What book/book series would you like to see made into a TV show?

Ryujin · Jan 9, 2016

Eltab said:
Try to re-make _Dune_ as a mini-series. It's too big to fit in a movie, as has been demonstrated twice.

I'd like to see something from Niven's _Known Space_ series. Gil the Arm seems the best prospect, figuring you won't have to re-introduce 500 years of future history so the audience can 'get it' when technology happens. Beowulf Schaffer is Plan B. One story per planet in the solar system might work, too. (Although ... I personally want to become a human protector when I grow up.)

Star Wars novels: the Thrawn trilogy.

Candidate for the "Nobody actually makes season-long TV shows any more" award: Azimov's _Foundation_ series (all of them, although imo the first novels were the best).

Have you seen the "Dune" miniseries from 2000? It was made in three parts, for SciFi (when they were still known as that), and was pretty well done. It's available on Amazon, on DVD. Definitely better than the 1984 movie, from where I sit.

http://www.amazon.com/Dune-Special-Edition-Directors-Cut/dp/B0000639EV

Mishihari Lord · Jan 9, 2016

Eltab said:
Try to re-make _Dune_ as a mini-series. It's too big to fit in a movie, as has been demonstrated twice.

I'd like to see something from Niven's _Known Space_ series. Gil the Arm seems the best prospect, figuring you won't have to re-introduce 500 years of future history so the audience can 'get it' when technology happens. Beowulf Schaffer is Plan B. One story per planet in the solar system might work, too. (Although ... I personally want to become a human protector when I grow up.)

Star Wars novels: the Thrawn trilogy.

Candidate for the "Nobody actually makes season-long TV shows any more" award: Azimov's _Foundation_ series (all of them, although imo the first novels were the best).

Gil the Arm is very good, but I'd rather see Ringworld. With much of the world already familiar with the Halo game it shouldn't be too big a reach.

Yes also, to the Thrawn books. I was hoping episode 7-9 would be based on the books. They're pretty much the only Star Wars books I've enjoyed since Alan Dean Foster's Splinter of the Mind's Eye back in the 80's.

The Foundation books, on the other hand, I found very dull.

MarkB · Jan 9, 2016

The main problem with making a Foundation series is the long timescale and changing focus that means we never get to stick with a consistent cast. It'd be difficult to make it into something that viewers would stick with.

If I were going to televise anything Asimov-based, I'd go with the Elijah Bailey / Daneel Olivaw novels - they're some of Asimov's strongest characters. Heck, turn it into a full-on futuristic police procedural, with the events of the novels woven in as season highlights.

Sky have taken a couple of stabs at Discworld productions, but I'd love to see a series done properly, with a decent budget. Start with Guards! Guards! and spend the money in the pilot getting Ankh-Morpork really solidly established, then follow the Night Watch characters initially, expand to the other Ankh-Morpork novels, and build from there.

Bedrockgames · Jan 9, 2016

MarkB said:
The main problem with making a Foundation series is the long timescale and changing focus that means we never get to stick with a consistent cast. It'd be difficult to make it into something that viewers would stick with.

If I were going to televise anything Asimov-based, I'd go with the Elijah Bailey / Daneel Olivaw novels - they're some of Asimov's strongest characters. Heck, turn it into a full-on futuristic police procedural, with the events of the novels woven in as season highlights.

Sky have taken a couple of stabs at Discworld productions, but I'd love to see a series done properly, with a decent budget. Start with Guards! Guards! and spend the money in the pilot getting Ankh-Morpork really solidly established, then follow the Night Watch characters initially, expand to the other Ankh-Morpork novels, and build from there.

I loved Foundation but it is an example of science fiction that I don't think would translate well into television or film. It is the kind of writing that needs substantial exposition (and that isn't a bad thing in that particular case) and I think the scale is all off for a film. It really is like reading the decline and fall of the Roman Empire rather than watching a regular serial.

Dannyalcatraz · Jan 9, 2016

Foundation could be done like American Horror Story- one story arc per season, with actors reprising characters as needed for crossovers/flashbacks.

Bedrockgames · Jan 9, 2016

Dannyalcatraz said:
Foundation could be done like American Horror Story- one story arc per season, with actors reprising characters as needed for crossovers/flashbacks.

I agree they could. I guess my point was much of the pleasure of the book comes from the explanations of the concepts and the history. I suppose if they had a character who could deliver that information to the viewer in an engaging way (like Fox Mulder or something) it could work.

Richards · Jan 9, 2016

I second the "Book of the New Sun" and "Ringworld" suggestions. I'd also like to see a TV series based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs "Barsoom" novels, although that would probably be prohibitively expensive if not done as a cartoon.

Johnathan

Eltab · Jan 9, 2016

Richards said:
I'd also like to see a TV series based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs "Barsoom" novels.

Is that where John Carter of Mars came from? If so, Disney might try to 'ee' in your 'ool' - especially if you do a better job than they did.

Eltab · Jan 9, 2016

Bedrockgames said:
I suppose if they had a character who could deliver that information to the viewer in an engaging way (like Fox Mulder or something) it could work.

Introduce a kid character (whose family name is Seldon?) who lives in the Reborn Galactic Empire who is studying his History homework. Every week he has to look up some important concept, and while he is flipping through other pages he also sees ... this week's episode.

Hand of Evil · Jan 9, 2016

Conan or Salomon Kane could make for a good TV show.

What book/book series would you like to see made into a TV show?

Ryujin

Legend

Mishihari Lord

First Post

MarkB

Legend

Bedrockgames

Legend

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Bedrockgames

Legend

Richards

Legend

Eltab

Lord of the Hidden Layer

Eltab

Lord of the Hidden Layer

Hand of Evil

Hero

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