LittleBigPicture: movies you didn't know had TV spin-offs

Out Of Sight



Spin-offs should take the characters we loved on the screen, and evolve them; carry on their adventures, and at the same time overcome obstacles and grow. You know, TV stuff. Spin-offs should not just lift scenes straight from the movie and do them badly.

Karen Sisco was the TV cousin of Out Of Sight, starring Carla Gugino in the role made famous by J.Lo [Now there's something you don't hear every day - Ed]. But Karen Sisco was different to its fellow list-mates, as it had a real shot at success. There are plenty of cop shows on telly, which hints that the basic format would have been a winner, and there aren't that many cop shows with lead female protagonists - another box ticked.

As always, the networks let a potentially good show down with regular time-slot shifts and long unexplained hiatuses. In the end, only 10 episodes were ever made, and Karen Sisco was out of sight once again. I'll get my coat.

Once again, yes that is Patrick Dempsey. Busy man.
Serpico



Serpico is the most surprising insect under this particular rock of TV lore. I can't understand who thought this would make a good TV series? The movie is fantastic, as I'm sure is the book, but there is only one real storyline here - Frank Serpico goes undercover to expose corruption in the force, gets shot in the face, and still gets the baddies.

That's the whole thing, and because it's based on a true story, a film and a book, you know what the eventual outcome is going to be. Where's the episodic draw in that? TV has to pull you back every week, enticing you with intelligent stories and surprises (see Mad Men aka The Greatest Show Ever&atrade;).

The film is two hours of tension as you delve into Frank's world of subterfuge and danger; the TV show was 13 episodes of DAVID BIRNEY travelling around New York like Sir Digby Chicken Caesar. Warning, the series intro is for Adults Only! Avert your eyes if you are a minor - there are indecent repeated flashcuts and the molesting of a CPR dummy.

Crash



This one isn't actually that bad. In fact, it got a second series and people are saying not awful things about it. I just didn't know it existed, and therefore it qualifies for the list. Poor show ,Starz network. Also, poor network name choice.

More inspired by the film than a direct sequel to it, Crash centres around the lives of various LA citizens as they go about their gritty, moral morass-laden lives.

As in the film, there is a lot of racial tension, harassed-looking women and cops who deserve a severe beating. It's been received quite well by both the people who have seen it, and should I ever stumble upon it, I'd give it a couple of episodes to make its mark. Looks like something to watch on a Thursday or Sunday. Dennis Hopper stars as record producer Ben Cendars, and Eric Roberts joined in series two to make it double awesome.