_Halfabee)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/2 "2008-05-06T00:01:24Z")
The Patty Duke Show Gilligan’s Island I Dream of Jeannie ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/3 "2008-05-06T00:07:05Z")
Well one they might do is “I Dream of Jeannie”. “F-Troop” and “Hogan’s Heroes” should be possible. They could turn “Life of Reilly” or “Topper” back into a movies. I am sad to say that there must be dozens left. Jim ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/4 "2008-05-06T00:12:36Z")
Barney Miller Soap All in the Family Gunsmoke … This list is a lot longer than the OP thinks. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/5 "2008-05-06T00:15:07Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] “Life of Reilly” [/QUOTE] So, is this where an expression I don’t understand (“living the life of Reilly”) comes from, or the other way around? And what sort of life _did_ he have, a charmed one, or a bad one? KneadToKnow, I know you’re right. Most of my classic TV viewing was from Nick At Night reruns, and they didn’t show everything. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/6 "2008-05-06T00:25:06Z")
Meet The Press ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/7 "2008-05-06T00:30:15Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin477] So, is this where an expression I don’t understand (“living the life of Reilly”) comes from, or the other way around? [/QUOTE] Other way around. The OED lists the first use of the term as being 1919, and it gaining popularity rather quickly from there. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/8 "2008-05-06T00:31:52Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Meet The Press [/QUOTE] :snerk: ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/9 "2008-05-06T00:38:15Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin477] So, is this where an expression I don’t understand (“living the life of Reilly”) comes from, or the other way around? And what sort of life _did_ he have, a charmed one, or a bad one? KneadToKnow, I know you’re right. Most of my classic TV viewing was from Nick At Night reruns, and they didn’t show everything. [/QUOTE] William Bendix’s character would get himself into silly situations that always worked out more or less right by the end of the show. He had a famous line ‘What a revoltin’ development this is!" I barely remember the show, but it was not very good. Better than Car 54 though. Thought of a few more shows: “Time Tunnel” and “Voyage to the bottom of the Sea” could be turned into movies. “Time Tunnel” was Quantum Leap, long before Quantum Leap. “Voyage to the bottom of the Sea” was a fun show for 8 year olds to watch. I’ve heard that “[Land of the Lost](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457400/)” is being made into a movie. This is scary sad. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/10 "2008-05-06T00:38:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Meet The Press It’s not going to happen after the _60 Minutes_ movie did so bad in the box office. Which was no surprise. What were they thinking to cast Keanu Reeves as Dan Rather? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/11 "2008-05-06T00:46:38Z")
Good Lord. There must be tons of them. There are _scads_ of short-lived, utterly forgotten shows. And several rememvered ones. \*\*The Dick Van Dyke Show Camp Runamuck Hank Captain Nice Mr. Terrific Man Into Space That Was the Week that Was Bonanza Gunsmoke Have Gun Will Travel Bat Masterson The Hathaways Gentle Ben Kolchak – The Night Stalker Night Gallery The Smothers Brothers Show\*\* (The original one, before the variety show, where Tom played an angel) **The Bill Cosby Show** (any incarnation, including the variety show, or the one where he’s a phys ed teacher. Or Dr. Huxtable) \*\*The Time Tunnel Columbo Probe Mannix Land of the Giants The Flying Nun \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/12 "2008-05-06T00:47:48Z")
There are literally hundreds of shows from that era. Think about it – 3 networks (in those days it was 3) times 3 1/2 hours of programming (in those days prime time was 3 1/2 hours) times 7 days a week = 75 hours per week, for 20 years. Looking only at the #1 rated program for 1955-1975 we see: The $64,000 Question I Love Lucy Gunsmoke Wagon Train Beverly Hillbillies Bonanza The Andy Griffith Show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In Marcus Welby, M.D. All in the Family Leave out I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith (both star-driven) and the $64,000 Question and Laugh-In (both impossible to turn into a script) and you have six #1 shows with the built-in name recognition that could be turned into movies. The only one that has been is The Beverly Hillbillies. Not to mention shows like Green Acres, The Waltons, Mannix, The Defenders and a bunch of others that are either unforgettable or a sturdy enough genre that they could easily be turned into movies. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/13 "2008-05-06T00:56:59Z")
**Three’s Company?** ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/14 "2008-05-06T01:00:24Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] **Three’s Company?** [/QUOTE] Now there’s a sitcom that needs an NC-17 adaptation. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/15 "2008-05-06T01:05:49Z")
There were actually some Bonanza “made for TV” movies in an attempt to revive the series a generation later. Didn’t go anywhere. _Happy Days_ hasn’t been remade (thank goodness). There was an attempt to make _Sanford & Son_ into a film. When Chris Rock was approached for Lamont he replied (per Rock) “There’s no way you can do it without Redd Foxx- it was way more _The Redd Foxx Show_ than any of the _The Redd Foxx Show_s ever were”, which is true; it’d be about like trying to make _I Love Lucy_ without Lucy and Desi. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/16 "2008-05-06T01:10:00Z")
A “Meet the Press” movie could be good. It should star Dan Ackroyd and Jane Curtin. Of course, it would be two hours of set-up for the “Jane, you ignorant slut” scene. ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Halfabee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Eric\_Halfabee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric_Halfabee)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/17 "2008-05-06T01:21:19Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] “Voyage to the bottom of the Sea” [/QUOTE] This show started out as a [movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055608/). ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/18 "2008-05-06T01:30:40Z")
Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/19 "2008-05-06T01:41:29Z")
[QUOTE=Eric Halfabee] Gilligan’s Island [/QUOTE] Over 1978-81, there were three made-for-TV movies, (as well as two cartoon shows) that reunited most of the original cast. Granted, this was over 20 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216/20 "2008-05-06T02:29:49Z")
Did they ever make CHiPs into a feature movie? Maybe “The Love Boat” or “Love American Style”? Hollywood persons: Please do not interpret this post as an endorsement of the idea of making these shows into movies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-50s-70s-tv-shows-havent-been-made-into-movies-in-the-past-20-years/448216.md?page=2)