“The book did it better!” How many times have you heard or even said this phrase after watching a TV adaptation of your favorite novel? Shows based on books can be a treat in that now you can see your favorite characters and their adventures not only in your mind’s eye but also on screen. They can however be a curse if you think they got the source material all wrong.
Whether you belong to the adaptation lovers club or the “please don’t touch my favorite books” camp, you have definitely seen at least one story on the silver screen that started off as a book. Adapting books to movies or TV shows is not a new trick. Captivated by a compelling story or charismatic characters, filmmakers often want to share their vision of a book with an audience.
If handled well, TV shows based on books can bring a second wave of popularity to their famous originals or introduce a lesser-known or new novel to a wider audience. In fact, there are shows that are so well-made, even the books’ authors commended them on a job well done. And believe it or not, sometimes a bland story begins to shine once it gets adapted for the screen.
Sherlock
2010 | BBC | Seasons: 4
Set in the modern day, this series puts a new spin on the crime-mystery adventures of the eccentric detective Holmes and his loyal friend and companion Watson, yet manages to retain everything essential to the classic story. Even though there are an estimated 250 screen adaptations of Sir Conan Doyle’s work, this one managed to stand out from the crowd, receiving multiple awards and critical acclaim for its strong writing, apt directing, and brilliant performances. Sherlock kept most of the original characters, including the scheming genius Moriarty, but also gave Holmes and Watson many original adventures.
Good Omens
The coming of the Antichrist has been planned since the beginning of time. But plans tend to go wrong, even if they are conceived in Hell. This is exactly what happens when the boy who was supposed to bring Armageddon to mankind ends up in the wrong family. Now it is up to demon Crawley and angel Aziraphale to restore order on Earth, except they have a very specific understanding of what that order should be. Even though this TV series based on Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s book of the same name received some outraged feedback due to dealing with religious topics in an unconventional manner, its fresh humor, amazing visuals, and unbelievable chemistry between David Tennant (Crawley) and Michael Sheen (Aziraphale) make Good Omens a treat to watch.
Game of Thrones
2011 | HBO | Seasons: 8
If for the past 11 years you lived on planet Earth, there is no chance you haven’t at least heard the name of this fantasy drama. It was based on the series of novels by American novelist George R.R. Martin and explored political conflicts, love stories, fights for power and independence, loyalty and betrayal, and a threat bigger than anything else, coming from beyond the borders of the continent. The series was often criticized for its frequent portrayal of violence and nudity on screen, however its complex character development, outstanding cast, and formidable story gained it a wide international fanbase. Game of Thrones won a record 59 Primetime Emmy Awards across various categories.
Outlander
2014 | Starz | Seasons: 6
Basing your TV show on an ongoing novel series can be rather risky, but the creators of Outlander were willing to take this risk. Former WWII nurse Claire Randall travels in time to 1743 Scotland just before the beginning of the Jacobite rising, an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father. Things get even more entangled for Claire, who has a husband in 1945, when she meets nobleman Jamie Fraiser, falls in love and marries him. Combining time travel with romance and wartime drama, Outlander received mostly positive reviews from critics.
The Witcher
2019 | Netflix | Seasons: 2
This Netflix series based on the books of Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski is a medieval fantasy drama that tells the story of Geralt of Rivia, who everyone refers to as the Witcher. His incredible strength, extreme agility, and magic powers create a reputation that precedes him wherever he goes. Tied by destiny to the Crown Princess Ciri, the Witcher must protect her to keep not only her but their entire world safe. Although some critics claimed that the series didn’t do complete justice to world-building, most of them agreed that Henry Cavill as the Witcher was a casting win. In late 2021, the series was renewed for the third season.
The Haunting of Hill House
2018 | Netflix | Seasons: 1
The Haunting of Hill House is a Netflix adaptation of a supernatural horror novel by Shirley Jackson. The story goes back and forth between two timelines, as it follows the lives of five adult children of the Crain family in the present day and the tragic events of 1992 when the entire family had to flee Hill House after experiencing paranormal activity that continues to haunt them today. An overwhelming number of critics called this mini series on Netflix one of the network’s best ever, praising the story’s buildup and horror imagery.
The Handmaid’s Tale
2017 | Hulu | Seasons: 4
Like in the novel of Canadian author Margaret Atwood, the action of The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in a dystopian society, where after the Second American Civil War, environmental pollution and other problems have caused female fertility rates to drastically decrease. The new totalitarian regime adopts a class system, in which all fertile women who happen to be divorced, a single or unwed mother, an academic, non-Christian, non-heterosexual, or in any other way deviant from the very rigid rules, are subjected to becoming natal slaves (known as Handmaids) in the houses of the wealthy upper class. With childbirth being their main function, they are tortured and even deprived of their own names. The story revolves around June Osborne who wants to free herself from handmaid slavery and reunite with her husband and daughter.
His Dark Materials
2019 | BBC One | Seasons: 2
Lyra lives in a world that looks very similar to ours, except here every human’s soul manifests an animal companion. Called the daemons, they can speak and have human intelligence. Lyra is an orphan who lives with scholars. One day her friend disappears, and as Lyra sets out to find him, she uncovers many dark secrets, including a child kidnapping plot, a mysterious substance everyone calls Dust, and the existence of multiple worlds, ours being among them. She also learns that a witch has predicted her role in changing the world. His Dark Materials was adapted from a trilogy of the same name by Phillip Pullman. While it received a much better response from critics than the movie The Golden Compass , also based on the same original book, many still mentioned that the show spent too much time setting up the premise.
The 100
2014 | The CW | Seasons: 7
Based on the young adult novel series by Kass Morgan, The 100 imagines life after a nuclear apocalypse wipes out the majority of the Earth’s population. For almost a century after the devastating event, the remaining survivors kept mankind alive on a space station orbiting the now unlivable planet. But with three generations now living onboard, resources have become scarce and life-support systems have faulted. A hundred juvenile prisoners are sent to Earth to find out if it has become more suitable for living over time. As their ship lands on the surface, the young people discover that some people survived the apocalypse and now live in a constant battle with each other. Thus begins the 100’s struggle to survive both the natural conditions and their human adversaries, while at the same time attempting to establish contact with the space station.
The Vampire Diaries
2009 | The CW | Seasons: 8
The Vampire Diaries made vampires cool way before The Twilight Saga came into the picture. Adapted from a book series by L.J. Smith, this TV series explores the love triangle between a teenage girl, Elena Gilbert, and the dashing Salvatore brothers. Little does Elena, who has lost both of her parents in a car accident right before the start of the main story, know that both Damon and Stefan are vampires and are over 100 years old. As the story unfolds, we also learn the history of Mystic Falls, a small fictional town in Virginia that has a long-running history of supernatural occurrences. While the show didn’t get off to a particularly good start, it improved with each subsequent episode, winning critical acclaim.
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