Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five titles and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.
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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is TMP Television Edition - Book to TV Adaptations
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I
love these TV Editions, but I don't know about you, for me they can be
quite a challenge to come up with picks as I don't really keep a list of
TV shows I've watched like I do with movies. Anyway today I'm picking
recent TV shows that I've seen that I like that were also based on a book.
13 Reasons Why (2017 - )
Based on a YA book it follows Clay as he uncovers why his crush, Hannah, committed suicide by listening to a box of cassette tapes she left, a sort of lengthy suicide note, her 13 reasons why she did it. It actually took me a long while to get to this series because first the controversy/buzz or whatever surrounding this was just so tiring. Second, while it has been some time since I read it, I do remember not liking the book at all. The series is better I think in that at least we get various other perspectives other than just Hannah. The negative on the TV series is that they stretched the whole thing into 13 episodes of Clay (if I'm not mistaken in the book he only listened to all the tapes in like a day or two) running around for what seems like days and weeks asking his classmates to talk to him instead of just listening to the damn tapes...which was so nonsensical. Now this series is getting a second season which I was like what? But it has diverged quite a bit from the book, so it could be interesting to see what they do with the other characters.
13 Reasons Why (2017 - )
Based on a YA book it follows Clay as he uncovers why his crush, Hannah, committed suicide by listening to a box of cassette tapes she left, a sort of lengthy suicide note, her 13 reasons why she did it. It actually took me a long while to get to this series because first the controversy/buzz or whatever surrounding this was just so tiring. Second, while it has been some time since I read it, I do remember not liking the book at all. The series is better I think in that at least we get various other perspectives other than just Hannah. The negative on the TV series is that they stretched the whole thing into 13 episodes of Clay (if I'm not mistaken in the book he only listened to all the tapes in like a day or two) running around for what seems like days and weeks asking his classmates to talk to him instead of just listening to the damn tapes...which was so nonsensical. Now this series is getting a second season which I was like what? But it has diverged quite a bit from the book, so it could be interesting to see what they do with the other characters.
Alias Grace (2017)
Based on a Margaret Atwood novel that is based on a real woman, it follows a young woman, Grace, in 19th Century Canada serving a life sentence for murdering her employer and his housekeeper and the psychiatrist who has to evaluate if she is mentally ill so that a case can be made for pardon due to insanity. This series is just so well made and well told. Grace the main character tells an enchanting haunting tale of her life and the events leading up to the crime. Whether the story she tells is the truth, something she thinks is the truth or something she believes people want to be the truth, we'll never know because in reality, I don't think anyone ever did know.
Anne with an E (2017 - )
Based on Anne of Green Gables about a young orphan girl adopted by two elderly siblings who live on Prince Edward Island. I have to say, I hate the title, why can't they just stick with Anne of Green Gables? Anyway I love the 1980s TV series, so I had been looking forward to this and I'm glad to say I love this one too. Now I've not read the book, but I've heard that Anne with an E is much darker than the book, but since I've seen the 80's series, I can definitely say this new one is soo much darker than that. A lot of the times it doesn't even seem like it was ever a TV series targeted for children like the books were. I would describe Anne with an E as a more Jane Eyre-esque Anne of Green Gables, which I'm totally fine with because I love Jane Eyre and it does give Anne more depth instead of being just the annoying talkative dreamy girl.
The End of the F***ing World (2017 - )
Based on a comic, it's about two teens, a boy who thinks he's a psychopath and the other, the new girl at school, who run away together so that she can search for her real father. I really really enjoyed this one. It's very dark, sharply funny and is a very short series. My guess is, there is only one season of this. Anyway I was curious about the comic book, from the reviews of it, it seems it is a lot darker without any of the humor, albeit a dark one, that the TV show has.
The Expanse (2015 - )
Based on a series of sci-fi novels, this is a show I think most won't watch because the series airs on SyFy in the U.S. and SyFy isn't exactly known for putting out quality stuff. But this, is the exception. The world building is great with good production value and the story is complex and keeps getting more so, that I can't even give a one line plot summary. I'd say take a chance and watch one episode, it quite possible be the best sci-fi TV series in recent years.
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Participating Blogs/Bloggers
I haven't seen any of these but I want to see 13 Reasons Why and The End of the F***ing World.
ReplyDeleteThere are somethings I don't like about 13 Reasons Why series, but still it is an interesting watchable series.
DeleteAlias Grace and The End of the F***ing World are on my watch list, hopefully I get to it this year!
ReplyDeleteThese two are like one of the shortest series ever. I sure you'll get through them pretty quickly.
DeleteI too took ages to get through 13 REasons why, it was so depressing that I had to watch Parks and Rec in between episodes. That show was too long! And I don't get why they're doing season 2. I'm yet to see The Expanse, its been on my list for ages. Really didn't enjoy Anne with an E, too depressing and down trodden, where was the happy? Loved Alias Grace - had me hooked the whole time. And the British show? I think I might have to watch as its plastered everywhere, but I;m not a fan of that actor, he irritates me...
ReplyDeleteWell once I decided to watch 13 Reasons Why, I got through them pretty quickly, plus I already knew what was coming. It is a popular series so of course they want a season 2. I do think it could be interesting to see the case the parents are building against the school. One of the things that I like about the series is that we get to see a little of the other kids stories too and so I guess we'll see more of that in season 2 especially with the tapes possibly be made into evidence and with what happened to one of the kids at the of last season.
DeleteAnne with an E - Aww it wasn't all misery. There was some happy too.
TEotFW - Not familiar with the actor, but I've seen the actress in a few things. Maybe check out the trailer, I thought it looked interesting from the trailer.
My daughter was all into 13 Reasons Why so I saw all of that one. It wasn't terrible, but it got tedious because, like you said, him running all over town chasing people down about these tapes was ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteYes!!! The series should have been like 6 episodes or like 13 half an hour episodes.
DeleteI loved Alias Grace, too - one my favourite shows from last year! Haven't read the book, but really want to.
ReplyDeleteI loved 13 Reasons Why and End of the F**king World! Great shows.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched any of these shows. i was never into Anne but i wanted to see the other Canadian show. 13 Reasons and end of the F world sounds good.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...this Anne series is not like the Anne that you know...it is much darker. If you like Jane Eyre, I think you might like this.
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