Robin Williams was an unknown comic when a last-minute Happy Days audition—and one astonishing choice—launched him toward superstardom.

Andy Griffith entertained stage, film, and TV audiences for decades. His hit shows like The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock proved both his comedic and dramatic chops. Unfortunately, he never got the credit he deserved—until it was already too late.

Television ratings are an essential tool for gauging the popularity and viewership of TV shows. They are critical for determining whether fan-favorite shows are likely to be renewed. But how do they work?

For this fun foray into film franchises—we've looked at both the critic and the audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes and determined the best and worst films in a whole bunch of major franchises. Who got it right?

Long before streaming made thousands of movies available on demand, television networks regularly turned prime-time evenings into movie events. Made-for-TV films attracted major stars and gave actresses opportunities to tackle dramatic roles that could be very different from their weekly series or theatrical work. Throughout the 1970s, a remarkable group of women became especially familiar faces in these productions, sometimes seeming to turn up whenever viewers switched channels.