Welcome to another week of Question of the Day. I hope you all had great weekends.
Today's question comes from Pigeon666 who asks.
"What TV show based on a book is your favourite?"
Here are a few of my favourites that I can think of.
Dexter - Based on the novels by Jeff Lindsay
True Blood - Based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries books by Charlaine Harris
Boardwalk Empire - Based on the Nelson Johnson book, “Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City”
The Dresden Files - Based on the series by Jim Butcher.
Bones - Based on the books by real-life forensic anthropologist, Kathy Reichs. The first book was Déjà Dead in 1997
The Walking Dead - Based on a comic book series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard
For me my favourite is Dexter, which the TV show followed the first book but then went it's own way for subsequent seasons.
What about you? What are some of your favourite shows that have been based on books, and which is your all-time favourite.
You can see previous Questions of the Day here.
The Vampire Diaries and The Walking Dead
ReplyDeleteBones, Legend of the Seeker, True Blood and Vampire Diaries
ReplyDeleteAs for now - Dexter, The Walking Dead & True Blood. But I'm really looking forward to Game of Thrones.
ReplyDeleteI'm also curious how this movie/TV adaption of The Dark Tower will turn out. I'm pretty sceptical about it.
Bones, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Dexter, and The Vampire Diaries (even though I never read any of the bks)
ReplyDeleteThe Vampire Diaries.
ReplyDeleteThe Walking Dead
ReplyDeleteBones :)
ReplyDeleteI don't watch any of those listed above but I love Rizzoli & Isles, I'm currently reading "The Apprentice" the 2nd book in the series and I love the books too!!
ReplyDeleteOne that coming later this year is HBO Game of thrones by George RR Martin
ReplyDeleteHmmm....that's a hard one. I generally never enjoy both the books and the show if I'm familiar with both. I suppose it also matters how well you know the books. The longer you've had to create a picture of the character in your head, the harder it is to accept someone else's view. I think I'm more prone to enjoy things like Kindred, the Embraced which was based on Mark Rein-Hagen's game manual, rather than say the True Blood show, which I feel is too far from the books (I gave it up after season 1) or Vampire Diaries, where I just found the books boring.
ReplyDeleteThe Vampire Diaries and True blood.
ReplyDeleteThe Vampire Diaries and the late lamented Legend of the Seeker, although I never read the books.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Dexter. I just finished the first novel and was a little underwhelmed, but that may have been due to the fact that the first season was essentially the first novel. I'm sure the later books will be more impressive.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, GoT is going to be the most awesome thing EVER. The novels are the BEST novels I have ever ever ever read and I can't wait for HBO's adaptation.
I also love the Dresden Files novels, but have yet to check out the show. Is it any good?
Finally, I couldn't stand the novel versions of True Blood and Vampire Diaries, though I watch the shows.
Darthlocke: I am going to go with Boardwalk Empire, but True Blood is a close second.
ReplyDeleteBones!
ReplyDeleteTrue Blood. Love the books and the show equally. The Vampire Diaries is awesome on TV, but the books are horrible IMO. I've never read the PLL or GG books, but I like the shows(well mostly, not always).
ReplyDeleteThe Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars and Bones
ReplyDeleteBONES!!
ReplyDeleteThe walking dead and True Blood for me. The Kathy Reichs books I read before the TV show and find them to be very different I can't picture Emily and David in the lead roles.
ReplyDeleteTrue blood!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love The Walking Dead too, but I haven´t read the book (comic).
BONES!!!!! and The Vampire Diaries
ReplyDeleteDexter and Gossip Girl
ReplyDeleteJustified and The Walking Dead
ReplyDeleteBONES !
ReplyDeleteBones!!! I have all her books! :) and DVD seasons!
ReplyDeleteWow this one is hard to choose. I Love Dexter, and I read the first three books, but in my opinion, the TV Dexter is way cooler than the literary Dexter. I also really like True Blood, but I'm not as attached to it as Dexter. I tried to read one of the later books from the Sookie Stackhouse series, can't remember which one, Dead something, I just couldn't bring myself to finish it, and I hope the series doesn't get as kooky as the books are. But I have to say the The Walking Dead, is Awesome.It is so much more than just a zombie show. It has that cinematic quality to it like LOST did, and it had very good acting and dramatic writing, not to mention the directing and the score. I can't wait till October when it comes back on, and hopefully it will be a longer season as well.
ReplyDeleteThere are distinct differences in the TV Dexter and the literary Dexter. I have read the first three myself and really liked them. But the two dexters are quite different in my opinion, I prefer the TV Dexter.
ReplyDeleteOh and I too really hated the Sookie Stackhouse book I read.
The Vampire Diaries, True Blood and The Walking Dead.
ReplyDeleteI got to go Dresden Files. I loved that show, i was sad when SciFi (Syfy) didn't pick it up.
ReplyDeleteHow could I forget Haven? Although it is only loosely based, on the Stephen King book: The Colorodo Kid, it has captured my attention this past Summer. I do have to say it almost lost me near the latter middle part of the season. I missed a couple of episodes toward the end of the season, but I caught up with recaps, and the "Previously on Haven...". I watched the last two episodes, and I was loving it. The whole Audry might not be Audry cliffhanger, and the fact that she was the same age now as she was in the past in that picture, and that the whole town seems to know something, and she is totally in the dark just screams of some time travel in the future of the plot. I mean how else can that have happened without her knowledge? The only way I know is that she hasn't experienced that photo yet, because she hasn't been to the past yet. I love Time travel it is like my crack.
ReplyDeleteEasy: Legend of the Seeker followed closely by jPod
ReplyDeleteAgree completely about the styles. First of all, the alliteration is kind of a strange device to be using. Second of all, the Dexter in the novel is... strange. I mean, I get that he's a serial killer and so he has an interesting point of view, but I find his television counterpart much more... relatable? Lol, no that's not quite the right word. Regardless, definitely like the show better, but I will be checking out the next few books.
ReplyDeleteTo me the books make Dexter a two part character. There is the Dexter that we all know who does his day to day business but the difference there is that he hates blood, it is just a necessary evil in his line of work. He seems a little more normal than the TV Dexter. Part two is "The Dark Passenger". In the books TDP is made out to be this almost outside demonic force that invades his thoughts from time to time, and it seems to give Dexter this sort of spider sense. Also the Book Dexter seems less routine about his Modus Operandi, and his "disposal" methods.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the TV Dexter is really way creepier, and the show only rarely brings up TDP, but when it does it seems to be a more internal thing than an outside influence. Michael C Hall is a brilliant actor, but try as I may have, when reading the novels, i just couldn't picture that Dexter as Michael C Hall, I just picture some faceless man. Weird huh.
Tough choice!
ReplyDeleteTrue Blood based on Charlaine Harris' books,
Dexter, but if anyone has read the book Dexter is based on there is little comparison to the series. The book is so much less detailed.
Justified is based on short stories by Elmore Leonard.
Prime Suspect and Above Suspicion are based on Lynda La Plante books.
I loved The Red Riding Trilogy based on David Peace's Red Riding Quadrilogy.
MY favorite woule have to be Wire in the Blood is based on books by Val McDermid.... Atleast until Game of Thrones based on books by George RR Martin comes out.
TV Dexter has so many more layers and all those layers are so nuanced. The seies is just so much more fleshed out and grounded to than the books, but I only read the first book in its entirety since they do not do much for me .
ReplyDeleteI actually prefer Charlaine Harris' books to True Blood, but I enjoy the more narrow scope of the books. All from Sookie's perspective and not as many tangential plots to distract.
ReplyDeleteA Song of Ice and Fire series by GRRM may be some of the best books I have ever read... at least in the "fantasy" genre. So grounded in reailty(this alternate reality of the book) , written for adults with disturbing themes that make it seem so much more real to me. If characters are in situations whee they should die... they die. Regardless of whether or not they are main characters to that point. So many novels ignore sex or just touch on it in the abstract, but in the series sex (while not being overly graphic) is very much a part of the world. Unpredictable and detailed. Not like much out out there that I have read!
The fact that characters die or are seriously wounded is my favourite element of the GRRM books. When I began the first novel, it opened with a fairly stereotypical fantasy prologue followed by a situation in which six children receive Direwolf Pups as pets. "THEY MUST BE CHILDREN OF PROPHECY" was my first thought. My second thought was "I guess nothing terrible is ever going to happen to them..."
ReplyDeleteThen we get the SPOILER ALERT Bran situation a few hundred pages later and I knew I was in for a treat :). Then Lady and, of course, the end of GoT. Never mind the Red Wedding in SoS. Everything is just so surprising. I spent plenty of time physically sweating or legitimately nervous for characters when they were in dire situations. I can't wait to see it on television. Or to read DwD of course lol.
The Dresden Files definitely! AAH <3 I miss that show SO much. And on a side note, I love the Southern Vampire book series. :) :) :)
ReplyDeleteIF Dance with Dragons ever comes out! LOL How long is it now 1500 pages? and to think there is allegedly two MORE books after that!
ReplyDeleteLegend Of The Seeker, The Vampire Diaries and Bones
ReplyDeleteBones, Legend of the Seeker and Vampire Diaries
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Dexter,Bones and Legend of the Seeker but also i like the Walking Dead which is based on a comic...
ReplyDeleteDexter and vampire diaries
ReplyDeleteThey're the only ones I've seen bit they're both awesome!!
IMO the Dexter books, at least the first two are better than the first two seasons
But vampire diaries is much much better than the books!!
The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Legend of the Seeker, and (I'm hoping) Game of Thrones once it airs.
ReplyDeleteomg of course bones!!!
ReplyDeleteTrue Blood, Dexter and british series Wire in the Blood based on characters created by Val McDermid.
ReplyDeleteBones and legend of the seekers. (though didnt like the bones' book)
ReplyDeletebones!!
ReplyDelete:D I highly recommend readin the first 4 books
ReplyDeleteBones :)
ReplyDeleteBones, Gossip Girl and True Blood in that order
ReplyDeleteDexter and True Blood
ReplyDeletedo I have to like the source material?
ReplyDeletetied for #1 Vampire Diaries, Dexter, and True Blood -- #2 is Walking Dead
The Vampire Diaries and Bones
ReplyDeleteBones. I have all of the books :)
ReplyDelete