10 Movies Based On TV Shows We’d Like To See Before "Veronica Mars"

The crowdsourced Veronica Mars movie is looking like a sure thing, but there are so many contenders more deserving of the big-screen treatment.

1. “Party Down”

Veronica Mars showrunner Rob Thomas had another brilliant-but-canceled series with Party Down. While the former might have a louder fanbase, Party Down was a solid show from start to finish, with a fantastic cast and character interaction that could really benefit from further exploration.

Image by Starz

2. “Terriers”

Rarely has a series been able to find such a perfect blend of gritty and charming. Much credit goes to Terriers leads Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James. The FX show was beloved by critics but largely ignored by audiences. A more explicit big-screen adaptation could bring fresh eyes to a great team-up.

Image by FX

3. “Carnivale”

HBO’s bizarre series crammed a lot of weird into two seasons. The show never reached full potential, perhaps because its creator had far bigger plans than two seasons could contain. While a movie likely wouldn’t be able to tie up all loose ends, it could at least answer some of our burning questions. Please?

Image by HBO

4. “Dirty Sexy Money”

Laugh it up, but if you didn’t watch Dirty Sexy Money, you missed out on one of TV’s sharpest guilty pleasures. Although the show may have faltered a bit in the second season, the characters were always strong. Just imagine the trouble the Darling family could get into without network constraints.

Image by ABC

5. “Undeclared”

When it comes to Judd Apatow’s TV productions, Freaks and Geeks gets all the love. But how can we forget sweet, funny Undeclared? Between the two, Undeclared lends itself better to a movie adaptation. It always felt unfinished while Freaks and Geeks is kind of perfect as is. Or just make both movies — I wouldn’t be opposed.

Image by FOX

6. “Pushing Daisies”

Imagine someone like Tim Burton taking on the wacky, candy-colored world of Pushing Daisies. This quirky series combined murder mysteries, bringing back dead people back to life, and pie. There was also singing and big production elements that frankly deserve to be showcased on a larger screen. Finally, Lee Pace in all his glory!

Image by ABC

7. “Sports Night”

Before The Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin made this funnier (and better) behind-the-scenes show. Even though it began with a laugh track, the series was never limited by its form and continued to develop and expand as it progressed. It would be nice to find out what the Sports Night team is up to over a decade later.

Image by ABC

8. “Swingtown”

The ’60s and ’80s are well represented, but what about the ’70s, as seen in sexual revolution drama Swingtown? This series was never really given its due, and with a cast of highly underrated performers, a movie could be exactly what we need to bring the ’70s back. Or at least swinging and key parties.

Image by CBS

9. “The Class”

What an amazing cast: Jason Ritter, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lucy Punch, and a slew of other hilarious character actors who made this class reunion story worthwhile. The cinematic treatment could make The Class a true classic, along the lines of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. Yeah, I said classic.

Image by CBS

10. “Action”

When you think of industry-based dark comedy, you probably think of Entourage. And that’s a bummer because Action was the superior series. This was an edgy and subversive series that was perhaps a little bit before its time. All the reason it deserves a resurrection: I’m pretty sure we can take it now.

Image by FOX