List of Films Based On Television Programs - Episodes and Pilots Released As Films

Episodes and Pilots Released As Films

  • 101 Dalmatians: The Series (101 Dalmatians Christmas)
  • Adventures of Superman (feature film pilot episode, Superman and the Mole Men (1951))
  • Disney's Aladdin (The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves were the pilot and series finale to the series respectively)
  • Atlantis: Milo's Return (originally conceived as the pilot for a proposed series that was never realised)
  • All Grown Up! (started off as a one-hour TV movie conciding with Rugrats' 10th anniversary before being spun-off into its own series)
  • The Amazing Spider-Man
  • American Dad! (short film pilot episode, Inside the CIA)
  • The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. (TV movie reunion episode, Return to Mayberry (1986))
  • Angela Anaconda (opening segment of Digimon: The Movie)
  • As Told by Ginger
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender
  • Battlestar Galactica (TV pilot edited into a big screen release)
  • Belle's Magical World (originally conceived as the pilot for a proposed series that was never realised)
  • Ben Casey (TV movie reunion episode, The Return of Ben Casey (1988))
  • Big Time Rush
  • Bonkers (short film special episode, Pedal to the Medal)
  • Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV pilot released as a movie when no networks picked it up)
  • Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins
  • Cagney & Lacey
  • Camp Lazlo (Where's Lazlo?)
  • Cannon
  • ChalkZone
  • Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers (The pilot was first aired as a TV movie under the title Rescue Rangers: To the Rescue)
  • Codename: Kids Next Door (Operation I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.)
  • Code of Vengeance
  • Columbo (TV movie pilot, Prescription: Murder)
  • Cruel Intentions 2 (straight-to-video, failed TV pilot)
  • Danny Phantom
  • Darkwing Duck (Darkly Dawns the Duck)
  • Dexter's Laboratory (short film special episode, Chicken Scratch)
  • Doctor Who - failed pilot for American TV series
  • DuckTales
  • The Fairly OddParents (School's Out! The Musical, Fairy Idol, Fairly OddBaby)
  • Fantasy Island (The pilot episode and it's direct sequel Return to Fantasy Island were both aired as two-hour long made-for-TV movies just two years before the regular series officially debuted)
  • Disney's Fluppy Dogs - failed pilot for the third WDTA-produced Disney animated TV series
  • Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (The multi-part pilot episode House of Bloo's, and the two other multi-part episodes Good Wilt Hunting and Destination: Imagination, were all aired as feature-length made-for-TV movies respectively)
  • Gargoyles (Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken)
  • Green Acres (TV movie reunion episode, Return to Green Acres (1986))
  • The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (The Wrath of the Spider Queen, Underfist: Halloween Bash)
  • Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
  • Hey Arnold! (short film pilot episode, 24 Hours to Live)
  • iCarly
  • The Incredible Hulk
  • Ironside
  • Jungle Cubs (Born to Be Wild)
  • Kim Possible (A Sitch in Time)
  • Knight Rider
  • Disney's The Legend of Tarzan (some episodes were complied into the direct-to-video animated film Tarzan & Jane)
  • Lilo & Stitch: The Series (Stitch! The Movie and Leroy & Stitch were the pilot and series finale to the series respectively)
  • The Lone Ranger
  • The Love Boat (a trilogy of telefilms preceded the regular series by two years, the fourth and final film based on the show was made just 13 years later)
  • Man from Atlantis
  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV movie reunion episode, The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983))
  • Marcus Welby, M.D.
  • McCloud
  • Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series (Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face-Off)
  • Mulholland Drive (failed TV pilot)
  • My Life as a Teenage Robot (Escape from Cluster Prime)
  • The Naked Brothers Band
  • Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (The series finale was aired as a TV movie under the title Ned's Declassified Field Trip)
  • The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (originally conceived and produced as an animated made-for-TV movie, under the title Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All, it was later reconfigured into an animated TV series. After the said TV cartoon show version of Flash Gordon ended in 1981, the originally-intended feature-length animated film eventually made to television, just one year later in 1982.)
  • The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (footage from the TV series and it's specials were complied into three respective direct-to-video animated films Seasons of Giving, A Very Merry Pooh Year and Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie)
  • The Night Stalker
  • The Pink Panther (short film special episode, Driving Mr. Pink)
  • Recess (Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street, Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade and Recess: All Growed Down, Taking the Fifth Grade was originally conceived as the basis for the seventh and final season of the TV series, but when Disney abruptly concluded the series with no proper ending, the story was hastily retooled into the series finale direct-to-video and made-for-TV film of said name)
  • Rocket Power
  • The Saint
  • Simon & Simon (TV movie pilot and reunion episode, Pirate's Key (1978) and In Trouble Again (1995), respectively)
  • The Six Million Dollar Man
  • South Park (The three-part episode Imaginationland was later complied into an animated direct-to-video film spin-off of said series under the title South Park Imaginationland: The Movie)
  • SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis, SpongeBob's Truth or Square)
  • Starsky & Hutch
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (planned as pilot for Star Trek: Phase II, but reconfigured as a film before production began)
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars
  • The Streets of San Francisco
  • The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (The Suite Life Goes Hollywood)
  • The Suite Life on Deck (Twister)
  • TaleSpin (Plunder and Lightning)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Turtles Forever)
  • The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa (Around the World with Timon & Pumbaa)
  • Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (took place between Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo)
  • Twin Peaks (TV pilot released as a film in Europe)
  • Unfabulous
  • The Untouchables (TV pilot edited into film for theatrical release as The Scarface Mob)
  • Zoey 101

Many other series have released pilots or edited multi-part episodes as films overseas, including The Greatest American Hero and The X-Files.

Read more about this topic:  List Of Films Based On Television Programs

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