Critical Thinking: Film Critics Break down their Favorite Movies That Started as TV Shows
Tomatometer-approved critics Chauncey K. Robinson and Alison Foreman dive into their favorite movie spinoffs based on TV shows.
“At the end of the day, people want to see the show that they love on the big screen.,” says critic Chauncey K. Robinson ahead of the new film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Robinson’s sentiment captures the spirit of this week’s Critical Thinking episode, where she and fellow Tomatometer-approved film critic Alison Foreman walk us through their favorite TV shows that got spun off into movies. From 2007’s The Simpsons Movie to 2008’s Sex and the City, the critics share their recommendations for audiences.
Chauncey K. Robinson on The Simpsons: I think the movie needed to happen because when you have this cultural phenomenon, which is The Simpsons, it needed to go on a bigger screen. And even though there’s a joke at the very beginning of the movie of Homer getting up during the in-movie story and saying, “Why would anyone pay to watch a movie of something you can see on TV for free?” It just shows just how self-aware The Simpsons are, but still able to put together such a grand story that encapsulates what Springfield and The Simpsons is, but also on a bigger scale for a wider audience… It still captures my attention anytime I watch it because there’s just things you don’t want to miss.
There’s a few things that are different in the film because, well, it had a lot more money behind it because of the movie. So, the animation is even on a higher level than what you would sometimes get in the the regular weekly episodes, which makes it look even better. And I think some of the the things they were able to do in terms of the traveling to different locations outside of Springfield a bit more, going deeper into some of the the longer jokes, and yeah, they got to cuss a little bit. I think the fact that the movie wasn’t the end of the series just shows how much The Simpsons still resonates.
Alison Foreman on Sex and the City: Sex and the City was such a big deal in terms of being this kind of niche, very sexy thing that really appealed to a wide audience that allowed people into a universe that was full of intrigue and it was a little, you know, edgy, but it also had a level of empowerment to it that made it feel like it was some type of institution. But when it hit theaters, it became something that made them feel like a global phenomenon… When the girls were in theaters, that felt like the level of respect they deserved.
Watch the full conversation above, and check out Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man when it hits theaters on March 6, 2026 (or catch it when it drops on Netflix on March 20).
