10 Films You Didn’t Realise Became TV Shows

When discussions of greatest films of all time crop up, more often than not, Casablanca is near the top of the list. Not only did it win a number of awards, but it may just be one of the most quoted film's of all time. It should therefore come as no surprise that there have been several attempts to bring it to television screens over the years, resulting in two poorly received series.

The first of the adaptations was released in 1955, created to serve as a prequel to the film. Warner Bros. were hoping they had an instant hit on their hands to help boost their venture into producing small screen productions. A number of the films minor characters were brought back for prominent roles, replacing Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman with little known actors. Instead of the hit they were hoping for, the revived Casablanca only managed to last 10 episodes before it was cancelled.

The second attempt came three decades after the last series in 1983. After ABC's failure, it was NBC’s turn to take a crack at bringing it to the small screen, this time with Starsky and Hutch star, David Soul in the lead role. Like the 50s series, this too served as a prequel, set roughly a year before the events of the film. By the 80s, Casablanca was a bonafide classic, so not even Hutch himself could save the show, and it was cancelled after only five poorly received episodes.