Share and Follow
Book-to-TV adaptations seem to be in their heyday, as we’ve come a long way from exclaiming “The book was better” after every release. With more and more novels being turned into television shows, it appears the extended runtime is improving the quality of such projects. And 2022 has brought us some impressive jumps from the page to the screen. Read on to learn our top book-to-TV adaptations of the year.
‘The Rings of Power’ takes lore and turns it into something more
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power isn’t a direct book-to-TV adaptation, but that’s part of the reason it’s so impressive. The Prime Video series takes J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings — including appendices and footnotes — and transforms them into a greater narrative. In doing so, it tells the story of Middle-earth’s Second Age, a time period not dwelled on in Tolkien’s source material.
Needless to say, The Rings of Power brings something new to the table while remaining true to what came before. It’s a fantasy feast that makes The Lord of the Rings franchise that much richer. And with its gripping storylines and layered characters, it’s accessible to newcomers as well. It’s easy to see why Amazon greenlit multiple seasons of this show.
The Rings of Power Season 1 is streaming on Prime Video.
‘House of the Dragon’ is a book-to-TV adaptation that adds depth
House of the Dragon is another one of 2022’s best book-to-TV adaptations, and it’s got something in common with The Rings of Power. Like The Lord of the Rings series, the Game of Thrones prequel expands upon a world we already know and love. And although it takes its characters and history from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, it breathes new life into the source material.
Fire & Blood recounts the Targaryen dynasty as a historical text would, but such detached writing doesn’t make for good television. House of the Dragon thrusts viewers into the characters’ heads rather than describing them from another person’s perspective. As such, its story has that much more of an impact.
Stream House of the Dragon Season 1 on HBO Max.
‘Heartstopper’ is 1 of the sweetest book-to-TV adaptations of 2022
Heartstopper debuted on Netflix back in April, and as young adult book-to-TV adaptations go, it’s one of the better ones to emerge in recent years. Based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels of the same name, the series tells a coming-of-age story about two boys falling in love.
Heartstopper‘s LGBTQ representation alone sets the bar high for other shows, and the series captures the feeling of the source material with ease. Fans of the Heartstopper books will definitely feel like they’ve fallen face-first into Oseman’s books. Not many adaptations can pull that off.
Heartstopper is currently streaming on Netflix.
‘Interview With the Vampire’
Book-to-TV adaptations sometimes work better than book-to-film ones, and AMC’s Interview With the Vampire is proof of that fact. Although Anne Rice’s novel was made into a movie back in 1994, it didn’t accumulate the same level of popularity as the source material.
AMC adapted Rice’s story as a television series earlier this year, and it’s done a much better job at bringing her tale to life. From the atmosphere to the writing, it feels like the creators have a solid grasp on the story they’re telling. With any luck, they’ll get the chance to dig deeply into the rest of the Vampire Chronicles series as well. With season 2 already greenlit, there’s certainly hope!
Stream Interview With the Vampire on AMC+.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
