Every TV Show Based On A John Hughes Movie, Ranked

John Hughes changed the face of coming-of-age cinema forever. Although he passed away in 2009, his influence is still felt in entertainment today as his movies have become seminal works when it comes to depicting youth onscreen. Despite the late, great filmmaker being best known for teen classics like "The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles," and "Pretty In Pink" — or beloved family films such as "Home Alone," "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" — his success didn't translate as well when his stories made their way onto television.

Several TV shows have attempted to recreate the magic that Hughes brought to the big screen by revisiting some of his most beloved characters. While basically all of them are forgotten sitcoms adapted from hit movies that failed to measure up to their theatrical counterparts, some were better than others. With that in mind, we've ranked every TV show based on a John Hughes movie.

John Candy's not someone who is easily replaced. Yet after "Uncle Buck" became a smash hit when it premiered in theaters in 1989, CBS premiered their own sitcom adaptation the following fall. Rather than bring the original actor back to reprise the role, the network brought on stand-up comedian, Kevin Meaney, to star as the irresponsible bachelor who has to care for his nieces and nephew. But this was merely the first of many strikes against the new series.

The show, created by "Diff'rent Strokes" and "Growing Pains" writer Tim O'Donnell, changed the movie's premise to have Buck's brother and sister-in-law die in a car crash rather than going out of town. The pilot then caused a minor controversy as Buck's young niece, Maizy, says, "You suck!" to him, allegedly marking the first time the phrase (which was moire crass back then than it is today) was said on network television. And finally, Hughes was unhappy with the final results of the series, so he tried to distance himself from it.

While Jennifer Aniston became a household name after playing Rachel Green on the popular sitcom "Friends," she starred in another NBC sitcom just four years earlier. The actress played Jeanie Bueller in the series based on the iconic John Hughes film, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

Instead of continuing the story told by Matthew Broderick's Ferris in the 1986 high school movie staple, the show starring Charlie Schlatter in the title role follows the "real" teenager that the film is based on. Ferris even explains this in the pilot episode by breaking the fourth wall and commenting on Broderick's performance before cutting up a cardboard cutout of the character with a chainsaw. Other changes to the lore include the series being set in Santa Monica, California rather than Chicago, Illinois, and Sloane Peterson being a new student who Ferris has a crush on.

It could have been the writing by "St. Elsewhere" writer and "Touched By An Angel" creator, John Masius, or the performance by Schlatter, but this version of Ferris Bueller just wasn't as charismatic as the cinematic version. Admist low ratings and negative reviews, "Ferris Bueller" only lasted for one 13-episode season.

After the failure of the first "Uncle Buck" sitcom on CBS, ABC tried their hand at adapting the John Candy film in 2016. This time, Mike Epps of "The Hangover" would step into the lead role in a more modern take on the character. While Buck is a bit unconventional in his approach to childcare, Epps' version was much less likable than previous depictions of the character. More often than not, he came off as creepy rather than endearing, while moving about predictable plot lines, which did not fare well for the show's longevity.

The series, created by "MadTV" and "Scrubs" writers Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley, didn't just get bad reviews from critics and viewers alike. It disappointed the families of Candy and Hughes, who released a statement addressing ABC and Universal Television's decision to develop this series without their knowledge — especially after the celebrated writer and director expressed his displeasure with the first "Uncle Buck" adaptation.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many popular movies received animated adaptations. "Back to the Future," "Men In Black," and "The Karate Kid" are just a few unexpected examples. And it turns out that John Hughes' work didn't escape this trend. While it would have been interesting to see "The Breakfast Club" or "Home Alone" get the Saturday morning cartoon treatment, it was actually 1992's "Beethoven" that made it to the coveted kids programming timeframe.

The show debuted in September 1994 and followed the mischievous St. Bernard dog as he got into misadventures with and without the Newton family. When his humans aren't present, Beethoven has a speaking voice (provided by Joel Murray of "Mad Men" and "Monsters University") and communicates with other animals, including three dog friends: Sparky (who appears as a stray in the first live-action film), Caesar, and Ginger.

Though the majority of the cast from the films do not reprise their roles in the cartoon, Nicholle Tom did. She played teenage daughter Ryce in "Beethoven" and "Beethoven's 2nd." The actor would also go on to appear in the hit sitcom, "The Nanny," as Maggie Sheffield on CBS.

Do you remember when digital video store and streaming service Vudu tried to venture into original programming in 2019 while it was still under Walmart's ownership? Don't worry. Not many people do since the initiative didn't last very long. But when that was still a thing prior to the acquisition by Fandango, the first original series on the streamer was "Mr. Mom," a continuation of the 1983 film starring Michael Keaton and Teri Garr.

Rather than catch up with Jack and Caroline Butler, the series follows their daughter, Megan, and her family as she reenters the workforce while her husband, Jake, takes care of the kids at home. The show starring Hayes MacArthur and Andrea Anders also took a unique approach with its presentation. Rather than the classic 30-minute sitcom format, the story was split into 11 parts that clocked in at about 11-12 minutes each. This is basically the same strategy that Quibi utilized during their six months of existence and it didn't really work for either party.

The best adaptation of John Hughes' original work has to be the USA Network's "Weird Science." John Mallory Asher, Michael Manasseri, and Vanessa Angel replaced Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly LeBrock as their film characters — Gary Wallace, Wyatt Donnelly, and their computer-created magic genie, Lisa, respectively — in this sitcom developed by award-winning producer and screenwriter, Tom Spezialy (who would go on to work on "Desperate Housewives," "Ash vs Evil Dead," and HBO's "Watchmen").

The show follows the same premise as the movie, where two nerdy outcasts try to create the perfect woman with their computer so they can practice talking to girls. Instead, they bring to life a gorgeous, intelligent, and powerful "genie" who can grant them wishes. Of course, the wishes don't always turn out they way they're intended and hilarity ensues. "Weird Science" ran for a total of five seasons across USA and SyFy from 1994 to 1997. Unfortunately, it's not currently streaming anywhere for free, which is unfortunate since this series is surprisingly fun to watch.