Yes, I agree that 6-10 episodes of 40 minutes or so is the perfect way of properly realizing a book on film.
But it’s worth mentioning that the form itself is not new. It’s just the worldwide streaming, on-demand part that makes it seem novel.
Previously, these mini-series were the sole domain of network television. Since the only way to see them was at the assigned broadcast times, everyone watched them simultaneously, so the popular ones tended to capture the attention of the entire country where shown.
For example, it’s coming up on half a century since the broadcast of what was perhaps the first really big U.S. mini-series, the 1977 adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots:
Others followed, notably the two mini-series based on Herman Wouk’s WWII novels, The Winds of War (1983) and War and Remembrance (1988), with their all-star casts (Robert Mitchum, Jane Seymour, John Gielgud, etc.):
Slow Horses on Apple TV+ is so dang good! Season 1 is practically perfect adaptation and season 2 is only slightly less so. The books have all been fun and creative. (Slough House series by Mick Herron)
Yes, I agree that 6-10 episodes of 40 minutes or so is the perfect way of properly realizing a book on film.
But it’s worth mentioning that the form itself is not new. It’s just the worldwide streaming, on-demand part that makes it seem novel.
Previously, these mini-series were the sole domain of network television. Since the only way to see them was at the assigned broadcast times, everyone watched them simultaneously, so the popular ones tended to capture the attention of the entire country where shown.
For example, it’s coming up on half a century since the broadcast of what was perhaps the first really big U.S. mini-series, the 1977 adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075572/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Others followed, notably the two mini-series based on Herman Wouk’s WWII novels, The Winds of War (1983) and War and Remembrance (1988), with their all-star casts (Robert Mitchum, Jane Seymour, John Gielgud, etc.):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096725/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Other countries had mini-series too. Perhaps the most famous is Rainer Fassbinder’s Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980), from Alfred Döblin’s 1929 novel:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080196/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ”
It’s time for a new version of Lonesome Dove. Also Kenneth Roberts’ Arundel screams miniseries.
This entire article is my jam! Well done as always Luiza.
Slow Horses on Apple TV+ is so dang good! Season 1 is practically perfect adaptation and season 2 is only slightly less so. The books have all been fun and creative. (Slough House series by Mick Herron)
I remember watching And then there were none from Agatha Christie