TV movies and series episodes that played in theaters? (1 Viewer)

[Vic Pardo]

I thought I’d post this here rather than in Movies because there’s a greater degree of knowledge about TV shows in this forum.

I’m looking to make lists of TV movies and TV series episodes that played in theaters as movies, i.e. distributed and booked as self-contained movies.

The first list will be actual TV material that had already played on TV before being released as movies, either expanded single episodes or two-part episodes combined into one or TV movies/ pilot episodes. A good example would be the movies made out of “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” episodes and released by MGM, e.g. TO TRAP A SPY (the pilot episode), THE SPY WITH MY FACE and ONE SPY TOO MANY.

I should stress that I’m NOT looking for original movies that were spin-offs of TV series, like the color DRAGNET movie made in 1954 or the two color LONE RANGER movies made in 1956 and 1958, or MUNSTERS GO HOME or THE NUDE BOMB (“Get Smart”) or the two X-FILES movies that were released theatrically in 1998 and 2008. None of these included footage shot for TV (as far as I know).

The second list will be made-for-TV material that never ran on TV but went to movie theaters first, e.g. pilot episodes or TV movies that were deemed theater-worthy, like Don Siegel’s THE KILLERS (1964), starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes and Ronald Reagan, a Universal made-for-TV movie which was considered too violent for TV and was shown in theaters instead.

I will supply lists of what I have already compiled in my next post, so as not to clutter this one up.

 

[Vic Pardo]

TV productions released to theaters as movies AFTER being shown on TV:

Rocky Jones Space Ranger feature compilations: CRASH OF THE MOONS (1954), BEYOND THE MOON (1956), MENACE FROM OUTER SPACE (1956)
DAVY CROCKETT, KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER (1955) – compiled from “Davy Crockett” episodes that ran on the Disneyland TV show.
DAVY CROCKETT AND THE RIVER PIRATES (1956) – compiled from “Davy Crockett” episodes that ran on the Disneyland TV show.
THE SCARFACE MOB (1962 – The Untouchables pilot, which ran on TV on Desilu Playhouse as a two-parter in 1959)
SERGEANT RYKER (1968) - Originally two episodes of “Kraft Suspense Theatre” ("The Case Against Paul Ryker," Oct, 10 & 17, 1963) Starring Lee Marvin, Bradford Dillman, Peter Graves.
THIS SAVAGE LAND (1968) edited from “The Road West” (1966)
LOST FLIGHT (1970) TV movie shown in theaters, but IMDB says it was shown on TV first.
BRIAN’S SONG (1971) – TV movie later shown in theaters
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (1978) – the pilot episode, a TV movie, released to theaters.
Plus: theatrical movies compiled from “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” episodes (there were more but these are the ones I recall being released in New York theaters):
TO TRAP A SPY (1966)
ONE OF OUR SPIES IS MISSING (1966)
ONE SPY TOO MANY (1966)
THE SPY WITH MY FACE (1966)

TV productions that were made for TV but shown in theaters instead:

PROJECT MOON BASE (1953) – TV pilot for a sci-fi show that got released to theaters instead.
TARZAN AND THE TRAPPERS (1958) – Gordon Scott as Tarzan in three proposed TV episodes that were instead strung together and released as a b&w feature.
HERCULES AND THE PRINCESS OF TROY (1965) – Gordon Scott in a proposed pilot produced by Joseph E. Levine for a series that never got picked up; this 47-minute film was shown in theaters instead.
THE KILLERS (1964) Made-for-TV movie deemed too violent by Universal and shipped off to theaters rather than prime-time TV.
MULHOLLAND DR (2001) – Not sure how much of this was originally shot for TV and how much was shot later.

Any others that you can think of? There must be millions I've forgotten.

I'd like to leave out European productions for the time being (or keep those to a separate list) because that list would go on forever. Although a history of those would be valuable at some point.

I'm also leaving out things like Spielberg's DUEL (1971) which was shown on TV in the U.S. but in theaters in Europe. There were lots like that.

Thanks.

 

[Bob Gu]

I can point you to a few more TV series where episodes were edited together for theatrical release:ADVENTURES OF SUPERMANADVENTURES OF WILD BILL HICKOKTHE BARONTHE SAINTPLANET OF THE APESCONFLICT (episodes shown in UK theaters as second features)I don't know, off hand, how many "movies" were made or the number of individual episodes were involved. I included The Saint and The Baron since both series were targeted for U.S. consumption. THE PERSUADERS had a couple also. Some of the U.S. TV compilations may have been for export only.In the nineties THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD had two or more colorized with new music and sound effects features made. A colorized WYATT EARP TV feature was shown on CBS around that time also, made by the same company.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Just checking - are you interested in things like the special cinema screenings of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode "The Day Of The Doctor", that screened simultaneously with (or within a day or two of) the initial TV screening? http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/guinness-world-record-for-the-day-of-the-doctor

If so, there were also similar screenings of "Deep Breath", the first episode of the most recent season. (Deep Breath actually screened in cinema in 2.35:1 - the episode was filmed protected for both aspect ratios).

Both of these first two were extended-length episodes.

I have also attended special one-off screenings of double-features of earlier episodes ("The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon", and "Asylum of the Daleks/The Angels Take Manhattan"), but they were months or years after the episodes aired, and I'm not sure how widespread they were. These were also straight screenings of the episodes as aired on TV; the "Astronaut" two-parter wasn't edited together, and there were even "Next Time" previews, either for the episode we were about to watch, or for an episode we would have to go home to watch.

I also remember hearing about screenings of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes that promoted the Blu-Ray releases, but I don't have any more information about those.

I'm not sure which of these meets what you're after - the special event nature of these may mean that none of them do - but I thought I would let you know, just in case.

 

[Ejanss]

TV productions released to theaters as movies AFTER being shown on TV:

DAVY CROCKETT, KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER (1955) – compiled from “Davy Crockett” episodes that ran on the Disneyland TV show.
DAVY CROCKETT AND THE RIVER PIRATES (1956) – compiled from “Davy Crockett” episodes that ran on the Disneyland TV show.

In fact, since they were shot on film, most multi-episode Disney miniseries found their way to the theater, arguably the other best known being Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow.
Episodes from the "lost" third season of Zorro, after Walt had disputes with ABC before airing, also ended up edited into a feature.

Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo also had long multi-episode arcs that were edited into features for the kiddy-matinee circuit, one anthology, one for Robin Hood and one for Snow White, not counting the theatrical reissues of Christmas Carol.

TV productions that were made for TV but shown in theaters instead:

Richard Pryor: Here and Now shows fuzzy blown-up signs of being shot on videotape for HBO, but was released to theaters a year after the success of Live on the Sunset Strip.

THE KILLERS (1964) Made-for-TV movie deemed too violent by Universal and shipped off to theaters rather than prime-time TV.

(Does the X-Files script that became Final Destination count?)

 

[jperez]

The only two Danger Man episodes filmed in color were combined into a movie, Koroshi (1968), when star Patrick McGoohan decided not to continue the series and proceeded with his next project, The Prisoner. The two episodes only had in common the fact that the action transpired in Japan, but I remember that there was a weak attempt to join both storylines with the filming of a new scene where one character explains the relation between both stories. From what I've read, though, the movie was only shown on television.

 

[Wayne_j]

The Series 2 Doctor Who episodes Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel were also recently shown as a Fathom Event.

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

A two-part episode of Daniel Boone titles "The High Cumberland" was released theatrically as "Daniel Boone, Trail Rider".

 

[Carabimero]

Selected episodes from Star Trek: The Next Generation played in theaters My favorite: The Best of Both Worlds. Datalore and Where No One Has Gone Before were also among those episodes that played theatrically.


And might I just add, The Best of Both Worlds (made for TV) is the best TNG movie I ever saw in the theater.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Just checking - are you interested in things like the special cinema screenings of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode "The Day Of The Doctor", that screened simultaneously with (or within a day or two of) the initial TV screening? http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/guinness-world-record-for-the-day-of-the-doctor


If so, there were also similar screenings of "Deep Breath", the first episode of the most recent season. (Deep Breath actually screened in cinema in 2.35:1 - the episode was filmed protected for both aspect ratios).


Both of these first two were extended-length episodes.


I have also attended special one-off screenings of double-features of earlier episodes ("The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon", and "Asylum of the Daleks/The Angels Take Manhattan"), but they were months or years after the episodes aired, and I'm not sure how widespread they were. These were also straight screenings of the episodes as aired on TV; the "Astronaut" two-parter wasn't edited together, and there were even "Next Time" previews, either for the episode we were about to watch, or for an episode we would have to go home to watch.


I also remember hearing about screenings of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes that promoted the Blu-Ray releases, but I don't have any more information about those.


I'm not sure which of these meets what you're after - the special event nature of these may mean that none of them do - but I thought I would let you know, just in case.

I believe the 1978 TV movie KIss Meets the Phantom of the Park was also 2.35:1, shown on US TV screens in full frame and overseas in theaters presumably in its 'Scope format which is also how it's presented on DVD, in one of their Kisstory box-sets.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Two theatrical features were compiled from Space: 1999. Destination Moonbase Alpha, which contained the two-part Bringers of Wonder story from Year Two, and Alien Attack, which combined Breakaway and War Games. I know Destination got theatrical runs in the UK at least. I'm not sure whether Attack actually got a run or if it was just compiled for an intended run (both later appeared on TV, though).


A further two compilation movies were put together a couple years later, but both of those were strictly for TV distribution only: Cosmic Princess (containing The Metamorph and Space Warp) and Journey Through the Black Sun (containing Collision Course and Black Sun).


The pilot movie and Chinese Web episodes of the CBS Spider-Man series were released as theatricals outside the US (as Spider-Man and The Chinese Dragon respectively). After the show was picked up and the pilot was tapped for a foreign theatrical, the producers specifically planned to have another feature-length episode they could turn into a feature when word came that they would be renewed for a second season. This is the reason that Chinese Web was not only double-length, but also why it had substantial location filming.


Someone mentioned Battlestar Galactica earlier. There were a further two theatrical features culled from the show, for European distribution, Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack and Conquest of Earth. I don't think the original poster's thread specified whether US theatrical distribution was a requirement of this list or not. If so, I guess all of these I just listed would not qualify.

 

[Gary Seven]

A few Green Hornet episodes were edited together and shown overseas in the 70s.

 

[Kruzer31]

3 episodes from Laredo were edited into Three Guns For Texas released to theaters in 1968.

 

[jperez]

The official release of the 1963-64 drama The Lieutenant, starring Gary Lockwood, includes an expanded version of the last episode, To Kill A Man, which, it seems, with the addition of new scenes and some extra sexuality for European consumption, received a theatrical release in the Old Continent at the time.

 

[Guy Foulard]

I saw the pilot for the late seventies Buck Rogers series in a theater before it aired on TV (1979). It definitely looked like a TV movie, but I didn't mind, because I was 12.

 

[Professor Echo]

A three part episode of THE RAT PATROL, "The Last Harbor Raid," was released as a theatrical film entitled MASSACRE HARBOR.

And I believe the 1960's MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE series also produced a theatrical feature film adapted from a two part episode.

BLUE LIGHT took various episodes and edited them into a feature entitled I DEAL IN DANGER.

 

[ChrisALM]

The Bonanza Season 7 two-part episode, "Ride the Wind" was made into a feature film and was included on the Bonanza Season 7 Volume 2 DVD set. The feature film had small portions that looked unrestored and they really stood out. Still nice to have it included though.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

I saw the pilot for the late seventies Buck Rogers series in a theater before it aired on TV (1979). It definitely looked like a TV movie, but I didn't mind, because I was 12.

So did I and as you say, I enjoyed it as well. It has a few differences from the TV version (each version has small amount of footage not contained in the other), but yes, this TV project, atypically, was sent to theatres before the TV premiere, rather than after the show had ended.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

And just today there has been a announcement that the final two episodes of season 4 of Game of Thrones will screen in IMAX cinemas (along with a season 5 preview).

http://www.slashfilm.com/game-of-thrones-imax/

 

[Ejanss]

Two theatrical features were compiled from Space: 1999. Destination Moonbase Alpha, which contained the two-part Bringers of Wonder story from Year Two, and Alien Attack, which combined Breakaway and War Games. I know Destination got theatrical runs in the UK at least. I'm not sure whether Attack actually got a run or if it was just compiled for an intended run (both later appeared on TV, though).


A further two compilation movies were put together a couple years later, but both of those were strictly for TV distribution only: Cosmic Princess (containing The Metamorph and Space Warp) and Journey Through the Black Sun (containing Collision Course and Black Sun).

Many 60's-70's series were edited down to "features" for TV reruns (before the next person mentions the Planet of the Apes: the Series movies), when the series was either too short/unsuccessful, or couldn't be syndicated for other reasons--including Kolchak, Cliffhangers, the one-hour season of Twilight Zone, etc.--but that doesn't mean they ever played theaters.

Not sure if "Koroshi", the two-part color season of Danger Man/Secret Agent that never happened, ever played theaters, but it falls into that category.