I once read a meme (how profound) that said, ‘Imagine this: they turn the Harry Potter series into a television series. One book a season, one episode per chapter.’ I thought, heck, that is a brilliant idea. There would be so much more space, room and time to explore all the tiny threads and plot points that get squeezed out when filmmakers are forcing a 600+ page novel into a two and a half hour length film.
Today, more and more books are being adapted into television series and my initial inkling that this was the superior route has been proven correct.
If you don’t believe me, let’s take a look at some examples.
Normal People, hello! This Sally Rooney hit novel took Millennials and Gen Z by storm. Book sales skyrocketed once the show was released, because Connell and Marianne were like, super hot. Plus, the drawn out and angsty nature of their relationship and miscommunication trope was properly developed over the course of 12 episodes.
Bridgerton, did anyone even read this? Probably not, but who cares, we simply adore the salacious nature of a regency era romp. We get a whole season per sibling and love story. We just got a sneak peek for season 3 and clearly life after marriage has not dulled the spark between Lord Anthony and Kate Sharma – bring it on.
Dinna fash to all my fellow highlanders, a new instalment (yep, still going, 10 years later) of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander will be releasing this year. It’s been a treacherous journey filled with rugged Scotsman and plenty of violence, but I still can’t look away.
Lisa Taddeo wrote the script for her own Three Women, and we truly need more time and space to explore the complicated lives of these three women. Shailene Woodley’s performance is incredible, just like her role in Big Little Lies (another epic book-to-TV adaptation for another day.).
Then we have the recent release which really proves this theory. David Nicholls’ One Day was first adapted into a film, and it wasn’t bad, but it glossed over a lot of the depth initially portrayed in the novel. The ‘’24 Netflix series does nothing of the sort. Over 14 glorious episodes we are fully entrenched in the lives of Dex and Em over 15+ years. Will it still tear your heart out? Absolutely.
Sure, movie adaptations still exist, but they leave us feeling a tad disappointed.
Besides, who doesn’t love a binge? Long weekend: Sorted.
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