Quote: Chappers @ May 9 2012, 12:48 AM BST

What about Till Death Us Do Part? It was a good story showing Garnet when they were just married and Reet was born and culminating in the 1966 World Cup Final.

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Roy Kinnear as Alf's mate was hilarious.
 

I found it a bit odd at the time I watched it but the gangster film 'Love, Honour and Obey' seems to be half original gangster flick and half film version of 'Operation Good Guys', weird. Not a bad film though.

There are many little remembered film adaptations. 'Father Dear Father', 'Never mind the Quality feel the Width', 'That's Your Funeral', 'For the love of Ada', 'Nearest and Dearest','Man About the House', 'The Likely Lads' etc. Most were awful, some have become interesting curiousities. One of my favourites, although not strictly a spin off, was Dick Emery's 'Ooh You are Awful'.

The Seventies was the heyday of these films, especially after Hammer scored a big success with the 'On The Buses' films. Some, however, like the three Frankie Howerd spin offs, 'Up Pompeii', 'Up the Chastity Belt' and 'Up the Front', according to Ned Sherin the producer, made very little money. Most of these films were critically mauled and found it hard to break out of the thirty minute format, even when the genius of Galton and Simpson was writing them as in the 'Steptoe' films. Thus the laws of diminishing returns put an end to the spin off on the cinema screen. The dearth of really good sitcoms material also didn't help, 'George and Mildred' being one horrific example.

In some cases such was the hunger for material that shows that weren't even that successful got spinoffs; like 'That's Your Funeral' a humdrum sitcom about a funeral parlour starring Bill Fraser and Raymond Huntley that only lasted for one season and wasn't really that popular. It must be said however, that two of the best examples were the last to be made, 'Rising Damp' and 'Porridge'.

In the eighties TV made its own longer specials, 'To Hull and Back' the 'Only Fools and Horses' Christmas Special being the first of many. The same was true of 'Last of the Summer Wine', which started with 'Getting Sam Home'. We may however be seeing a return of the spin off after the success of the 'Inbetweeners', with the dreadful Keith Lemon film out now and a Harry Hill film in the pipeline as well as numerous other comedians working on scripts. But as we know if the quality is not maintained the future won't be bright.

The Young Ones were offered a chance to make a film of the show in the eighties and refused, with hindsight they may have been correct, it is not an easy path to follow and even the most gifted of writers and performers have come unstuck over the years.
 

I look forward to Absolutely Fabulous. I watched The Inbetweeners for the first time a few weeks ago, wasn't as hilarious as everyone made out but still pretty good.
 

Porridge is fantastic!

I didn't realise they'd made films of so many of them till reading this thread.

I recently watched 'For the Love of Ada' film. It was okay - but not as good as the series.

I thought On the Buses movies were all very good - better than the actual TV series in some respects. Dad's Army film was pretty good. Rising Damp film was probably one of the best I've seen, aside from On the Buses. Only criticism of Rising Damp film was it seemed too short to me. It needed some more.

George and Mildred was a bit disappointing - although could have been worse. Are You Being Served was dissapointing in my view.

I once bought a VHS tape of the first series of Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. They'd taken out all the intros and credits and turned it into a movie. That was the best I've seen. It was a decent length and not contrived like so many films.

You may be the only person on the planet who doesn't think that the Rising Damp movie was an abomination, Steve.
 

He's not I love it, and Porridge.
 

Quote: Aaron @ September 17 2012, 11:01 AM BST

You may be the only person on the planet who doesn't think that the Rising Damp movie was an abomination, Steve.

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Really? I didn't know that. It was mainly just scenes from the TV series strung together I thought. Better than coming up with some cliched plot where Rigsby is a double of some big time criminal or they all win a trip to Italy or something.

Rising Damp as you said just took some of the better situations from the series and transposed them to the big screen. It is just such a pleasure watching Rossiter taking centre stage. That lovely scene where he puts his hand in cow muck and keeps sureptitiously keeps sniffing his fingers is comic genius. It's better than trying Rigsby Goes to America or some such nonsense. Let not a word be said against the glorious Rossiter.
 

Quote: Steve Charlie @ September 17 2012, 12:38 PM BST

Really? I didn't know that. It was mainly just scenes from the TV series strung together I thought.

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That's what most people dislike about it. That and the lack of any atmosphere whatsoever. And the sad loss of Beckinsale, of course.
 

The plot twist where Philip turns out not to be an African prince kind of grated.

Many here consider the Porridge film to be a success (at least in comparison to other sitcom/movie translatiions). At least the first third suffers from the same problem as discussed with the Rising Damp movie imo : Scenes and jokes from the show recycled and put into a different contexts.; too many deja vus.
And for me it doesn't feel as a (cinema) movie as well...it feels like a strangely expanded 30 minutes episodes; even the Father Ted Christmas special felt better...part from the dispensable last 6 or 7 minutes. If it wasn't for the wonderful main cast I'd dismiss this film. But every second of that Fletch-Godber-McKay magic is worth the while.
 

Quote: Gordon Bennett @ September 17 2012, 2:47 PM BST

And for me it doesn't feel as a (cinema) movie

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I don't know about that, there is no canned laughter, bigger more expansive sets, and it is filmed using film and not video. I love the Porridge movie, the celebrity football team with no celebrities etc. The only bit that ever grates is Daniel Peacock's character. But as you say any extra helping of Porridge is worth savouring.
 

Quote: Pingl @ September 17 2012, 3:19 PM BST

there is no canned laughter

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Oh let's not have that discussion, please!