3 cult films that gave a completely unsuccessful series

The border

Released in 2011, Limitless was a well scripted surprise and a public success. It stars Bradley Cooper and is directed by Neil Burger, adapted from the novel by Alan Glynn. It was the story of Eddie, a complicated writer who discovers a drug that allows him to use his brain to its fullest potential. Then he becomes a different person and knows fame until no one wonders where all his talent comes from.

The series follows the same premise, swapping the writer for a musician and occasionally bringing back Bradley Cooper to play Eddie.

Instead of fully exploiting the potential of such a drug on the individual and his life, the series Limitless (2015) lazily relies on the classic “procedural”, namely “one investigation per episode”. The drug simply serves the hero to more effectively solve the cases he is assigned by the FBI. The network will cancel the project after 22 episodes.

Conan

It’s 1997, Kevin Sorbo has been a hit on Hercules for two years now, and the big boys are all the rage on TV. Perhaps that’s partly why Steve Hayes (to whom we already owed Tarzan) offers the fantastic Conan series, adapted by Robert E. From Howard’s novels and films, Conan the Barbarian / Conan the Destroyer with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Ralph Moeller, Schwarzenegger’s friend and two-time winner of the title of “Mr. Universe” is assigned the main role. Despite its desire to do well, and the fact that it is often based on Howard’s original stories, the series struggles with a lack of medium and a lack of charisma for its main cast.

The acting is often woeful, contributing to the non-engagement of viewers, except perhaps young viewers who are innocent of the glaring flaws of a series that only lasted one season.

Police Academy, series

In the same year as Conan, another series adapted from the film appeared on the small screen: Police Academy. After seven theatrical films from 1984 to 1994 and an animated series from 1988 to 1989, it was thought that there was a decline in the “live-action” series. The police, an institution perceived as quite “serious”, is an ideal setting for a sitcom: Brooklyn Nine-Nine or Police Squad are good examples of the genre.

Following the rhythm of the school years as the seasons progressed was a good idea to start with. Where Police Academy fails is that the level of gags is very low, the level of the last films in the saga or even worse. The series isn’t funny, none of the characters are really likable, and the scripts fit like subway tickets.

After only one year of existence, it will disappear from the screens.