# The 18 Best TV Shows Adapted From Books

> Some were faithful to the last comma, others left the novel behind after one season. Readers and viewers rarely agree on which approach worked.

*By YPB Team · Published August 2, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-18-best-tv-shows-adapted-from-books*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Game of Thrones**
   HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, which ran past its source material in 2016 and never got it back.
2. **The Handmaid's Tale**
   Hulu's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, which outran the book by four seasons.
3. **Sharp Objects**
   HBO's eight-episode version of Gillian Flynn's debut novel, directed entirely by Jean-Marc Vallée.
4. **Big Little Lies**
   HBO's adaptation of Liane Moriarty's novel, relocated from Sydney to Monterey.
5. **The Expanse**
   The screen version of James S. A. Corey's space-opera novels, rescued from cancellation by its own fans.
6. **Normal People**
   The BBC and Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel, told across twelve half-hour episodes.
7. **The Queen's Gambit**
   Netflix's version of Walter Tevis's 1983 chess novel, which sold out chess sets worldwide.
8. **Shogun**
   FX's 2024 adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel, told largely in Japanese.
9. **Band of Brothers**
   HBO's 2001 miniseries from Stephen E. Ambrose's account of Easy Company.
10. **The Witcher**
   Netflix's adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's short stories and novels, arriving after the games made the name famous.
11. **Outlander**
   Starz's long-running adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's time-travel romances.
12. **True Blood**
   HBO's version of Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries.
13. **Dexter**
   Showtime's series from Jeff Lindsay's Darkly Dreaming Dexter, which quickly diverged from the books.
14. **His Dark Materials**
   The BBC and HBO adaptation of Philip Pullman's trilogy, made after the film version stalled.
15. **The Man in the High Castle**
   Amazon's adaptation of Philip K. Dick's alternate-history novel.
16. **Bridgerton**
   Shondaland's Netflix hit from Julia Quinn's Regency romance novels.
17. **Anne with an E**
   The CBC and Netflix take on L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables.
18. **The Leftovers**
   HBO's adaptation of Tom Perrotta's novel, which used up the book in season one and improved after.

Tags: books, tv shows, adaptations