Can you guess what these TV shows are based on?

Were these classic series adapted from books, comics, movies or even other TV shows?

 

It’s rare to encounter any art that is truly original, but that isn’t a bad thing. Some of the best songs are covers and some of the best movies got their stories from books.

The same goes for television. There are many shows that existed in other forms first but truly came into their own on TV.

Here are 12 shows that were adapted from many different mediums. Can you guess where the inspiration for each series came from?

  1. The first iteration of this courtroom classic started as a...
  2. This iconic sitcom is based on...
  3. What was this Eighties favorite adapted from?
  4. What was this long-running Western based on?
  5. Earl Hamner Jr. based this show on his real life. What was Hamner’s first creation inspired by his childhood?
  6. Buck Rogers has been seen in almost every medium but was first introduced to the world in…
  7. The first iteration of this classic series was a...
  8. This Western was inspired by...
  9. This early sitcom was adapted from...
  10. The first iteration of this small-town drama was a...
  11. This sitcom started life as a...
  12. This nostalgic series was created from...

Can you guess what these TV shows are based on?

Your Result...

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156 Comments

Adamtwelvia 3 months ago
I did better than I thought! 9 out of 10. Not bad
Pastorbey 6 months ago
11 out of 12. For number 5, I knew the pre-Waltons movie, Spencer's Mountain (1963), was also inspired by the childhood of Earl Hamner Jr., but I did not know that there was a book that preceded it.
Oldielover 35 months ago
7/12....Legit didn't know the ones I missed,and I always cringe with fear when faced with a Waltons guess!...lol!
RichLorn 35 months ago
9/12
Two mistakes were carelessness from rushing thru. The third was a legit Happy Days gotcha.
paulat0805 35 months ago
Wow!! Just read further on in the comments for this quiz ie Happy Days - Love American Style - American Graffiti. What a well informed bunch of readers! Thanks for the info!
paulat0805 35 months ago
9 out of 12 Surprised by #12 though. I always assumed that Happy Days was inspired by the film American Graffiti
Moverfan paulat0805 35 months ago
I kind of doubt it. Love, American Style ran in the sixties while American Graffiti came out in 1972. The print ads included the question "Where were you in '62?", which I always thought was kind of stupid--mainly because I was born in 1962.
2103634076 35 months ago
Only missed 3. That’s rare air for me. Who cared about big ranches when we had hippies n swingers those days.
WordsmithWorks 35 months ago
11/12. Missed # 5. Thought it was a TV movie first.
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