The 20 Best TV Shows Based on Movies, Ranked

by Amber Dowling, for Metacritic – August 5, 2022

Movies have the ability to deliver punchy stories, top-notch action, and ideas that can linger well after the closing credits roll. TV shows, on the other hand, can take those same pros and extend them over a much longer timeframe. Only on TV can viewers really get into a character and get to know all of their nuances, plus watch them develop and change as the episodes or seasons go on.

Given that, it’s no surprise so many TV shows are based on movies. Here, Metacritic has rounded up the 20 best film-to-TV adaptations as ranked by Metascore. Only live-action TV shows from 1985 and onward are eligible for inclusion.

Note also that we opted to make all Marvel Cinematic Universe shows eligible based on their ties to the film series as a whole even though many of the shows are not a direct adaptation of a single film. Don't like that decision? Here are seven honorable mentions that would have made the top 20 if we excluded MCU shows:

3 of 21 photo by Netflix

74 Luke Cage (Netflix, 2016-18)

adapted from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

(tied at #15) After making an entrance in Jessica Jones, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) headlined his own Marvel Television-Netflix series where he attempts to rebuild his life in Harlem as a fugitive. The Emmy-winning series ran for 26 episodes in 2016-18 before it was canceled in preparation for Disney+’s eventual launch. But during its run, critics were into the character study nature of the series as well as its social commentary and fight sequences.

“An all-around more evenly paced and executed venture from start to finish. From the performances to the directing to the fight choreography, every nut and bolt of this narrative has been tightened down, and the narrative energy emits more spark.” —Melanie McFarland, Salon

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