The Dukes of Hazzard starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson went straight to the top of the North American box office chart earlier this month, taking an estimated $30.5m (�17.1m) in its opening weekend.

However, one of the stars of the 1979-85 original, Ben Jones, criticised the film remake for "blatant sexual situations that mocks the good clean family values of our series".

Were you a fan of the original and will you watch the remake? What TV series would you like to see made into films? Are the values of original series lost in the process?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

Your comments:

It's a different kettle of fish for a new, younger generation. Lisa Common, Leeds, England

Lighten up the lot of you! I think it's great that the movie industry is trying to bring back much loved TV series. It's a different kettle of fish for a new, younger generation. I think it would be great if they could make an A-Team film. Maybe they could have the guy from the Green Mile playing Mr T, the gorgeous Noah Wyle playing Face, perhaps George Clooney as Hannibal and the weird and wonderful Jim Carrey as Murdoch? Not forgetting the general who I reckon Ian McShane would do great justice! That's entertainment!
Lisa Common, Leeds, England

My Dad reminded me the other day about how he used to have to stop me from climbing in and out of the car via the windows so I planned to go and see the new Dukes of Hazard movie but I don't expect it to live up to my idealised childhood memories of the TV show. Nothing ever does, even the re-runs of the actual show on digital channels.
Murray , Sutherland, Scotland

My advice is if you want to sit passing social commentary on what is in effect, a piece of mindless entertainment, you'd be better off watching the news, or becoming a critic. Either way, let people who want to enjoy it do so.
Mark Nicol, Edinburgh, Scotland

Hated it when it was a series and won't waste any money on it as a film. Let's not forget that we've made plenty of TV from good movies, without too much satisfaction either. Surely someone somewhere has an original idea and is not stuck in nostalgia!
Terri, NC, USA

The only 're-interpretation' of an old TV series I've ever seen that was any good, was Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer's "Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)".
Rob, London UK

What a bunch of defensive cynics you all are! Has anyone tried the idea that maybe "Hollywood" doesn't care what the original series was about? Besides, almost all of these TV-to-Movie ideas are from a previous generation to today's. Personally, I couldn't care less whether these movies are true reflections of the original programs. As long as they provide what today's audience is looking for I'll be ignorantly happy.
Paul, St Neots, UK

I'm looking forward to seeing the film, actually. I was never a huge fan of the original TV series (unlike, say, The A-Team, which I'd love to see as a film), so it's just another fun film to me (I hope it will be fun, anyway). Starsky and Hutch showed that an old TV show could be updated for a modern audience and be funny, too.
Ella, Peterborough, UK

The best TV/Movie conversion, in my opinion, went the other way. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was far better as a TV series than the film that spawned it!
Andrew, Bristol, UK

People are reading too much into this Andy Bowman , Fleet, Hampshire, UK

Where are all the 'petrol heads?' The Dukes was an amazing series mainly for the General Lee jumping and sliding and obviously Daisy in her hot pants too. People are reading too much into this, they should just see it as something fun to watch for 90 minutes and stop comparing it to the original. There is all too much seriousness as an adult and films now seem so violent and or serious or sad. Just remember the General Lee's air horn tune as it flies through the air and enjoy the film.
Andy Bowman , Fleet, Hampshire, UK

I don't watch too many films, but one quote from Woody Allen's Annie Hal springs to mind. While he and Annie Hall were waiting to go into see a film he said, "We don't throw out our garbage, we send to Hollywood and turn it into films." How right he was.
Tony Sorace, Grenada

For the record, can we all agree that the Starsky and Hutch film was woeful in comparison to the TV series! They mixed the characters up for starters - Starsky is the maverick, Hutch is the strait-laced one! As for Snoop Dog playing Huggy Bear - sacrilege - though he did have the best line in the entire film. What next, Gary Coleman playing Mr T?
Lee, Hebburn, England

If you want nostalgia, watch the re-runs. When I got to see a movie, I want to see something new!
Corran, Newcastle, UK

I'm sorry to say it - but the days of the 'dialogue driven script' are numbered. As society becomes less and less sophisticated as film goers we will value drama and proper acting less and less. Therefore action and violence become the things we go to the cinema for. This is a tragedy - but reflects the type of education we are inflicting on our children.
Bob Morrell, Tonbridge, England

There's a Miami Vice film in the pipeline, as I understand. Luckily, Michael Mann produced the original, and now is directing the film. Maybe we'll get a decent TV-to-film conversion this time.
ET, London, UK

The thing that worries me is the movie industry's reliance on familiar stories and characters which they think guarantee success. I am sure numerous good movies, with new characters and stories are not being made as a result of this dependence on familiar series.
Keir Thorpe, Bournemouth, UK

For all their money it seems they can't afford new and good ideas Alex, London, UK

I am sure some TV series could be made into good films, but not by Hollywood. All they want is an existing plot idea to play with and the familiarity the audience has with TV programmes so they can repackage it for a quick profit. They are almost never worth watching. For all their money it seems they can't afford new and good ideas!
Alex, London, UK

No, there's just a lack of creativity in Hollywood. What have they produced the last few years? Mostly remakes of old or foreign movies and TV series and sometimes books and don't forget sequels.
Sebastien, London, UK

No, they've just ran out of ideas!!
Carole Young, Glasgow, Scotland

Some remakes work well if the writing is good, the comedy Starsky & Hutch for example. However there are too many bad ones, like SWAT, Dukes of Hazzard and Bewitched. Instead of remaking, or turning a good show into a parody, like the forthcoming The Persuaders and no doubt Miami Vice, why not just build on the original premise and keep to a serious plot. How about British shows like The Professionals or The Prisoner?
Mark Timbs, Oxford

Hollywood has totally lost all hope when it starts scraping the bottom of the barrel for remakes Simon Murphy, Amsterdam

Sadly it seems that Hollywood has totally lost all hope when it starts scraping the bottom of the barrel for remakes. The Dukes of Hazzard was not a good TV show and the film looks worse.
Simon Murphy, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Very few make good movies. Mostly they make cheap, dumb, no effort required movies. I wonder if it's a coincidence that while Hollywood is making this garbage and the equally bad comic book movies, their box office returns have been falling alarmingly with very few movies actually making back the money they cost to make?
Graham Haywood, UK

Old television shows were only intended for mindless entertainment. Nostalgia is our motive, nothing profound.
David Stephen Ball-Romney, Seattle, USA

If you are old enough to remember the TV series then you will always compare it to the original whereas younger people will not have seen the TV series.
Dean, York UK

Perhaps these things are just coming full circle Dave Godfrey, Swindon

The only one that has come anywhere near working was the Starsky and Hutch movie. The Dukes of Hazzard was, if my memory serves, a fairly good natured programme. From what I've seen of the movie, it seems quite cynical and mean minded. However, it should be remembered that a lot of the TV series from the 70s and 80s were generally inspired by movies, so perhaps these things are just coming full circle.
Dave Godfrey, Swindon

The Dukes of Hazard TV series stank, so it will be a minor miracle if the film is anything other than dross!
Craig, Stirling, UK

Some are good, some are bad. You only need to look as far as the Star Trek movies to realise that.
James Doherty, Antrim, NI

Not many succeed especially the classics shown in the 70's as its hard to recreate the kitsch without becoming a parody.
Marie, UK

I've recently seen the film version of Dukes of Hazzard and I agree that it is now where near as good as the original. It makes me wonder if the producers actually watched the original series.
Richard Taylor, Basingstoke, Hampshire

It would be nice to see a remake with the original cast Sarah Jones, UK

Some remakes come out great and some don't. The best ones are the ones that stick to the story or use as a second storyline (such as Bewitched did). It would be nice to see a remake with the original cast, instead of replacing them, but most of the time that's impossible.
Sarah Jones, UK

I've yet to see a film of a TV series that equalled the excitement and originality of its forerunner. All a bit of a sad reflection on the Hollywood of today which hasn't had an original idea in years.
John Cahill, London, UK

I don't think TV series generally make good films. A good recent example is The League of Gentleman's Apocalypse. Despite being made by the same writers and cast, they seemed to have forgotten both the comedy and the horror elements that made the TV series successful in the first place! The film also had the same problem as Bewitched, which is that if you want to try a "post-modern" take it has to be very well-thought out indeed. Unfortunately the opposite is generally the case.
Joseph Crowley, London

The only good film made from a TV series that I can recall is "The Fugitive". Of course, it helps when you have Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones in starring roles.
Robert, Charlotte, NC, USA

There is one benefit to all this that I can see. That is the new exposure given to old shows. After all, the memories of sitting through the truly awful Starsky and Hutch movie are being quickly eradicated whilst viewing my Starsky & Hutch DVD box set at home. Now, would that have been released on DVD as quickly if it hadn't been for the exposure of the movie? Veto the movies and cash in on the nostalgia of being able to finally watch your favourite old shows on DVD - that's what I say!
Matt, Birmingham

Please, please, please will someone make Knight Rider into a film!
Ben, Durham

I decided I would judge it on its merits Rich W, East Midlands

As a boy I loved watching Dukes of Hazzard reruns on TV, and I have to admit I love the film too. I decided I would judge it on its merits rather than huff and moan that things don't stay the same forever. Sure the movie was riddled with swearing and adult jokes, but I think as an adult I can handle that. Heck, I might even enjoy it. A film adaptation will only be a success if it is well written (e.g. Charlie's Angels). If it is a stinker (e.g. The Avengers) then the audience will vote with their feet.
Rich W, East Midlands

Bring back the A-Team!!
Jonathan, Bedford, England

At the end of the day it is down to personal choice. I have seen some stinkers and some that were better than the original TV series. You have to go to these things with an open mind, clearing what nostalgic trips you may recall. It's a new generation. How many times do you hear people say "That hasn't aged well". I think it helps the originals gain new audiences - some films have had that effect on me.
Trev, Scarborough, North Yorks

This has everything to do with marketing and nothing to do with filmmaking. Re-using the name of a well-known TV series gives access to what is effectively an established brand, and saves a lot of money that would otherwise need to be spent establishing a film in the public consciousness. Many of these films bear absolutely no relation to the TV series they take their name from! Marketing people are destroying cinema.
Paul, London, UK

TV series as films? It really depends on what program it is and how popular it is. I mean imagine if they made a film of Coronation Street! There's only so much one can take of Vera's moaning!
Hannah, Saltash

No they don't, but a musical version of a TV series would work. My friend is currently writing "A Team - The Opera". So far it looks superb and I think it may even surpass the original TV show in terms of quality.
John, Sheffield UK

Please stop ruining my childhood memories Sian Raven, UK

I was a Dukes fan back in the day, but I'm not sure about the movie. It seems that all Hollywood can do with remakes is to parody them to the point of cringe-worthy, Starsky and Hutch was ruined in my mind. And there are rumours that a film of The A-Team is in the pipeline. I can just cross my fingers and hope that they don't cast Ben Stiller or Jim Carey in any of the roles. Please stop ruining my childhood memories! *hugs her KITT car and cries in the corner*
Sian Raven, UK

These films show that there's either a lack of imagination in Hollywood at the moment (perhaps they're scared to do anti-war films and are trying to take us back to more innocent times), or they take us all for idiots who will pay to watch anything from our childhoods! Not a patch on the original TV series' which were corny and cringe-worthy but hugely enjoyable!
Lee, Hebburn, England

If they make any TV series into a Film, they should, in the case of Quantum Leap' finish it off properly. The laughable last QM, wasted the whole storyline completely and ruined a brilliant series.
Colin B, Oxfordshire. UK

I think David Hasslehoff should do a new Knight Rider film. You simply can't beat the Hoff!
Peter, Sevenoaks

Would love to see a remake of "Kung Fu" (Starred David Carradine I think). I don't think I'll bother with the new Dukes, I wasn't a great fan of the old (except for Daisy of course)
Richard Bagnall, Cambridge, UK

Star Trek is the most successful TV - Film - TV spin off of all time. There is no doubting that ten films generated a huge amount of revenue and the TV series of the 80's and 90's owes all it's success to 79 episodes that were on moderately popular in the 60's and 70's
James, Herts

I blame the suits Amber, Glasgow

Its great that films such as the Dukes of Hazzard are getting made into films, because not many people and children know what the original series was like, and its good to bring back some of the series that entertained us hugely in the 60s 70s and 80s. Films like Bewitched have also done well in the box office, and I think there should be remakes of all the hit series like MASH and the Six million dollor man.
Amber, Glasgow

Generally they don't. Hollywood needs new producers. They no longer can think outside the box.
Patrick, OHIO, USA

I blame the suits - the moneymen that insist on a risk-averse strategy. Sex sells so give 'em what they want! Pah! In truth Hollywood's mistakes occur when they try to recreate a movie (usually by bringing it up-to-date) instead of trying to recapture it. Starsky & Hutch worked because it parodied the original series, it captured what we loved about the cheesy cardigans. I've yet to see Dukes of Hazzard but so far from what I've read and seen, it looks rubbish.
Phil, Manchester, UK

As Hollywood is obsessed with remakes it can only signal one thing - they're running out of ideas Dan, Kilmarnock, Scotland

As Hollywood is obsessed with remakes it can only signal one thing - they're running out of ideas! The fact is, all these 80s TV series are based on good (albeit predictable) plotlines and reflect a simplistic view of 80s society. In my opinion, reusing the format and simply updating the plot to reflect modern society does nothing but tarnish the qualities and originality of the TV series. Moreover, the fact that Daisy Duke is being played by a blonde in the film is scandalous! Needless to say, I wont be watching the film!
Dan, Kilmarnock, Scotland

There was never anything classic about the tv shows that have been made into films in recent years by Hollywood. This trend proves beyond a doubt the idiocy of putting 'suits' in charge of creative decisions. But, people buy tickets when there are half naked models in a movie, so there you have it. Movie goers get what they deserve I guess!
John, Raleigh, USA

One of the chief attractions of the series was that it was good clean wholesome fun. The movie is just one more example of how the seeming goal of modern media is to tarnish whatever it touches.
Steve, Belmar, NJ, USA

On the whole, the short answer is "no". The problem is that a film has to cater for people who have not seen the TV series, and that's where it often goes wrong. It doesn't explain enough for those people, and it takes up a huge amount of time for the people who are already fans. Look at the Hitchhikers Guide film. It rehashed a lot of jokes from the series, but breezed through them far too quickly. In my opinion, they made a complete mess of it! I dread to think what the Red Dwarf film will be like if it's ever released!
Gareth, Wrexham

As a boy I was an avid fan of The Dukes of Hazzard, but I have to say that I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in going to see the new film. The endless re-cycling of old TV series seems to me to represent a fundamental laziness and lack of fresh ideas in Hollywood. It is just a cynical cash-in on the nostalgia that many people feel for the original TV series that they watched as kids ... be it Starsky & Hutch or The Dukes of Hazzard or whatever else. Jessica Simpson in hotpants or not, I won't be going to see this pointless charade.
Richard Holman, Birmingham, UK

I can honestly say that most of these conversions don't really work. The Charlie's Angels films were a laugh yes but completely different to the original series good in its day as was the Starsky and Hutch alike and despite I like the stars of those films I have to say it rains down on the original tv series with an air of disloyalty especially when they turn something of a serious type of nature into something that's just camp with a paper thin story line.
Mark, Brighton

A programme that would be good to make into a film would be Little House on the Prairie Amanda, Basingstoke

I used to watch the Dukes of Hazzard on a Saturday evening. I would not bother going to the cinema to watch it, but would on DVD or Sky when it came out. A programme that would be good to make into a film would be Little House on the Prairie. I used to love it. The Waltons would be another good one.
Amanda, Basingstoke

Sometimes they work but other times they're complete tosh. Starsky and Hutch was quite funny with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, but the He-man movie was one of the worst films ever made. Charlie's Angels was well made too.
James, Luton

TV series do not make for good movies. It is just a lazy way for film companies to market already known material. New ideas may be risky but do make for more original movies.
C ALTY, Preston Lancs

If the Flintstones of the mid-nineties taught us anything it's a basic fun idea for TV show cannot transfer the screen without a decent script. Lost in Space, Charlie's Angels, Bewitched, Starsky and Hutch and now The Dukes are all falling far short of the mark, because the stories were only meant to be short and simple.
David Neary, Dublin, Ireland

It's the nostalgia element that gets people along to see these films in their thousands. Look at Charlie's Angels, Starsky and Hutch, Dr Who and Star Trek. Because, even if you didn't see the original series, your Mum or Dad will be dragging you along because they 'loved it when we were your age'. Lots of potential in the shape of Knight Rider, Bay Watch, The A Team, Magnum P.I., Hart to Hart, Quantum Leap,....
Lorraine, St Albans, UK

I'm sure that the film will be fun but it won't be anything special. Remakes like this show that Hollywood is really starting to run out of ideas.
Gregg, Manchester, UK