Hi from the U.S of A flower people. I’ve just started reading a little murder mystery based on that oh so popular television series from the 80s, Murder She Wrote.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, the series follows the mishaps and adventures of an older woman from Cabot Cove, Maine as she writes books and solves murders. I’m a big fan of Jessica Fletcher and Murder She Wrote, but this book is not picking up my interest.
It seems that there are a lot of books out there, entire collections of them that are based on television series’, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Star Trek. Some are pretty good and some not so good. Even movies that have been scripted in Hollywood and turned out to be a success are later turned into books for reading, which is a little weird to me.
I can see how Hollywood can take a book and turn it into a movie, but to take a movie and turn it into a book? Like we couldn’t just go see the movie? I don’t suppose you’ve read a tale or two that’s been taken from television and spinned into a book?
Perhaps some television series’ are versitile enough that they can be easily transformed into different mediums like books and even song apparently. Whaddaya say?
Thank you for the memory. I loved that show it ran from 1984 to 1996 starred Broadway actress Angela Landsbury. It is too bad that it didn’t translate into a book well. I think a lot of it depends on the author and how much understand they have of the characters and what worked about the show.
Three television shows come to mind that have worked for me when they continued them into books. All three are science fiction. Quantum Leap and the original 1979 Battlestar Galactica shows had additional books that I enjoyed and still own. Then, I like some of the authors that do the continuation of the Star Trek original series. For this one, it really depends on the authors.
In the late 70s and early 80s, they would take movies and the entire book would be pictures from the film with dialogue bubbles and would tell an abbreviated story. For collecters that was fun.
Personally, I am not interested in books produced from movies. I like movies produced from books because they produce the books before the movie.
I’m right there with you Sarah…
For example, Harry Potter books produced before the movies.. I have read all the HP books and there is a great difference between the books and movies. You get something that is not in the books but in the movies and something else not in the movies but in the books.
Nothing comes to mind with books from films. TV wise I guess there are things like Dr Who books based on the TV show, but I’ve never read any of them.
I’ve read a couple of the Star Trek Next Generation novels – quite a good read. I think the mind tends to fill in the character traits from the tv/film so perhaps writers can get away with more action and less description.
Of course the books give us a chance to ‘hear’ what the character is thinking, mood, emotion rather than just relying on a actors ability (or lack of).
I’ve enjoyed the John Gardner Bond stories – now they would make a good plot for a film version.
Hi Funky,
No not heard of it being the other way round really.
As most of the others, give me a book before the film any day.
Except for anything with Ryan Gosling in it because I can’t drool then.
Mind you, everything I read has Ryan Gosling as the main lead man in my mind anyway.
Movie to a book?
Does the Simpsons count? Weekly shows to a coloring / colouring book?
NO!!
Hey Funky
Books to movie I always read the book first…… except in the case of Pet Cemetry Stephen King.. I read the book and couldnt bring myself to watch the movie…. brrrrrr
but movie to book… I have never read one.. there does seem something not quite right…. hmmm’
Have heard of many bookd though which comes from movies.
there is the murder she wrote, star trek, Dr Who, Friends, Sex in the City, Lord of the Rings (modified from the movie not the original), Pirates of the Carribean and the list goes on…
the ones I find worst than this is the Kids programs and Movies transferred into books. There are far to many to mention, and really gets in on the kids love of characters….
and dont forget the speaking books and CD’s DVD and merchandise which goes along with all of it…
Hmmmmm
I watched that show faithfully, and still watch the reruns. Great stuff.
Let’s see – “South Park” transformed into a series of min-novels. What do you think?
Coffee table books perhaps!
Funkygirl,
Given the size and location of the town, it never ceased to amaze me that Cabbit Cove had such a high murder rate.
In order for a TV show or movie to translate successfully into a book, the book needs to add something significant to that which was shown on television. One possibility is for books to examine in greater depth how the characters are feeling, and any sub-plots which are occurring between the lines.
Hey Funkygirl, I used to relish my time watching Jessica and all her clumsy friends. I have to admit that I don’t know of any movies to have been turned into books except for kids cartoons and shows.