Books on Television

On Sunday HBO debuted The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, based on novels by Alexander McCall Smith. And while it's only just begun, there is little doubt of their maintaining the integrity of the characters and the storyline with which we are familiar. If it is anything like the phenomenal hit series True Blood then we are in good hands. Their adaptation of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire mysteries by Charlaine Harris was nothing short of brilliant.

I've been a fan of Sookie and her quirky, dangerous world for years. So, I was excited to hear that HBO was developing it as a series - although, there was an accompanying sense of dread. When watching film or television adaptations of beloved books, it's rare to find a dramatization that compares to the written word - indeed there are only a handful of what I would term "faithful" renditions of books to screen. So, it was with trepidation that I first tuned in to True Blood, but I was pulled into this fantastical world from moment one.

The show managed to present the entire first book – piecing it out week after week during the season, and I think this was the best choice they made. All too often, adaptations fail because of time constraints. How does one condense a four hundred-page novel into a two-hour movie? Inevitably something must be left out. Not so with True Blood. Plus, they managed to expand the world that Charlaine Harris created by giving some of the secondary characters from the books stories of their own - and they did it seamlessly. They managed to flesh-out these characters while remaining true to the personalities established in the novels. It added to the excitement and anticipation of watching the show from week-to-week. Plus, it’s fun to know what’s coming in the main storyline and seeing it realized on screen.

I’m glad I’ve read the books already – I can see the ways they’ve changed things and I can appreciate it in a unique way. Those unfamiliar with the books are missing-out on half of the experience. Not that there isn’t value in watching the show for its own sake. But I’m a book lover, as well as a television viewer. So, there is pleasure to be had from both for me – particularly when the two so flawlessly blend together. Now, I look forward to seeing how the The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency fares. And, of course, I eagerly await the return of True Blood.