20 of the best TV series developed from books

HBO's 2017 series Big Little Lies is based on the 2014 novel written by Liane Moriarty. The production starred big names like Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley. BLL won an impressive eight Emmys at the 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series. Despite being announced as a miniseries, Moriarty wrote a novella for the show's writers to follow for the second season.

Another miniseries Reese joined was the Hulu original Little Fires Everywhere. It also starred award-winning actress Kerry Washington, who played Witherspoon's talented yet secretive neighbor in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio. According to Scott Donaton, a Hulu executive, within LFE's first 60 days on air, it became the platform's most-watched drama ever.

Piper Kerman wrote about her time in a federal corrections facility in the 2010 memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison. Years later, Netflix acquired the rights and turned it into one of its most acclaimed series ever.

The Amazon Prime original series The Boys first aired in 2019 and is based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book series of the same name. The story follows a group of avengers seeking to fight against superpowered individuals who use their powers for evil. In 2023, a spin-off titled Gen V premiered on Amazon Prime to positive reviews.

Based on the 1985 novel of the same name, Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale immediately became a fan favorite upon its release. The production made its mark during industry award shows, winning eight Emmys in its first season, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The show also won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series in 2018.

Another Netflix series that took the world by storm is the 2022 production Heartstopper. It's based on Alice Oseman's graphic novels of the same name and follows Charlie and Nick — two schoolboys who fall in love with each other. Season 3 of the series began production in October 2023 and should air on the streaming giant within the year.

Mrs. Fletcher (based on Tom Perrotta's 2017 novel) tells the story of Eve, who's going through a mid-life crisis following her divorce. After sending her son, Brendan, off to college for his first year, Eve experiences a renaissance, which causes her to explore a relationship with a younger man and his social circle. Plus, her son has his own awakening while away at school.

The 2020 miniseries The Queen's Gambit premiered on Netflix and became one of the platform's most popular series within weeks, watched by 62 million households. The series also won 11 Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards.

Regina King played Angela Abar in the HBO miniseries Watchmen, an adaptation of the 1986 DC Comics series of the same name. In 2020, she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, and the production won the award for Outstanding Limited Series.

H.G Bissinger's 1990 book Friday Night Lights became a blockbuster hit before NBC turned it into a television series in 2006. The show ran for five seasons before ending in 2011.

Hulu's Normal People tells the story of two lovers navigating life in their final days from high school to their undergraduate years at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

HBO struck gold with their 2021 miniseries Station Eleven. The story follows a group of people who survived a flu pandemic twenty years earlier, trying to make a living as performers before they cross paths with a violent cult leader. The series is based on Emily St. John Mandel's novel of the same name, which has sold over 1.5 million copies.

Netflix's One Day is another romantic slow-burn that you can stream. It's based on David Nicholls' novel, which tells the story of Dexter and Emma, two lovers who connect during their time in college in 1988. Although they go their separate ways shortly after, they promise to stay in touch, and life events, or fate, end up pushing them together.

This Netflix series, based on Deborah Feldman's 2012 memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, premiered in 2020 and received glowing reviews. The story is about a young woman who escapes her "ultra-Orthodox community" and arranged marriage in Brooklyn and flees Berlin with her estranged mother. Upon trying to live a "secular" life, her past catches up to her when her husband travels to find her by order of their rabbi.

Shonda Rhimes is known for creating epic TV shows like Scandal and Grey's Anatomy. But we can't forget about the Netflix series Bridgerton. Like the others on this list, the show is based on books written by Julia Quinn and has become one of Netflix's most talked-about productions, with over 627 million hours watched.

ABC's Pretty Little Liars was quite an intense murder mystery for a teen drama. The series loosely follows Sara Shepard's novel of the same name and stars Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Ian Harding.

We all love Gossip Girl. The series, which ran from 2007 to 2012, was based on Cecily von Ziegesar's novel of the same name and became an instant classic. It starred A-listers like Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen, Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf, and Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an FBI agent, Netflix's Mindhunter is the show for you. The story follows John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker's book of the same name, and it ran on the streaming platform for two seasons before its cancellation in 2023. It starred Broadway actor and singer Jonathan Groff, who received a Satellite Award in 2018 for Best Actor in a Drama.

Netflix's 2017 creation, 13 Reasons Why (based on the 2007 novel Thirteen Reasons Why), became one of the platform's most famous series. It ran for four seasons and 49 episodes and received several nominations, including four People's Choice Awards.

This HBO series needs no explanation. Game of Thrones ran from 2011 to 2019, airing 73 episodes and eight seasons, and garnered several awards. The show's success led to its spin-off, House of the Dragon, which is currently in production for Season 2.