Category: Television News

Television adaptation: ‘Shantaram’ by Gregory David Roberts

The television adaptation of ‘Shantaram’ is available on Apple TV +. Photo: Amazon

Gregory David Roberts, the author of “Shantaram” and its sequel, “The Mountain Shadow,” was born in Melbourne, Australia. Sentenced to nineteen years in prison for a series of armed robberies, he escaped and spent ten of his fugitive years in Bombay―where he established a free medical clinic for slum-dwellers, and worked as a counterfeiter, smuggler, gunrunner, and street soldier for a branch of the Bombay mafia. Recaptured, he served out his sentence, and established a successful multimedia company upon his release. Roberts is now a full time writer and lives in Bombay. “Shantaram” is the story of a convicted Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escapes from Pentridge Prison and flees to India. The novel is reportedly influenced by real events in the life of the author, though some claims made by Roberts are contested by others involved in the story. It was adapted into a major television series from Apple TV+ starring Charlie Hunnam. (Amazon, 2022)

“Shantaram” –  An escaped convict with a false passport, Lin flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of Bombay, where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter the city’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere. As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. Two people hold the keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power. Burning slums and five-star hotels, romantic love and prison agonies, criminal wars and Bollywood films, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas―this huge novel has the world of human experience in its reach, and a passionate love for India at its heart.

Television adaptation: ‘The Peripheral’ by William Gibson

The series adaptation of ‘The Peripheral’ will be available on Amazon Prime Video starting October 21, 2022. Photo: Amazon

William Gibson is credited with having coined the term “cyberspace” and having envisioned both the Internet and virtual reality before either existed. His first novel, “Neuromancer,” won the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Philip K. Dick Award. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of “Count Zero,” “Burning Chrome,” “Mona Lisa Overdrive,” “Virtual Light,” “Idoru,” “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” “Pattern Recognition,” “Spook Country,” “Zero History,” “Distrust That Particular Flavor,” “The Peripheral,” and “Agency.” “The Peripheral,” a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that takes a terrifying look into the future, has been adapted into a series and will air on Amazon Prime Video beginning on October 21, 2022. The first season consists of eight episodes and stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Gary Carr, and Jack Reynor. (Amazon, 2022)

“The Peripheral” – Flynne Fisher lives down a country road, in a rural America where jobs are scarce, unless you count illegal drug manufacture, which she is trying to avoid. Her brother Burton lives on money from the Veterans Administration, for neurological damage suffered in the Marines’ elite Haptic Recon unit. Flynne earns what she can by assembling product at the local 3D printshop. She made more as a combat scout in an online game, playing for a rich man, but she has had to let the shooter games go.

Wilf Netherton lives in London, seventy-some years later, on the far side of decades of slow-motion apocalypse. Things are pretty good now, for the haves, and there are a few have-nots left. Wilf, a high-powered publicist and celebrity-minder, fancies himself a romantic misfit, in a society where reaching into the past is just another hobby. 

Burton’s been moonlighting online, secretly working security in some game prototype, a virtual world that looks vaguely like London, but a lot weirder. He has got Flynne taking over shifts, promised her the game is not a shooter. Still, the crime she witnesses there is plenty bad. Flynne and Wilf are about to meet one another. Her world will be altered utterly, irrevocably, and Wilf’s, for all its decadence and power, will learn that some of these third-world types from the past can be badass.

Excerpt available.

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Television adaptation: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

The television adaptation of Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper graphic novel is now on Netflix. Photo: amazon

Heartstopper is a young adult LGBTQ+ ongoing graphic novel and webcomic series written and illustrated by British author Alice Oseman. The novel follows the lives of shy and softhearted Charlie Springs and rugby player Nick Nelson who sit next to each other in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who does not think he has a chance. Nick is struggling with feelings of his own and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works. This coming-of-age story has been adapted into a television series and is now streaming on Netflix. It has received critical acclaim and has already been renewed for a second and third season. (amazon, 2022)

Heartstopper is a British coming-of-age romantic comedy television series on Netflix. Written by Alice Oseman herself, the series primarily tells the story of Charlie Spring, a gay schoolboy who falls in love with classmate Nick Nelson, whom he sites next to in school. Starring Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, and Kizzy Edgell, it also explores the lives of Tao, Elle, Tara, and Darcy.

Television adaptation: Paper Girls comic book series

The television adaptation of the Paper Girls comic book series is available on Amazon Prime Video. Photo: google

Paper Girls is a mystery/science fiction comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang, published by American company Image Comics. Paper Girls follows the story of four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls (Erin, MacKenzie, KJ, and Tiffany) set in Stony Stream, a fictional suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. As they are out delivering papers on the morning after Halloween in 1988, the town is struck by an invasion from a mysterious force from the future. The girls become unwillingly caught up in the conflict between two warring factions of time travelers. The television adaptation premiered on Amazon Prime Video on July 29, 2022 and consists of eight episodes. (Wikipedia, 2022)

Paper Girls is a science fiction drama television series created by Stephany Folsom based on the comic book series. It stars Camryn Jones as Tiffany Quilkin, Riley Lai Nelet as Erin Tieng, Sofia Rosinsky as Mac Coyle, Fina Strazza as KJ Brandman, and Ali Wong as Adult Erin. The girls become unwittingly caught in a conflict between warring factions of time-travelers, sending them on an adventure through time that will save the world. As they travel between our present, the past, and the future – they encounter future versions of themselves and now must choose to embrace or reject their fate.

This series premiered on Friday July 29 and I just watched the first episode and judging by the comments online, it is being compared to Stranger Things (I have never watched that show). The first episode introduces the main characters and sets off the time traveling where the first meet Adult Erin. Being a big fan of science fiction, especially time travelling, it looks interesting. The story line goes back and forth between the past, present, and future so I hope I do not lose interest because I really want to see it through. The best thing is that all eight episodes are available now, so I can probably binge watch the entire season.

Paper Girls comic book. Photo: google

Television adaptation: ‘The Old Man’ by Thomas Perry

The television adaptation of Thomas Perry’s ‘The Old Man’ is on FX and streaming on Hulu. Photo: amazon

Thomas Perry is the author of 23 novels including the Jane Whitefield series, “Death Benefits,” and “Pursuit,” the first recipient of the Gumshoe Award for best novel. He won the Edgar for “The Butcher’s Boy” and “Metzger’s Dog” was a New York Times Notable Book. The Independent Mystery Bookseller’s Association included “Vanishing Act” in its “100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century” and “Nightlife” was a New York Times bestseller. “Metzger’s Dog” was voted one of NPR’s 100 Killer Thrillers–Best Thrillers Ever. His novel “The Old Man” is now an original series from FX starring Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, and Amy Brenneman and revolves around a retired intelligence officer living off the grid who gets caught in “[a] harrowing hunt-and-hide adventure” (The New York Times). It consists of seven episodes and is available for streaming on Hulu. (amazon, 2022)

“The Old Man” – To all appearances, Dan Chase is a harmless retiree in Vermont with two big mutts and a grown daughter he keeps in touch with by phone. But most sixty-year-old widowers don’t have multiple driver’s licenses, savings stockpiled in banks across the country, or two Beretta Nanos stashed in the spare bedroom closet. Most have not spent decades on the run. Thirty-five years ago, as a young army intelligence hotshot, Chase was sent to Libya to covertly assist a rebel army. When the plan turned sour, Chase acted according to his conscience—and triggered consequences he never could have anticipated. To this day, someone still wants him dead. And just when he thought he was finally safe, Chase is confronted with the history he spent much of his life trying to escape.

I have not read the book so I cannot compare the book to the series, but after watching the first four episodes on Hulu, I want to see where it leads. I am not a big fan of serials because it just seems like a really long movie that takes forever to resolve and halfway through I tend to lose interest. In this case, the story of a retired intelligence officer drew me in. Admittedly, the pacing can be slow and the constant flashbacks can be tiring, but it does have its plot twists to keep it interesting. Will Harper eventually catch up to Chase? How many people will Chase have to kill to evade one contract killer after another? Good question, I guess I will have to watch the rest of the episodes to find out. All I know is that if anything happens to those dogs, I am definitely out. 

https://youtu.be/LL2lhM_kDPM

Television adaptation: ‘The Terminal List’ by Jack Carr

The television adaptation of ‘The Terminal List’ premieres on Amazon Prime Video on July 1, 2022. Photo: amazon

Jack Carr is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and former Navy SEAL. He is the author of “The Terminal List,” “True Believer,” “Savage Son,” “The Devil’s Hand,” and “In the Blood.” He is also the host of the Danger Close Podcast. In his debut novel “The Terminal List,” a Navy SEAL has nothing left to live for and everything to kill for after he discovers that the American government is behind the deaths of his team in this ripped-from-the-headlines political thriller. It has been adapted into an action thriller television series and will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, July 1, 2022. It stars Chris Pratt and consists of eight episodes. (amazon, 2022)

“The Terminal List” – On his last combat deployment, Lieutenant Commander James Reece’s entire team was killed in a catastrophic ambush. When those dearest to him are murdered on the day of his homecoming, Reece discovers that this was not an act of war by a foreign enemy but a conspiracy that runs to the highest levels of government. Now, with no family and free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons that he learned in over a decade of constant warfare toward avenging the deaths of his family and teammates. With breathless pacing and relentless suspense, Reece ruthlessly targets his enemies in the upper echelons of power without regard for the laws of combat or the rule of law.

Television adaptation: ‘Pachinko’ by Min Jin Lee

The television adaptation of ‘Pachinko’ is available to stream on Apple TV +. Photo: Amazon

Min Jin Lee is a Korean-American author and journalist. Her work frequently deals with Korean and Korean-American topics. She is the author of the novels “Free Food for Millionaires” and “Pachinko.” “Pachinko” is an epic historical fiction novel following a Korean family who immigrate to Japan. The character-driven story features an ensemble of characters who encounter discrimination, stereotyping, and other aspects of the 20th century Korean experience of Japan. It was a finalist for the National Book Award for fiction. Apple TV + produced a television adaptation of the novel and it was released starting in March 2022. It consists of eight episodes and was renewed for a second season. (Amazon/Wikipedia, 2022)

“Pachinko” – In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant–and that her lover is married–she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. Her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son’s powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations. Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan’s finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee’s complex and passionate characters–strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis–survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.

The Lincoln Lawyer television series on Netflix

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo stars in The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix. Photo: Netflix

Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. J. Michael “Mickey” Haller, Junior first appeared in the novel “The Lincoln Lawyer.” Haller, a Los Angeles-based defense attorney, is the paternal half-brother of Connelly’s best-known character, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch. A film adaptation of “The Lincoln Lawyer” was released in 2011 with Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller and now a new series is coming out on Netflix on May 13. (Michael Connelly, 2022)

The Lincoln Lawyer series explores the character’s Latino heritage and will be streaming on Netflix on May 13, 2022. It stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, Neve Campbell as Maggie McPherson, Becki Newton as Lorna, Jazz Raycole as Izzy (Mickey’s driver), Angus Sampson as Cisco, and Christopher Gorham as Mickey’s client. The first season has ten episodes and is based on “The Brass Verdict.”

https://youtu.be/au06yHMuMGc

Television adaptation: ‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel

The limited series adaptation of ‘Station Eleven’ is available on HBO Max. Photo: amazon

Emily St. John Mandel is a Canadian novelist and essayist. She has written numerous essays and five novels, including “The Glass Hotel” and “Station Eleven,” which was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and has been translated into thirty-five languages. “Station Eleven” has been adapted into a limited series, which premiered on December 16, 2021, on HBO Max. It is an audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse—the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. (amazon, 2022)

“Station Eleven” – Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end. Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. When they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. As the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

Excerpt is available here.

Jack Reacher television adaptation on Amazon Prime Video

The new Reacher tv series will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on February 4, 2022. Photo: amazon

Lee Child is one of the world’s leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold over one hundred million copies. Two blockbusting Jack Reacher movies have been made so far. A TV series adaptation of Jack Reacher will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on February 4, 2022. All eight episodes of the first season will drop at once. It stars Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher. (amazon, 2022)

The first season will adapt the “Killing Floor” novel. Jack Reacher is a former major in the United States Army Military Police Corps who now roams the United States taking odd jobs and investigating suspicious and frequently dangerous situations. In “Killing Floor,” Jack Reacher gets off a Greyhound bus in the fictional town of Margrave, Georgia because he remembers his brother mentioning that a blues musician named Blind Blake died there. Much to his surprise, shortly after his arrival he is arrested in a local diner. He must try to prove his innocence.