There comes a time for many television shows when the small screen just isn't large enough anymore. Certain stories are epic enough that they need the full force of Hollywood behind them. When that happens, a few good shows make the jump to the big screen. Sadly, not all of them land on their metaphorical feet. But there are a handful of TV shows that have found great success in theaters.

In honor of the DVD and Blu-ray release of The A-Team this week, we're looking at the best of these TV shows-turned-movies. From the best of the Star Trek films to the Muppets invading Manhattan, these are all examples of how to do the transition properly.

Yes, this might be the sequel to the original Addams Family TV-to-movie adaptation, but Values is faaaar superior to its predecessor. With a killer script, an infinitely quotable Wednesday Addams (Christina Ricci) and a blissful lack of MC Hammer, Values was able to capture the fun, macabre spirit that the first film couldn't.Also, story-wise, we were able to actually enjoy Christopher Lloyd's Fester, whereas in the first movie he was simply an imposter the entire time. Joan Cusack, Peter McNichol, Christine Baranski, David Krumholtz, Nathan Lane and more lent their talented selves to this twisted tale of a murderous nanny who sends Wednesday and Pugsley to the frighteningly chipper Camp Chippewa, after they discover her plot to marry Uncle Fester and murder him for his fortune.: Why are you dressed like somebody died?: Wait.







Before Batman Begins, this animated theatrical release (based on The Animated Series) was the Dark Knight's best big screen story. And some fans can still make the argument that it is the best ever made. While we might not make that argument ourselves, we can understand why a few brave fanboys would.Bruce Wayne's past takes center stage as Batman must stop a new rogue on the block, Phantasm, from killing Gotham's local mob population. The crimes and the perpetrator are connected to Bruce's first – and last – shot at true love, a relationship he was willing to give up the cowl for if it meant he could be happy. So it's a comedy, clearly.Tragedy and Batman are meant to be together, and when you throw Mark Hamill's Joker into the mix, you have one of the most heartfelt and dramatically satisfying stories DC has ever told. The Phantasm is a great nemesis, and the reveal of who is behind the mask is both surprising and justified. The climax, set at an abandoned Gotham Worlds Fair ground, is truly epic and, moreover, violent as hell.With his films, Nolan nailed who the Dark Knight is. But Phantasm did it first.

"A murdered wife. A one-armed man. An obsessed detective. The chase begins."A perfect tagline for a perfect movie, The Fugitive reminds us why Dr. Richard Kimble's search for the man who brutally murdered his wife - and the U.S. Marshall on Kimble's trail - works so well. The good guys and bad guys are clearly defined, the stakes are life and death and the tension is always high as we watch Harrison Ford's Kimble go on the run to prove his innocence.Director Andrew Davis, despite a development process filled with significant script issues, pulls together arguably his best film. (It may even be Harrison Ford's last "great" movie.) As good as director and leading man, it's Tommy Lee Jones's turn as Sam Girard, the human bloodhound on Kimble's ass, that makes Fugitive that rare film you watch no matter when it is on, from beginning to end. If that wasn't enough praise, it was nominated for Best Picture in 1993 and Jones won the Supporting Actor Oscar.

Jackass is a show dedicated to showcasing a group of buffoons as they subject themselves to one addle-brained and painful stunt after another. Hollywood is a natural next step for the franchise, as bigger budgets lead to even bigger and dumber things flying at (or sharting into) your face. Surprisingly, it was the sequel, and not the original Jackass movie, that proved to be the most entertaining.Jackass: Number Two certainly wasn't lacking in ambition. The film opened with the entire cast fleeing from charging bulls. The ensuing 90 minutes are crammed with plenty more slapstick, male nudity and shopping carts crashing into things than any one thing should contain. You're allowed to feel both disgusted and awesome watching Knoxville and his band of "bad idea" crash test dumbies push the limits of their insurance coverage.The Jackass crew keep things dumb so the rest of America doesn't have to. That doesn't stop a few delusional teens from trying, unfortunately.

Yes, it was confusing when we first saw it too, but that doesn't stop Tom Cruise's first Mission from being one of the genre's smartest and fun outtings.Brian De Palma directs the movie with the feel of a 70s spy flick, as Ethan Hunt swaps face masks to steal the already stolen NOC List, while cartwheeling atop bullet trains and hanging all spy-like in top-secret CIA rooms. David Koepp's screenplay manages to keep the spirit of the show alive, while adding a few switchbacks here and there (and the aforementioned bullet train set piece) to boost up the IMF Team's big-budget action quotient.If M:I makes a misstep, it's in not spending too much time embracing the "team effort" approach to the "This Message Will Explode in 5 Seconds" espionage. We wouldn't get that itch scratched until the third installment. Speaking of...

Some say J.J. Abrams' first feature film feels a bit to "TV" for the big-screen, but we have another idea: No f!@#%$# way. Abrams brings a kinetic energy to some very anamorphic proceedings, providing a very fun and polished mission that follows point-man Ethan Hunt and his team as they search for The Rabbit's Foot - AKA The Anti-God, AKA the worst parts of the Bible encased in the type of thing worth killing for. The killer in question is played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, an unexpected choice who delivers, with his villainy radiating off him like heat as Ethan confronts him for some mid-air, dangling-from-the-cargo-bay interrogation.The attack sequence on a highway bridge, involving rocket-launching aerial drones and Tom Cruise slamming into a Dodge Sratus, is one of the franchise's best moments - right up their with the first film's iconic break-in at Langley. Some say the movie killed the franchise, we say it made it even better. Let's hope Ghost Protocol can carry the torch.