"Bored to Death" may have been canceled last year, but the story might get a satisfying conclusion in the form of a TV movie. The HBO comedy starring Ted Danson, Jason Schwartzman, and Zach Galifianakis might get a 90-minute film send-off to bring the story to an end, according to Vulture and The Hollywood Reporter.
If the "Bored to Death" movie deal goes through, the series would join a long line of TV programs that concluded with a feature film or made-for-TV movie. Here are some other beloved TV series that got their grand finale in the form of a film.
"Firefly"
Probably one of the great examples of a TV show getting new life as a movie, "Firefly" was a sci-fi series that aired on Fox for just a single season. After cancellation, this Joss Whedon project grew a devoted fan following, prompting Whedon to continue the story in the feature film "Serenity." Still played at midnight movies and film festivals years after its initial theatrical release, "Serenity" helped to build interest in the franchise, which now also includes novels, comic books, apparel, and statues.Not all movie continuations are well-received by fans. Case in point: the short-lived Showtime series "Dead Like Me," which ran for only two seasons. The direct-to-DVD movie "Dead Like Me: Life After Death" was generally considered a disappointment by fans. The beloved character Rube didn't make an appearance, Daisy's original actress bowed out, Der Waffle Haus burned to the ground, and the new boss of the Reapers was utterly unlikeable. While the Reggie-George part of the movie was quite moving, it's a bad sign when two of the main cast members can't (or won't) return to make the movie.
Debuting four years after the series ended, the "Sex and the City" movie chronicled Carrie and Big's rocky road to married life. The movie did so well at the box office that it got a sequel of its own, which sent the girls halfway around the world to Abu Dhabi.
"Star Trek: The Next Generation"
After the series ended in 1994, it seemed like Jean-Luc Picard's story was over. But later that year, the first feature film featuring the "TNG" cast debuted. "Star Trek: Generations" did very well at the box office, and three more "TNG" films debuted in theaters after that. This shouldn't be surprising: The original "Star Trek" series followed the same path, with six feature films featuring the original cast (and some of the original series cast also appearing in "Generations" alongside the "TNG" cast). The most recent film inspired by the original "Star Trek" cast came out in 2009 and featured Leonard Nimoy, an original series cast member.
