7 Great TV Shows That Are Much Better Than The Movies They're Based On

It's not always the case, but sometimes an adaptation is better than the source material. In a world where TV remakes of movies are the entertainment norm, which ones actually worked better than the originals? Here are a few TV shows that are better than the movies they're based on.

'Friday Night Lights' (2006 - 2011)

Even people who have never watched a sporting event in their lives never knew how much they could care about High School Texas football until "Friday Night Lights" came along. The 2004 Peter Berg film of the same name was a solid sports drama, but we have to give it up to Coach Taylor and company and admit that the TV series wins this game.

'Hannibal' (2013 - 2015)

"Silence of the Lambs" is an Oscar-winning classic. 2001's "Hannibal" didn't exactly achieve the same awards success, but its early seasons garnered lots of critical attention for its exceptional dialogue and feature-quality production design. NBC took on Lector's serial killer saga and achieved the right balance of gory slasher and smart psychological thriller for TV. Unfortunately, the series was short-lived and got killed in its third season.

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997 - 2003)

Valley Girl Buffy (Kristy Swanson), like, totally kicked vampire butt in the 1992 b ig screen teenage horror comedy, but the film doesn't really hold a candle to the WB (and then UPN) show. "Buffy"s fight against the evil that surrounded her was the perfect metaphor for the high school experience, and the concept executed with brilliance and wit, due in part to Joss Whedon and a fantastic young cast.

'La Femme Nikita' (1997 - 2001)

Peta Wilson took Luc Besson's 1990 criminal-turned-assassin action flick "Nikita" to the next level when she took on the badass role for TV back in the mid '90s. Maggie Q tried to revive the heroine again in 2010, but The CW's reboot was canceled in its fourth season.

'Westworld' (2016 - Present)

The sci-fi and western genres don't seem like they would mix together so seamlessly, yet somehow HBO's "Westworld"' pulls it off. The android amusement park fantasy land explores the strange, yet fathomable, futuristic possibilities -- all while commenting on humanity, technology, and free will. Many loyal watchers may not even realize its based on Michael Crichton's 1973 drama of the same name.

'Teen Wolf' (2011 - 2017)

This may be a controversial opinion to swallow if you're a superfan of the goofy 1985 original starring Michael J. Fox. But we're willing to guess that viewers of MTV's darker, slicker version won't disagree given the show's massive popularity.

'MAS*H'' (1972 - 1983)

While Robert Altman's 1970 black comedy is a beloved classic, the legacy of CBS's long-running TV series is unparalleled. With a series finale that earned a record-setting audience, and over 100 Emmy nominations, this iconic series still remains one of the most important shows to ever grace the small screen.