Popular Book To TV Adaptations

The Witcher,. Outlander, Normal People. What do these titles all have in common other than being highly-rated, successful shows? They and many more shows were adapted from bestselling novels within the last decade.

Whether you love them or hate them, book-to-TV adaptations are here to stay, so her is a list of the top TV programs based on books.

We have rounded up 20 of the best shows from the last decade that were adapted from books. To all the Game of Thrones, Gossip Girl and Orange Is the New Black fans out there, we see you! Unfortunately, this list would be never-ending if we didn’t at least limit it to shows that have premiered within the last 10 years.

Normal People (Hulu)

The emotional rollercoaster that is Sally Rooney’s 2018 critically acclaimed novel reached an even wider audience with the release of Hulu’s 2020 adaptation. The 12-episode miniseries starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal as Marianne and Connell detailed their intimate but complex relationship over the course of four years, as they grew from unsure teenagers to slightly more confident adults. The on-screen (and even sometimes off-screen) chemistry between Edgar-Jones and Mescal was undeniable. This — accompanied by a stellar soundtrack, amazing cinematography and the dramatic pull of the “will-they-or-won’t-they” relationship — was what made Normal People a beloved bildungsroman.

Outlander (Starz)

Starz’s take on Diana Gabaldon’s popular novel series follows Caitriona Balfe’s Claire as she accidentally travels back to the 1700s and — oops! — falls in love with a strapping Scot named Jamie (played by Sam Heughan). The brogues are thick. The sex is steamy. And with the show rapidly approaching its announced finish line, here’s hoping the kilt trip comes to a satisfying conclusion.

Pachinko (Apple TV+)

So Hugh’s adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s multigenerational family saga adopts a storytelling twist — the narrative toggles between the different timelines, instead of unspooling everything chronologically — that only bolsters the impact of protagonist Sunja’s journey. Payoffs decades in the making are juxtaposed with the events that set things in motion, which helps to drive home themes and motivations. Plus, we are able to enjoy two generations of actors at once, and thus don’t have to wait for later seasons to experience the brilliance of Academy Award winner Youn Yuh-jung’s older Sunja.

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

The series based on Walter Tevis’ novel of the same name pulled off quite the clever checkmate when it debuted on Netflix in early 2020. It offered a little something for everyone, from historical drama lovers to fans of coming-of-age storylines. Anya Taylor-Joy starred as fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon, whose pursuit to become the best chess player in the world was plagued with addiction, loss, complex relationships and more.

Reacher (Prime Video)

Whereas some felt that the two Tom Cruise movies based on author Lee Child’s bruiser of an MP came up short, Prison Break and Scorpion vet Nick Santora’s take — starring a pretty perfectly cast Alan Ritchson — measured up far better, netting 90 percent+ ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and a rare average grade of “A+” from TVLine readers. So positive was the response that the series was renewed for Season 2 on Prime Video just days after its premiere!

Sharp Objects (HBO Max)

Gone Girl may have gotten the mainstream buzz, but Sharp Objects is arguably Gillian Flynn’s most gripping novel, and HBO’s 2018 adaptation captured its dark, disturbing essence quite well. Led by a trio of scene-stealing women — Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson and Eliza Scanlen; perfect casting all around — the series was as much a creepy whodunnit as it was an exploration of female rage and generational trauma. To this day, Scanlen’s chilling “Don’t tell Mama” sticks with us.

Station Eleven (HBO Max)

Nobody — repeat, nobody — was hankering for a dystopian, post-pandemic yarn not two years into our own COVID-19 nightmare. And yet Patrick Somerville (Made for Love, The Leftovers) took Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel and made it into something a bit more hopeful, by fleshing out some backstories (including Jeevan and young Kirsten’s isolation together) and giving graphic novelist Miranda her own heroic moment.

Watchmen (HBO Max)

Purist fans of Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins’ seminal comic-book series didn’t love HBO’s adaptation, but we couldn’t get enough of Damon Lindelof’s intriguing interpretation. The show wove legacy characters like Dr. Manhattan together with new ones like Sister Night (played by Regina King) in a new story that paid loving homage to the tale that had come before.

Big Little Lies (HBO Max)

Based on the novel by Liane Moriarty, the two-season HBO series boasted an impressive cast (Nicole Kidman! Reese Witherspoon!) that beautifully sold the story’s heightened drama and GIF-worthy bits. It was thrilling to watch its central murder mystery unfold, as the core group of women bobbed and weaved in the bright Monterey sun in order to keep their secret and avoid getting caught. T

Bosch/Bosch: Legacy (Prime Video and Freevee)

Seriously, nothing goes for seven-plus seasons on streaming anymore — and yet Titus Welliver’s run as tireless-turned-retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch, the subject of numerous Michael Connelly novels, keeps on keeping on. Welliver is about as great a Harry as one could want, while the supporting characters (played by Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, the late Lance Reddick, Madison Lintz and Mimi Rogers) richly round out Bosch’s world.

The Boys (Prime Video)

With Hollywood awash in comic book and graphic novel adaptations, we thought we knew what to expect from Prime Video’s take on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic series. But we definitely didn’t. Now heading into its fourth season, the superhero satire manages to be gritty, funny, emotional and stunningly raunchy — often in the same episode. Plus, in Antony Starr’s Homelander, we’ve been gifted one of the most compelling, terrifying TV villains in recent memory.

Dare Me (Netflix)

We were gutted when USA Network didn’t order a second season of the moody 2019 drama that it had ripped from the pages of Megan Abbott’s 2012 novel — and not just because it left us with a helluva cliffhanger, either. A show about cheerleaders eager to reach the top of the pyramid, literally as well as metaphorically, may not sound terribly deep. But it was, in fact, as complex as adolescence — midnight-dark and jagged enough to draw blood. Plus, it ushered into the spotlight Marlo Kelly, whose portrayal of troubled bad girl Beth turned us into her personal pep squad.

*The End of the F***ing World* (Netflix)

Charlie Covell’s adaptation of the beloved graphic novel remains one of Netflix’s most satisfying binges. Told in eight installments that ran as short as 18 minutes, Season 1 told the complete story of James (Alex Lawther), a self-described psychopath on the verge of realizing his true potential, and Alyssa (Jessica Barden), a fellow teen who lured him into a bit of GTA that rapidly segued into a series of audacious capers… and sobering realizations. The Powers That Be took a gigantic risk returning for a second season after the source material had already been exhausted, but the eight-part follow-up proved itself to be a worthwhile (and harrowing) exploration of repressed trauma.

Fleishman Is in Trouble (Hulu)

Hulu’s bittersweet Manhattan divorce dramedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes might have been the most faithful adaptation we’ve seen in years — maybe because book author Taffy Brodesser-Akner created the series and wrote nearly every episode herself. It’s a good thing, too, because her book was a smart, probing look at modern romance and the pitfalls of middle age, and the screen version brought it vividly to life with an exceptional cast, highlighted by terrific turns from Danes and Lizzy Caplan.

The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel about life in a dystopian, theocratic America where women are stripped of rights and forced to breed was the jumping-off point for the Hulu adaptation. But the series, anchored by Elisabeth Moss as June and now heading into its sixth and final season, long ago became its own stunning reflection on/warning signal for misogyny in modern society.

Heartstopper (Netflix)

Those who say that romance is dead have obviously never seen Netflix’s Emmy-winning LGBTQ+ series named after the Alice Oseman graphic novels on which it is based. The show doesn’t just capture the apprehension and joy that accompanies the budding relationship between English teen Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and BMOC Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), it depicts in swoon-worthy style actual frames from the books. So spectacularly sweet and addictive is the streamer’s adaption — also written by Oseman — that we’ve even fought our natural impulse to read ahead, lest we spoil the surprises that we’re sure she has in store.

The Leftovers (HBO Max)

Only Season 1 of HBO’s well-regarded supernatural drama was based on Tom Perrotta’s 2011 novel about the soul-crushing aftermath of a Rapture-like event known as the Sudden Departure. But the author and co-creator Damon Lindelof (Lost) did such a breathtaking job of bringing Perrotta’s book to life that they were invited to add new chapters in the form of a second season, which took Justin Theroux’s Kevin Garvey and Carrie Coon’s Nora Durst from Mapleton, NY, to Jarden, Tex., and a third, which relocated our protagonists to Australia. Miraculously, even when the series diverged from its source material, its quality remained so stunningly high that the show landed at No. 5 on TVLine’s countdown of HBO’s all-time best.

Mrs. Fletcher (HBO)

Based on Tom Perrotta’s 2017 novel, this woefully underappreciated HBO adaptation starred Kathryn Hahn as a single mother who began to explore her own sexuality after her son left for college. And though it leaned heavily into themes of sex and intimacy, the seven-episode miniseries never felt gratuitous; instead, it served up a sensitive, poignant study in what it means to love oneself, anchored by the reliably great Hahn and a star turn from Owen Teague as the delicate Julian.

The Night Manager (Prime Video)

As sleek and sexy as any James Bond movie, this AMC miniseries based on the John le Carre novel starred Tom Hiddleston as a hotel manager recruited to go undercover and win the trust of an infamous arms dealer played with impressive menace by Hugh Laurie. Le Carre’s spy stories have been popular adaptations in Hollywood for years, but this one was a cut above with plenty of twists, nail-biting suspense and a cast that included Olivia Colman and Elizabeth Debicki — and took home a trio of Golden Globes for their troubles.

Wolf Hall (PBS)

Hilary Mantel’s historical novels brought new life and urgency to the dusty old story of King Henry VIII, and the BBC adaptation that aired on PBS in 2015 was a marvel of elegance and emotion. Told through the perspective of the king’s righthand man Thomas Cromwell, it turned his delicate handling of the king’s doomed marriage to Anne Boleyn into a riveting thriller. The cast was top-notch, too, with Mark Rylance as Cromwell, Damian Lewis as Henry and a fiery Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn, a year before her breakout role as The Crown‘s Queen Elizabeth II.