Lately, I have noticed that there has been a slew of TV series adapted from famous novels/books. Books that might have never been read (or forgotten) by many are now suddenly known to millions. Perhaps the most famous is A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin. I don't want to offend the legion of fans for the books and TV series but Game of Thrones is not really my cup of tea but I did like True Blood which is another TV series adapted by HBO from the books by Charlaine Harris. I guess these series started the ball rolling for other books (sometimes older titles) to be adapted into TV series. TV is actually a medium tailor made for books especially ones that come in a series of novels with long story arcs. However, there are exceptions notably the Harry Potter movies. Cable networks have especially taken a keen interest in popular books which are sometimes older books that have an enduring appeal or loyal fan base. Spurred on to be bolder by the success of these earlier shows, these networks have taken a gamble on older books and invested a lot of money adapting these books for the small screen which have paid off dividends for them. Besides hiring top notch writers to adapt the books for the small screen, they have even invited the original authors of the books as consultants for the TV series. No cost was also sparred in the production and promotion of these shows. Casting is usually done after an extensive search (no big names here but mostly unknowns) and usually with the approval of the original authors. As a result, we have great TV shows like AMC's The Walking Dead adapted from Robert Kirkman's cult graphic novel series. Currently, Starz has successfully adapted the Outlander book series by Diana Gabaldon which is over 2 decades old. Thanks to the talents of Ronald D. Moore, great casting and Starz's high production standards, this highly anticipated series is now riding high with TV viewers. Not to be missed out, BBC (on the other side of the pond) has also decided to revive Winston Graham's historical Poldark novels which has been adapted for TV earlier in the 1970s. The series, just ended in Britain, is adapted by Debbie Horsfield and stars Irish actor, Aidan Turner (Being Human - UK Version), as the new Ross Poldark. The series which consist of only 8 episodes is causing quite a stir in Britain. Due to the high ratings and overwhelming response for the show (the 1970s series was also highly successful) BBC has commissioned a second series for the show. Now, I'm looking forward to BBC releasing another 7 part TV series based on a novel by Susanna Clarke entitled Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell which concerns 2 magicians who live in an alternate 19th century England where magic is a lost art. Another series worth mentioning is the second season of The Strain based on the novels by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan which will be aired on FX soon. All I can do to describe this series is that it brings back the fun in horror and is very addictive. If this wave continues, we can all hope to see maybe some of our favorite books being brought to life on the small screen (at least). My silent plea to the networks, continue this trend and please no more reality or game shows. I know these shows are cheaper and easier to produce, but we don't really need to be bombarded by them. Since I grew up in 1980s and 1990s, mini-series based on famous books like Shogun, Thorn Birds and various books by Sidney Sheldon were a norm. I guess networks today are just re-discovering the fact that books are the greatest source of stories for TV. Just my 2 cents.
