Not every book-to-TV project falls flat.

What books would make great TV shows?

2/6/13

Recently, I read an interesting piece that listed several great novels that could possibly become hit television shows. My initial reaction to whether an awesome book could go on to be an awesome TV show was a resounding "no." Then I stopped to consider things. It's happened before, after all. Some really solid television shows came from books and in some cases, the shows were actually better.

Need examples? I'd say just off the top of my head that Game of Thrones, Friday Night Lights and certainly Dexter are all excellent dramas adapted from books. In fact, I think Dexter is far better than the Jeff Lindsay series that spawned the Showtime phenomenon.

One of the first book-to-TV adaptations that I remember falling in love with was Little House on the Prairie. I honestly can't remember if I ever read any of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House series books before I started watching the show -- but I sure did after I became a fan.

I asked my dad about this tonight, and he immediately cited two excellent shows from his era that were based on books: M*A*S*H (I'm ashamed to admit I didn't even know the movie and the TV show were based on a book) and The Untouchables, a show starring Robert Stack. Apparently it was based on Eliot Ness' autobiography. So there you go: It can be done, and it's been done across generations.

Now, skipping to the present day, I started wondering which books would really work well as TV shows. CBS is already developing one, the Stephen King novel Under the Dome. I also think Battle Royale could become an incredibly buzzed about series in the right hands. I mean come on, it's a better version of The Hunger Games, for crying out loud!

And that piece I mentioned earlier? EW.com lists their number one choice for a book-to-TV adaptation and yes, I couldn't agree more: The Stand, Stephen King's stunning masterpiece. Do it right, and it'll be unforgettable. The miniseries was just OK. I want a full-on TV show that gives me something to look forward to each week.

Anyone else care to weigh in with some suggestions? I know plans are already in the works at HBO for a major TV series based on one of my favorite novels of all time, Neil Gaiman's American Gods, so Hollywood is getting it right (I hope).