12 TV Shows You Didn't Realize Were Based On Books

Many of the most famous films in Hollywood history were based on books, from "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park" to Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Creative changes are often made, like the new characters added to "The Lord of the Rings" movies, but that usually doesn't stop readers and new fans alike from enjoying them. The same can be said for TV: Many of the most successful shows ever made were originally books.

Some obvious examples are "Game of Thrones," which was based on George R.R. Martin's high fantasy novel series "A Song of Ice and Fire," and "Bridgerton," which was adapted from a set of Regency romance novels by Julia Quinn. However, there are many examples of TV series that you may not know were based on books. From hit Netflix shows to British spy thrillers that took the world by storm, the following shows all began life on the page.

"Dexter" is all about Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a forensic bloodstain analyst with the Miami Metro Police Department. However, he has a secret: he's also a vigilante serial killer. This is a result of trauma from seeing his mother brutally murdered as a toddler. By channeling his murderous urges into killing criminals, Dexter believes he's performing some kind of justice in the world, since typically these people haven't been caught or evade detection. The show's eight seasons follow Dexter as he tries to have a "normal" life while hiding his serial killer persona.

The first season of "Dexter" is based on the 2004 book "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay. Several of the situations Dexter faces are ripped straight from the pages of the novel, such as the serial killer Dexter goes after. However, while the book series also has eight installments, these were not adapted for the screen. Though many of the same characters appear, they have distinct stories and fates, with some serial killers even being given different names despite carrying out similar crimes. The last book about Dexter, 2015's "Dexter Is Dead," has a significantly different ending for the titular character than the Showtime project, so if you were unhappy with his on-screen fate, you might like his journey in the books more.

"The Queen's Gambit" stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, an orphan who becomes a chess prodigy in the 1950s, a time when female chess players had no route to the top of the game. She learns how to play in her orphanage and begins to compete at a higher level after she's adopted. However, with the rise of her chess career, she forms a dependence on alcohol and drugs. This is rooted in the so-called treatment she received at the orphanage and personal issues stemming from the death of her adoptive mother, Alma (Marielle Heller).

Though some may think that "The Queen's Gambit" is based on a true story, the Netflix miniseries is actually an adaptation of the 1983 book of the same name by Walter Tevis, a work of fiction. While the show took some creative liberties with the material, the core themes still remain: addiction, feminism, and family. Though considered a fairly faithful adaptation of Tevis' story, there are some changes, notably concerning Beth's relationship with her adoptive mother — they aren't as close in the book so Beth isn't impacted by Alma's death quite as much.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

What happens when an M16 officer is assigned a case and the assassin she's meant to go after becomes obsessed with her? That's exactly what the hit British series "Killing Eve" is all about. Eve (Sandra Oh), the aforementioned M16 officer, is part of an undercover team, but that doesn't stop her target, Villanelle (Jodie Comer), from finding out everything about her. It's an odd relationship, since they both feed on it to extreme extents at times. The cat and mouse game that plays out over the show's four seasons leads to near-death experiences and life-changing situations.

"Killing Eve" is based on the "Villanelle" series by Luke Jennings. The first book, "Codename Villanelle," is four novellas that were originally released as e-books put together into one published work. The first season incorporates several plot points from it, though later seasons take a different direction from the two sequel books (the ending of the "Killing Eve" series is different, for example). Jennings did collaborate with the show's creative team, meaning the nature of Eve and Villanelle's relationship remains similar, even if the plots aren't the same.

The Netflix limited series "One Day" follows the decade-and-a-half long story of Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall), two people who originally meet after their college graduation from the University of Edinburgh. It's a push and pull as they fall out of touch and then reconnect over the years, both of them on different pages at times, and the highs and lows that come with that, especially as they move from a friendship to a romantic relationship. Their lives are moving in different directions, but they somehow still end up finding each other, even if it might feel a touch too late by the end.

"One Day" is based on David Nicholls' 2009 book of the same name, with each chapter visiting them on the same day over the span of two decades. The most significant change made in the adaptation is the timeline. Events are moved up slightly compared to the book, with certain trips and situations taking place one to three years earlier in the show. Other than additional minor changes, like character names, the Netflix series is a pretty faithful adaptation, capturing the heartbreak their story ultimately ends with.

The British period drama series "Call the Midwife" chronicles the personal and professional lives of a group of midwives in the 1950s through to the 1970s. Working in London, they serve a wide variety of people, helping them with pregnancy, birth, and through the post-partum period. The midwives deal with everything from disease outbreaks and addiction issues to the introduction of birth control pills in the 1960s. The on-going, BAFTA-winning show started airing in 2012 and there are currently 14 seasons to consume

"Call the Midwife" is based on the memoirs of a British nurse who served as a midwife in the East End of London in the 1950s. In "Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s," Jennifer Worth describes her life at the time and the cases she saw during her work. Worth's other books in her Midwife Trilogy ("Shadows of the Workhouse" and "Farewell to the East End: The Last Days of the East End Midwives") also serve as inspiration for events in the series, though it's been going for so long now that the creators have had to come up with some original material.

"Mindhunter" is a crime thriller series about the development of the Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI. Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) interview serial killers, learning about them and developing the profiling methods used to solve cases today. Across two seasons the special agents interview killers like Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton) and the BTK Killer (Sonny Valicenti) while also helping solve active cases, dealing with things in their personal lives, and facing the struggles of securing funding within the FBI for their work.

The Netflix show is based on the non-fiction book "Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit" by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Published in 1995, the book lifts the lid on Douglas' work as an agent and the serial killers he profiled. Though Ford and Tench are fictional agents, they're based on the work Douglas and others did to develop the FBI's methods for criminal profiling. Of course, like any adaptation, some creative liberties are taken. "Mindhunter" isn't the show to watch for completely accurate portrayals of serial killers, but if you're interested in a dramatization of how criminal profiling began, it's a must-watch.

"Not Dead Yet" is an ABC sitcom about a woman who returns to her old job in California after her new life in London collapses. Nell (Gina Rodriguez) is a journalist who doesn't get along with her boss. Upon her return to work, she's saddled with writing obituaries. The thing is, she can also see ghosts, which uniquely informs her new duties. While Nell comes to terms with seeing ghosts and how that impacts her life and career, she also runs into issues with her ex and is forced to make tricky decisions regarding their relationship.

The series is based on the 2020 book "Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up" by Alexandra Potter. There is one significant difference between the book and the TV show: Nell cannot see ghosts in the former. That makes it a very different story. However, the theme of taking life as it comes — even if it isn't what you planned — still rings true in both. Also, Cricket (the first widow Nell speaks to when she starts writing again) is just as important in the adaptation as she is in the book, solidifying the importance of friendship.

Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) work together to solve crime in "Bones." Like any police procedural, the show follows a different case most episodes, though there are some overarching serial killers who come back to haunt the team at the fictional Jeffersonian Institute. From the Grave Digger to the hacktivist Christopher Pelant, there is always a bigger force they're trying to take down. When they aren't in the middle of a case (and even sometimes when they are), Brennan and Booth are arguing about logic, religion, and life, since they don't see eye to eye about any of it.

The 12-season show is based on a set of books by Dr. Kathy Reichs, a real-life forensic anthropologist. She continues to publish books today, giving "Bones" fans another avenue to follow Brennan's work if they miss seeing her on screen. However, while the TV adaptation uses the same name for its main character, that's where the similarities between the two end — even the best episodes of "Bones" aren't based on the books. There is, at least, a bit of a meta reference in "Bones," as Brennan writes crime novels about a forensic anthropologist named Kathy Reichs.

"M*A*S*H" features doctors and staff stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea during the Korean War. While it's technically a sitcom with its half-hour episodes and laugh track, it's more of a comedy-drama because of the nature of the series. It often highlights the tensions between those who willingly joined the military and those who were drafted while also making subtle commentary on the Cold War, which was ongoing when the show aired. The writers usually did this via Alan Alda's Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, the only character to appear in every single episode of "M*A*S*H" and the closest thing it has to a main character.

Like the film that preceded it, the series is based on a book written by a former military surgeon: H. Richard Hornberger's "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors." It was published in 1968 under the pen name Richard Hooker. While it might sound like a non-fiction account of the author's experiences during the war, it is actually a fictional story informed by his life. Several characters from the book appear in the CBS show, typically with the same role, and heavy topics included in the original narrative also appear in the show. However, with over 250 episodes, there were some deviations made.

Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Kristen Wiig) aspires to be part of high society in Palm Beach, Florida, and the only way to do that is by getting in with the ultra-wealthy members at the Palm Royale country club. The Apple TV+ period dramedy "Palm Royale" explores how Maxine does just that, getting sponsors to join the club and further rising up the ranks. The story takes place in 1969, when such clubs were even more closed-off than they are today. However, that doesn't stop Max from getting creative as she tries to climb to the top of the social pyramid.

"Palm Royale" takes a different approach than the book it's based on, "Mr. & Mrs. American Pie" by Juliet McDaniel. Rather than taking place in Florida, Max is in Scottsdale, Arizona, exposing her to a different kind of heat. Her husband has left her for his 22-year-old secretary and she's trying to put her life back together. She decides to reenter the world of pageantry and win the Mrs. American Pie pageant. McDaniel has revealed that the character is inspired by her grandmother. "She was Mrs. Minnesota 1956 and I always delighted in hearing her stories about how fake the whole thing felt," the author told Inkshares.

The political thriller "House of Cards" follows immoral Democrat politician Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) after he loses out on being appointed as Secretary of State. He and his wife Claire (Robin Wright) make a plan to climb higher in the political hierarchy, eventually ending with each of them serving as the President of the United States at different times. It's a show about power, ambition, manipulation, and pragmatism, taking viewers on a deep dive into the American political system and what goes on behind closed doors — and sometimes out in the open.

It's based on the 1989 book "House of Cards" by Michael Dobbs. The key difference is that Dobbs is British, so his book is about the British political system rather than the American one. Character names and position titles differ, but the end goal for Frank and his novel counterpart, Francis, is the same: to be in the highest position of power possible. A little-known fact about "House of Cards" is that the name of the book it's based on is actually a combination of House of Commons and House of Lords, the two houses of parliament in the British government, so the adaptation still has a bit of a callback to the story's origins by keeping the name.

Netflix's psychological thriller show "You" follows Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a murderous bookstore manager who meets a woman while she browses his shop and immediately becomes obsessed with her. While the two do have a romance of sorts, especially as Joe continues to remove anyone in his way, things go downhill by the end of the first season as she learns his true nature. Across five seasons, Joe, who regularly goes by new names, obsesses over new women and is continuously haunted by those he killed. He's an attractive but ultimately contemptible guy, which makes it strange that "You" fans love Joe so much.

The show is based on the book series of the same name by Caroline Kepnes. The first season is heavily inspired by the first book, while the second season takes loose inspiration from the second novel, 2016's "Hidden Bodies." From that point onward, the show continues to move away from the books to the point that they're similar in name only, which isn't unusual for a television adaptation according to showrunner Sera Gamble. "The longer a TV show exists alongside a book or a book series, the more it sort of diverges," Gamble told Film Ink ahead of Season 3. "I think of it as timelines, and that the original timeline is Caroline's books. And now we're in a parallel timeline."