15 recent films that would make great TV shows

Television. There was a time when things were more challenging. One big, heavy square box in your living room that possessed four channels which required you to get up from your seat and press a button to take you from one to another. Tough times.

That was a very long time ago. Now, TV sets come in various designs and sizes with gizmos and gadgets attached at your request. The memory of four channels is almost ludicrous now considering the hundreds at our beckon call nowadays. We've never had it so good.

In a time when we depended on The Sopranos and The Wire we can now finish one series knowing that another or three are just waiting for us on our various devices. Game Of Thrones, Better Call Saul, Hannibal, Banshee, Mad Men, House Of Cards and so on and so on.

But television-land may have missed out over the last 15 years on some films that would have equally been at home, if not improved on the small screen, as they were at your nearest cinema.

It's 2015 and a golden age for TV. Here are 15 recent films that could make your need to binge-watch even greater and enhance your boxed set collection to a potentially shelf shattering size.

The Way Of The Gun (2000)

“For the record I’ll call myself Mr. Parker. My associate will be Mr. Longbaugh.” A line from Christopher McQuarrie’s criminally underrated directorial debut, The Way Of The Gun there. It would have been a fitting intro to every episode featuring two gun-toting, wisecracking outlaws who will do anything to get a buck. The drifters' adventures could have taken them across America in their own uniquely comical yet violent manner; robbing, kidnapping and fighting their way to whatever was to be their final destination. An episode dedicated to their back story would be worth its weight in gold.

Unbreakable (2000)

Unbreakable was unfinished, for some, when it was released 15 years ago, hence the bubbling news of a potential sequel ever since. The character of David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis, had untapped potential. If Elijah Price was just the beginning, then who else did Dunn have to face off against to protect his family and the rest of society? Just stay away from the water, Dave.

Narc (2002)

Cop dramas are ten-a-penny and only a few stand out. Narc showed enough in 105 mins to suggest that the character of undercover narc Nick Tellis (played originally by Jason Patric) would’ve been an unflinching telly tale with every week a case as dark as the individual himself, all the while haunted by his actions in the film’s opening scene, and their tragic consequences. Flashbacks would be in abundance as would be scenes of Tellis’ mental self-torture. I can’t help but think David Tennant would’ve been perfect for the role.

Anchorman (2004)

An Anchorman TV show could have a lot of fun making a mockery of the age of the 24-hour news channel. The Newsroom, 30 Rock, and Veep have all done a great job of satirising contemporary news and politics with the help of their own superb casts. A TV series of Anchorman could follow suit, and do it to the tune of "My Way." Imagine Ron Burgundy meeting Eamonn Holmes or Katie Couric? What would happen if Brick had children?

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

This love story could’ve ridden waves and swept up awards annually had it made to tellyland. It's a candidate for HBO and AMC quality drama if ever there was one. Imagine this decades-crossing tale in the hands of Mad Men's Matthew Weiner and co. Two good ol' American cowboys falling in love over 36 to 60 episodes whilst America changed around them? The only wonder is that we haven't seen this done yet.

The Matador (2005)

A globetrotting hitman with a fondness for a drink and a soft spot for crestfallen individuals? Sign me up. Julian Noble, played by Pierce Brosnan in Richard Shepard's black comedy, has potential written all over him. Men would want to be him, women would want to... you know the rest. Imagine Bob Odenkirk as one of the softies Noble can’t help but offer a helping hand. Priceless.

Zodiac (2007)

If they can turn Hannibal over to the small screen they could have achieved the same with David Fincher's Zodiac. A build-up season delving into the lives of Dave Toschi, Paul Avery, Robert Graysmith and the weird criminal underbelly of San Francisco. As for season two? Well, just watch Hannibal for an idea of how things could develop.

Cloverfield (2008)

We've been asking where the sequel to Cloverfield is for years now. How about it arriving in the form of a TV series? The show could be all about the aftermath and what was left of the city and its survivors. The hand-held footage trick might get old quickly in an extended series, but the combination of a post-attack city and the possibility of more rampaging monsters across the United States and beyond is too good to pass up.

J. J Abrams would obviously get an Executive Producer credit, he hasn’t had one of those in a while.

The Wrestler (2008)

What was life like for Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson before his life hit the skids of small-town wrestling? The life of a high profile pro-wrestler who succumbs to temptation could be mesmerising over a few seasons. Just picture the cameos from the world of WWE for starters.

Whip It (2009)

A small town roller derby league Whip It TV series would bring in a mix of the dramatic, the tearful, the funny and the sexy. See? Something for everyone. The writers would have a ball introducing new team and character names alongside the likes of ‘Eva Destruction’. Jimmy Fallon would have to reappear from time to time as ‘Hot Tub’ Johnny Rocket, of course.

The Losers (2010)

A modern day A-Team without the montages of shopping trollies being turned into tanks. I can hear the intro for The Losers' TV series now: "A former elite Special Forces team left for dead..." It wouldn’t stretch the imagination but for every dark corner of television we need a light corner too. Cars, explosions, fights, one-liners… now that's a plan I'd love to come together.

Chronicle (2012)

A Josh Trank and Max Landis-less Chronicle sequel is currently in the works at Fox, but should that not come to fruition, a TV series would be a fitting solution. What would have happened to Matt Garetty in the aftermath of the traumatic events involving him and Andrew Detmer at the hospital? Who would he have encountered? What other powers would he have gained? There's the potential for a long-running story here.

Jack Reacher (2012)

This is one of the more obvious candidates. Whilst the 2012 incarnation of Lee Child's Jack Reacher made for a more enjoyable film than it was given credit for, producers missed a trick by not stretching it out over a few seasons. The material is already there in abundance and the main character seems such a perfect fit for the small screen. Maybe a show could even cast a lead whose attributes actually matched those of the book's main character?

Lawless (2012)

Families on the wrong side of the law are no stranger to the small screen, so how about turning the Bondurants' tales of crime, bootlegging and brotherhood in the 1930s into a small-screen saga? Now that Boardwalk Empire has concluded, a Lawless TV series could be the very thing to fill the gap it left behind. The explosive character of Forrest Bondurant, if correctly cast, would have had the potential to be one of the most memorable antiheroes of our time. And let’s not forget the three brothers forging relationships with the likes of gangsters such as ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Moore.

Locke (2013)

What would have happened after Ivan Locke reached the hospital? The format limitations of Locke (one man, one car) may not scream TV potential, but this was a story with only one layer peeled away. An in-car scene with Ivan talking to us and his father could be the turning point for every episode.