The 'Unauthorized' Lifetime Movies We Want

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

CHARMED

Assuming that her Beverly Hills, 90210 departure was part of the "inspiration" for the cabler's upcoming film, we have no doubt there's a juicy story behind Shannen Doherty's departure from the WB's beloved supernatural series.

THE DEGRASSI FRANCHISE

With a fifth incarnation of the Degrassi franchise coming soon to Netflix, there's bound to have been some on-set drama. I mean, something must have gone down for Aubrey Graham (aka Drake) to assume he ever "Started From The Bottom" as one of the stars of a wildly successful teen soap.

ROSEANNE

After a season-and-a-half of feuding with producers, Roseanne was nearly absent for the entirety of an episode (Season 2's "An Officer and a Gentleman") so executives could see how the show might look without her. Then there's the tale of two Beckys, and whatever the hell led to such an off-brand final season.

AMERICAN IDOL

Between two hosts, 11 judges and nearly 170 finalists, the build-up of behind-the-scenes tales must be endless. Especially when you factor in the Antonella Barba, Frenchie Davis and Corey Clark brouhahas, and the show's dancing around Adam Lambert's sexuality. Heck, the tension between Season 12 judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj could fuel a film of its own!

FAMILY MATTERS

How did a Perfect Strangers spin-off about the family of elevator operator Harriet Winslow (Jo Marie Payton) and husband Carl (Reginald VelJohnson, hot off of Die Hard) so quickly become "The Steve Urkel Show?" And whose genius decision was it to write out youngest child Judy without so much as an explanation? We need answers, people!

THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR

The birth of "The Carlton," the backstage antics that prompted the dismissal of the first (superior) Aunt Viv... there's plenty we'd love to see about the making of Will Smith's star-making sitcom, and none of it actually involves Will Smith.

GREY'S ANATOMY

Between the very public exits of Isaiah Washington and Katherine Heigl, and the controversy surrounding the on-screen death of you-know-who, we're almost sure there's enough material here for a 90-minute TV-movie.
 

THE VIEW

You'd be hard-pressed to find a daytime talker that has rotated through as many co-hosts as this one. In just two seasons, both Barbara Walters and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have exited, Rosie O'Donnell returned only to exit once more, Jenny McCarthy, Rosie Perez and Nicole Wallace have all been one-and-done, and Sherri Shepherd has been called back for the upcoming season just to provide a sliver of stability. The feuds on- and presumably off-screen would surely amount to a satisfying Saturday night flick.

TWO AND A HALF MEN

If Jon Cryer's recently published memoir doesn't have enough to say about the Charlie Sheen or Angus T. Jones controversies, surely TMZ's archives can fill in the rest of the story.

DAWSON'S CREEK

If this book is to be believed, there was plenty of creative behind-the-scenes turmoil during Season 3 after the departure of creator Kevin Williamson — remember Eve? Yeah, let's not — before the show rebounded with the Pacey/Joey storyline. We'd also like to witness the moment that John Wesley Shipp (The Flash) learned of his death-by-ice cream cone. 

GROWING PAINS

Between a born-again Kirk Cameron trying to inflict his Christian views on creatives, Tracey Gold's struggles with anorexia, the introduction of Leonardo DiCaprio and some character named Boner, we're sure there's plenty of "drama" to be milked from this one.

MOONLIGHTING

Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd have publicly admitted to bickering on set of the 1985-1989 ABC dramedy, which makes it all the more ironic that their eventual on-screen romance is what's famously (yet incorrectly) credited for killing the show.

15. GLEE (2009-15)

It lost its voice in later seasons, but Ryan Murphy's high-school musical was a bona fide sensation, spawning a string of iTunes hits and making TV a safe place to sing again. It brought important social issues into the spotlight while maintaining a candy-colored optimism, and it served as an incubator for fresh young talent like Lea Michele and future Supergirl Melissa Benoist. It may have been over-hyped, but Glee is undeniably one of the most significant TV shows of the past decade.

COMMUNITY

To think the Lifetime audience is familiar with the NBC-turned-Yahoo comedy is an admitted stretch. Even so, we kind of think a low budget drama regarding the Dan Harmon and Chevy Chase controversies would be "streets ahead." (It couldn't be any worse than that gas leak year, right?)

THE 2010 TONIGHT SHOW DEBACLE

Because five years later, we still deserve a follow-up to HBO's Golden Globe-winning film The Late Shift, and New York Times vet Bill Carter already wrote the necessary source material!

CSI: MIAMI AND/OR NYPD BLUE

Because we've all heard things...

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

...not-so-good things...

STAR TREK

... plenty of things!
So much has been said and intimated about William Shatner's inability to be a team player on the set of the beloved '60s series that it'd require less than a galaxy quest to elicit interest from long-time Trekkies.

7TH HEAVEN AND/OR THE COSBY SHOW

Do we really have to say anything?