Site Meter Genre Fiction » Blog Archive » From the Pages to the Small Screen

From the Pages to the Small Screen

by Sally Andersen

I love seeing one of my favorite characters from novel turned into a live action one on big screen. But what about the small screen? One of the highly talked about premieres on TV this fall is based on a best-selling book series, so I’ve been thinking: what TV shows of past got their origins from a fiction read?

* The Flying Nun, starring Sally Field, aired from 1967 to 1970. Inspiration for the show came from the 1966 book The Fifteenth Pelican by Tere Rios.

* I had such high hopes for Heather Graham’s 2006 TV debut Emily’s Reasons Why Not. The previews had me excited. I even bought the book of the same name by Carrie Gerlach when I saw it at a used bookstore. However, ABC canceled the show after airing only one episode. Regardless, it’s a TV series that was based on a book.

* No book-to-TV(-to-movie) list would be complete without Candace Bushnell’s Sex and the City. It was originally published in 1997 and immediately swiped up by TV execs for a 1998 TV premiere … and we all know where it went from there.

* TV for the kids is a constant example. Book-inspired shows include Winnie the Pooh, Arthur, Charlie and Lola, and more.

* Classic detectives tend to have novel beginnings: Sherlock Holmes, the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, Perry Mason, and on, and on.

* Another few that seem to lump together, although I can’t decide why, are Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, and the like.

* One of the newer shows is Dexter. This Showtime story of a serial killer struggling with his murderous desires comes directly from the 2004 novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay.

* Sweet Valley High was more popular as the infinitely large collection of pre-teen books by Francine Pascal, but Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield (yes, I came up with the twin characters’ names from memory, immediately) brought in their share of TV viewers as a series that ran from 1994 to 1997.

* Comic books are also a constant source for TV superheroes, both cartoon and live action.

Now, about the upcoming 2008 fall season … which anticipated drama is based on a series of novels?

Check out an elaborate list of all things book-to-TV.


Posted in Adapted for Film, Bestsellers, Classics on September 4th, 2008

Link to this Entry

Recent Posts

Related Posts

Leave a Reply


About Genre Fiction

There's nothing quite the same as a good fiction novel. They weave you through triumphs and struggles, real life situations and fantasy lands, great characters that become like best friends and sickening antagonists. But how do you choose a good fiction book? How do you decide which stories will be worth getting to know? Genre Fiction has all these answers and more! Keep up with which books are soaring the bestsellers lists, which writers are on tour, and which books are being made into films. Read reviews of fiction books from both yesterday and today. Delve into the authors' lives. Most of all, find good fiction books to add to your shelf.

Genre Fiction Author(s)
    » Sally-Andersen

NAVIGATE

LINKS

CATEGORIES

TOP COMMENTERS

RECENT COMMENTS

SUBSCRIBE

ARCHIVES

Blogging Flair

 

Books & Writing Channel Posts

  • Random Word Bank Wednesday
    Hello once again everyone! Welcome to another mid-week random word bank. I rather like random word banks. There is a challenge in them that not only gets your mind working, but you can also end up [...]
  • Book Spotlight: Blackbird, Farewell by Robert Greer
    Shandell “Blackbird” Bird has everything going for him, or so he thinks. Recently selected number two overall in the NBA draft, the six foot eight, 250-pound superstar has a gleaming new ride and [...]
  • Avoidance Tactics
    Okay. The house is quiet – as quiet as it will ever get, anyway – and it’s time to write. No distractions, just pure writing time. Pure writing time that you have been waiting for so long. Now [...]
  • Teaser Tuesdays
    (If you're like me and can't really make out the blog address on the graphic, don't worry; click on the image and it will take you to where you need to go. :) ) TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to: # [...]
  • Tuesday Book List of Water
    You would think something as simple as drinking water would be easy, but I keep forgetting! I'm supposed to be drinking so much water a day and... Well, I'm trying. Meh. I've joined up with not [...]
  • What I'm Reading
    I'm behind, I have a migraine, and I'm trying to get work done. What does that equal? A post about all the things I'm reading. *Stone Soup - Another Monday, another giveaway. *The Great [...]
  • Contemplating Sacrifice
    I find myself at a crossroads of sorts lately. I work from home and make my income from the work I do online. I’m a professional blogger, virtual book tour coordinator and freelance writer. [...]
  • Sunday Scribblings on Monday
    I wrote this for Sunday Scribblings on Write Anyway, but I thought it would be a good contemplation post to put here. Let me know what you think. On to Sunday Scribbling 137 - Stranger When I [...]
  • Musical Monday - Amanda Marshall
    This weekend went too fast! I think we should get another day of weekend. Or maybe just give us all a week off. What do you think? Pout, pout, pout. Okay, now that's out of my system... [...]
  • A Book by Any Other Name - Thanks
    Welcome to this week’s A Book By Any Other Name! The game works like this: Each week I will choose a word and offer a few titles that I’ve come up with containing that word in the title. Then [...]

 

Hot Off The Press

  • Louise Swartswalter Albuquerque Natural Health Center
    [caption id="attachment_832" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Listen to Danie Cobb speak"][/caption] Louise Swartswalter managed to heal herself from multiple conditions for the love of her [...]
  • WWE Divas Bella Twins "Plural in Pink" - Photos, Boogeyman Returns
    [gallery] -Today YOUR WWE DailyDiva, is Nikki and Brie Bella, The Bella Twins.."Plural in Pink"....Enoy!! -On last night's edition of ECW, it was announced that Boogeyman would be making his [...]
  • Guess What We're On? And Brad on Oprah Tonight!
    Okay, first thing's first: Brad's on Oprah TONIGHT! At 4 pm EST his show will air and even though I'm not a huge Oprah fan, I plan on watching the show and posting the transcript. Yes, I'll be [...]
  • Angelina says breastfeeding twins is hard
    First of all, forgive me for writing yet another post about Angelina Jolie. I promise that I will only talk about her briefly. Second of all, duh. Yes. Breastfeeding is hard. Angelina said that [...]
  • Book Spotlight: Blackbird, Farewell by Robert Greer
    Shandell “Blackbird” Bird has everything going for him, or so he thinks. Recently selected number two overall in the NBA draft, the six foot eight, 250-pound superstar has a gleaming new ride and [...]
  • Designers Attempt to Survive Economy
    We may be in the midst of an economic hardship, but not everyone is feeling it just yet - Burberry just reported a 13.1 percent rise in revenue. They are not the norm, however. Brands that once [...]
  • WWE Launches Online Social NeTwork
    WWE issued this press release today: WWE.COM LAUNCHES MUCH ANTICIPATED ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK November 19, 2008 STAMFORD, Conn., November 19, 2008 - World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. [...]
  • Student group assists National Park Service with dam removal
    BOONE— The Appalachian State University Chapter of Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway spent a recent Saturday helping National Park Service employees remove debris from a dismantled dam at Sims [...]
  • Googled: Silvia Karman Cubiñá ’87
    On October 1, Silvia Karman Cubiñá ’87 was appointed director and chief curator of the 45-year-old Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach. The museum, which has a permanent collection of [...]
  • Center-Right Socialism
    THE PROGRESSIVE POPULIST: A JOURNAL FROM THE HEARTLAND December 1, 2008 -- Volume 14, Number 21 http://www.populist.com EDITORIAL Center-Right Socialism Who was not moved by the sight of [...]