10 Terrible TV Adaptations Of Classic Films (That Everybody Forgot About)
8. Ferris Bueller
Adaptation Of – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Another one of the most iconic 1980s teen films is 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which rivals the Breakfast Club for the accolade of being John Hughes’ most iconic film.
It is not without its controversy, with nostalgia seemingly overriding the fact that Matthew Broderick’s titular character is clearly a manipulative sociopath and that the presence of Jeffrey Jones interacting with children as the buffoonish villain Mr. Rooney is rather awkward given his later sex offences.
The 1990/91 television adaptation served as a prequel, albeit a fourth-wall breaking one that saw new Ferris, Charlie Schlatter, destroy a carboard cut-out of Broderick and proclaim his dislike of the film. Though this was a fairly innovative idea, it didn’t translate to screen well and ratings swiftly declined with each passing week, though it was given the benefit of the doubt to air the entirety of its thirteen-episode first season before being canned.
Most of these revolved around Ferris outwitting Mr. Rooney (now played by journeyman actor Richard Riehle) in some way, with little to no actual plot development. Today the series is most known for being the show on which a then-21 year old Jennifer Anniston made her name in situational comedy before Friends came along, with no actual redeeming features to warrant it not being confined to obscurity.