Episode 237

improbable movie franchises

Think of a popular movie series (ie, “film franchise”) - loosely, a film and its sequels totaling 3+ entries - and, based on the very first one in said series/franchise, ask yourself a question: Did that movie warrant a big, fat franchise (ie, “series”)?

Obviously, if there is money to be made, a studio will make it. But as much as you like the first Back to the Future, let’s be real, those sequels are kind of pointless. Or, to paraphrase Jurassic Park (another now-endless, pointless franchise, btw): Just because the studios could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.

We drop some series old and new, because rehashing a show about sequels and calling it Improbable Movie Franchises is not lame at all.