One thing that I’m glad to see emerging onto television more though is the horror genre getting a lot of representation, and regardless of my pickiness, I will usually try any horror show that comes around.
Dexter, True Blood, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story…all pretty entertaining shows that reflect our favorite sub-genre. Now, since we no longer live in the ’80s, it’s a little late to hope that some of our favorite horror movies could result in television shows, but a guy can dream, and that’s what you’ll find here, the horror movies that I think would make great TV shows.
The Devil’s Rejects
What the show could be like: A show of The Devil’s Rejects could work in a lot of ways like FX’s Justified. That show has a very unique structure and style from other shows on television. I could see each season of The Devil’s Rejects working with an overall arc. Say, for example, a conflict with Sheriff Wydell, while also having episodes interspersed throughout the show dealing with self-contained and very bizarre stories that only the likes of Rob Zombie could concoct. The characters in this film series are also so rich and unique that there’s a huge wealth of potential material between them, not to mention the entire supporting cast in the films that could translate well into TV “B stories.”
Best case scenario: If this were really going to be a television series, there is no real home for it other than the premium channels where anything goes. I think HBO would pass on it, though certainly brutal and violent enough for the kind of shows they produce, tonally it just wouldn’t fit in among the complex dramas of Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire or Luck. I don’t think it quite fits into the kind of shows that Showtime does either. Although Dexter certainly has a comparable body count to Otis Driftwood, I don’t think the network would be keen on becoming the serial killer channel.” The best home for a Devil’s Rejects show then is, of course, Starz. It would fit in well with the campy but dark Spartacus and could serve as a good lead-in for the struggling series Boss, because we all know how obsessive Devil’s Rejects fans can be (myself included).
From Dusk Till Dawn
What the show could be like: With shows like True Blood and Vampire Diaries feeding the viewers’ desire for vampire fiction and erotica in the same show, I propose a third series to cap off the sub-genre. That being said, From Dusk Till Dawn wouldn’t be as sappy as True Blood or as tame as The Vampire Diaries. It would, of course, be about the notorious Titty Twister strip club, which – for the purposes of the show – should be relocated to Texas (I’ll explain why in a minute). It would deal with the vampire staff and patrons of the bar along with all of the people that happen to walk in not expecting what they’re in for. Moving it to Texas, of course, means that we can not only reintroduce the Gecko brothers, but you could make Michael Parks as Sheriff Earl McGraw a series regular.
Best case scenario: This show would have to be violent and really sexy. I think the best course of action is a home at FX. This show would fit right in with the fan favorite Sons of Anarchy and the rising star American Horror Story. Sure, you can’t do a lot of nudity on basic cable, but there wasn’t a lot of nudity in the original film either, the thing to really worry about is the self-exploding like deaths that the vampires have. But with the little details in the original film, like the different types of vampires and all the character actors, there is a lot of stuff to work with in terms of expansion.
Saw
What the show could be like: I love the Saw films, but I think there is a better way of going about telling that story and doing so in a more sophisticated manner that would make it a lot cooler and approachable to non-fans. The way I see the construction of this show’s style working would be somewhat similar to my personal favorite television show The Wire (I know you are all rolling your eyes now, just bear with me). Working the show around the way the different aspects of the city routinely work and how the Jigsaw killer would affect that work would be an interesting lens through which to view the series. The show could be evenly divided between Jigsaw and his victims, the police investigating the murders, the press trying to adequately report the story, and the hospitals trying to help the victims, the cops and the press. If you think back, characters in the entire series encompass all of those positions so it could work. Now, I’m not saying that you need to get rid of the Rube Goldberg traps or the gore, but if you make the unfolding of the mystery the centerpiece instead of the violence it could lead to a really cool series full of horror, blood, guts, and surprises.
Best case scenario: Much like The Devil’s Rejects, there would be no point in trying to tame the beast that is Saw for cable, so it belongs on a premium network. I think Showtime could handle it because it has the best of both worlds for their two most popular dramas. It could have the horrifying nature and gore of Dexter and it could possess the intricate plot and character drama of Homeland. Another good home for a Saw television show could be Netflix, since with a lot of the original programming their producing seems to be more inclined to thrillers than comedies or lighthearted dramas it could make a good splash.
The Monster Squad
What the show could be like: This one was the hardest for me to think of but when I finally thought of something I really dug the idea. Ready? A cartoon. Yes. The cast of children are already caricatured enough that they would translate well into cartoon form and plus who doesn’t like the idea of animated versions of the Universal monsters? Thematically though, I think the show would deal with them besting the various monsters individually before the monsters turn around and join forces like they do at the beginning in the film. Plus, there’s a whole litter of potential monsters from older films that aren’t even touched on in the movie: the Phantom, the Hunchback, the Molemen, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, Mr. Hyde…I could go on. I think the tone of the cartoon would be akin to the Scooby-Doo shows, which when I was a kid were both funny and could be quite scary at times.
Best case scenario: I would make the bet that this would survive best on Cartoon Network. If it didn’t work out as a kid’s show because kid’s aren’t into it, the only thing stopping it from being a show on the Adult Swim block is the genius Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole. In that case another good home could be IFC, it fits into the kind of niche programming that they’ve cultivated and trust me if there was a cartoon about classic monsters on every week I guarantee horror fans would eat it up.
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
What the show could be like: This show could be a really awesome Monster of the Week affair on television because of it’s dependence on rarely used monsters and entirely original creatures. There could be overall mythology about how the monsters got out, but every week you would see Jack battle the monsters with his plumbing tools and smarmy quips, making for great entertainment. In future seasons you could detail his training as a monster hunter with the tribe and then his journey back into the real world with his newly enhanced monster hunting skills. This show could serve as a nice oppositional piece to Supernatural. While Supernatural does have its share of gore and humor, Jack Brooks could be like a real life South Park with monsters from hell.
Best case scenario: This is the toughest decision, since I don’t want to repeat any of the answers I’ve already given. I think it could be good for a show like this to end up on TBS or TNT only because there isn’t any programming on those networks that is like this show at all. If you get the horror fanbase on your side then you could see bumps in viewership for the rest of the programming, because I’m willing to bet most people, like myself, or more likely to try another show on a channel that one of their favorites already resides.
Obviously the movie to television market isn’t as sought after a transition as it once was, but I think with capable hands behind a program (and the market’s desire for more horror shows) a horror film turned television series could be a really cool change of pace for some networks. What films do you want to see turned into TV shows? Let us know below!
You can follow Spencer on Twitter at @ScarySpencer.
