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TV shows based on books have been making quite a splash over the last few years, but the trend of finding small-screen inspiration from literature has been around for a while now.
While most people know that shows such as Game of Thrones and The Handmaid’s Tale are based off books, there are a lot of other shows that you may be surprised to find out were inspired by books as well. Here are six shows you may not have known were books first.
1) Bones
During the long, 12-season run of Bones, few people were aware that this show about a socially awkward forensic anthropologist named Temperance Brennan started as a book series. Author Kathy Reichs is herself a forensic anthropologist, as well as one of the show’s executive producers. The Temperance Brennan crime novels differ significantly from the show, however. Dr. Brennan in the books is a divorced, 40-something recovering alcoholic who has the occasional fling with Canadian detective Andrew Ryan.
2) Friday Night Lights
Though many Friday Night Lights fans knew about the movie that preceded the show, few also knew that both the movie and the show were based off a 1990 book by the same name. The TV show expanded on the scope and timeline of the book, following the characters beyond the one-year storyline given to them on the page. It also went on to tackle issues of racial tension and small-town politics.
3) Outlander
Fans of the original book series were no doubt unsurprised when the Outlander TV show took off in popularity. Just like the show, the books are brimming with tales of sizzling romance that keep you coming back for more. The first book in the series was published back in 1991. It was followed by seven more novels, with a ninth book still forthcoming. The show attempts to stay fairly true to its source material.
4) Pretty Little Liars
Before it became a popular teen TV show, Pretty Little Liars started off as a popular teen book series by the same name. Though the TV show initially followed its source material quite closely, it had taken on a life of its own by the end the second season. Some of the key differences between the show and the book series lie in the characters. Many important book characters failed to make the show, while the show itself introduced numerous characters who were not in the books.
5) The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is another great example of a hit series that started off as a popular teen book series. Prior to the show’s debut in 2009, the books already had a dedicated fanbase. The fanbase was so passionate, in fact, that many did not take kindly to some of the changes made by showrunners, particularly the main character’s change from a blonde to a brunette. Despite this initial scandal, the show ran for eight long seasons.
6) Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl can be credited in large part with starting the trend of creating TV shows out of popular young adult book series. Though the show took its initial inspiration from the books, it quickly diverged into its own story. The central romance between main characters Chuck and Blair is a show-only development. The reveal of who Gossip Girl actually is likewise only happened in the TV show, remaining a mystery in the book series.
One of the best things about book-based TV shows is that if you fall in love with the characters and the stories, you now have two mediums in which to enjoy them. If you’re looking for something new to watch and/or read, then these six shows are a great place to start.
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