10 Perfect Miniseries Based on Books, Ranked
It was in the UK back during the ’50s and ’60s that the miniseries format was born, still named “television serials” before the term “miniseries” was coined in the US in the ’70s. Indeed, it was American networks who adopted, rebranded, and greatly popularized the format precisely around that time. Since then, the small screen has offered hundreds upon hundreds of masterful miniseries worthy of being counted among the greatest shows of all time.
Though many of those exceptional miniseries have been fully original stories, many others have been adapted from previously-existing material, including several books. It could be a miniseries based on a great, foundational classic of literature, such as 1995’s Pride and Prejudice; or one based on a non-fiction book about much more modern events, like Dopesick. Regardless, these are some of the best miniseries of all time.
10
‘House of Cards’ (1990)
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Before the American remake became the first-ever Netflix original series, the BBC adapted Michael Dobbs‘ House of Cards, the first political thriller novel in the trilogy of the same title. This is the story of Conservative Party chief whip Francis Urquhart, a Machiavellian politician who rises to power right after the end of Margaret Thatcher‘s tenure as Prime Minister of the UK.
It’s also one of those rare screen adaptations whose quality surpasses that of the source material.
It’s far and away one of the greatest British miniseries of the ’90s, with a career-defining performance by Rian Richardson and some absolutely perfect use of fourth-wall-breaking. What’s more, it’s also one of those rare screen adaptations whose quality surpasses that of the source material. The show perfectly captures the Shakespearean qualities of Dobbs’ book, while adding plenty of its own unique spice.
9
‘North & South’ (2004)
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Elizabeth Gaskell‘s 1854 novel North and South is a true cornerstone of Victorian literature, and it has been adapted for the small screen thrice. There’s a strong argument to be made in favor of the fourt-part version starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe being the best of the bunch, as it perfectly recounts the story of a privileged young woman relocating herself to an industrial mill town, where her initial clash with a stern cotton mill owner slowly transforms into a deep romance.
The sizzling chemistry between Armitage and Denby-Ashe practically oozes through the screen in every scene they share; which, combined with the show’s top-tier production values and nuanced writing, makes for an absolutely faultless adaptation of one of the most acclaimed English-language Victorian novels. Both those who love the source material and those who have never read it should love this incredible miniseries.
8
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)
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She was already a well-known name in Hollywood by the time Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit came out, but it was this exceptional miniseries that really launched Anya Taylor-Joy into serious, award-worthy superstardom. This is based on Walter Tevis‘ 1983 novel, following an orphaned chess prodigy battling addiction and personal demons as she rises through the male-dominated ranks to become an international grandmaster.
It’s one of the best Netflix shows with less than 40 episodes, bolstered by the incredible writing just as much as it is by Taylor-Joy’s unforgettable turn as Beth Harmon. It’s a mesmerizingly complex antihero story that makes every chess movement feel like an element from an adrenaline-pumping thriller, greatly elevating the entertainment value of the source material while staying quite faithful to its narrative skeleton.
Four Netflix characters, four completely different ways of showing up
for somebody. This is the one who fits how you actually do friendship, and what having them in your
life would be like.
You do not do friendship at half volume, and neither does he.
What you want is somebody who says yes to the plan before you have finished describing the
plan.
- Dustin is the friend the entire show runs on: loyal past the point of sense,
enthusiastic about everything, and incapable of leaving anybody behind. - You have the same instinct. Your friendships are loud, specific and slightly ridiculous,
and they last for decades because of it. - He is also the one person who would take your strangest interest completely seriously,
which is far rarer than it sounds. - You would have a group chat. It would never once be quiet.
You are the friend who makes things happen, and so is she.
Together you would be mildly exhausting to everyone around you and completely delighted with
yourselves.
- Emily treats an ordinary Tuesday as something that could be turned into an occasion,
which is either the best or the worst quality in a friend depending on your energy
levels. - You share her refusal to sit still. Neither of you has ever accepted a night in when
something was happening somewhere else. - She is far more loyal than people give her credit for. She defends her friends loudly,
publicly, and occasionally before checking the facts. - She would post the photo without asking. You would forgive her, because it is a very
good photo.
You have no patience for pleasant lies, and she has no ability to
tell them. What looks like coldness from the outside is the most reliable friendship on this
list.
- Wednesday never says a kind thing she does not mean, which makes the rare ones count for
an enormous amount. - You would rather be told the truth than be made comfortable. She is constitutionally
incapable of offering you anything else. - Underneath all of it she is ferociously protective. She simply refuses to make a
performance out of caring. - Do not expect a birthday message. Do expect her to ruin anyone who wrongs you.
You look after whoever is having the worst day. So does he. It is
the least strategic way to move through the world and the best possible quality in a friend.
- Gi-hun is not the strongest player in Squid Game, or the cleverest. He is the one who
keeps choosing to protect somebody else, over and over, at genuine cost to himself. - You have the same instinct. You notice who is struggling and you stay with them, long
after anybody would blame you for leaving. - He is a flawed friend, and that is part of why it lands. He lets people down, then comes
back and tries again, which is more than most manage. - He would give you his last chance and never once mention that he had done it.
7
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018)
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Image via Netflix</figure>
By this point, Mike Flanagan has already firmly established himself as one of the modern kings of horror television, but even the greats have to start somewhere. In his case, that was his first-ever show: The Haunting of Hill House, based on Shirley Jackson‘s 1859 novel, about a family forced to reunite years after their mother’s mysterious death after another tragedy draws them back to the mansion that still holds them captive.
Many would go so far as to say that it’s one of the best miniseries ever made, which makes it unsurprising that it turned Flanagan into such a household name. There are hugely effective elements of horror, but what really fuels the story is the emotional and thematic depth of its narrative. It may not be all that faithful to Jackson’s classic in terms of plot, but it captures the book’s spirit marvelously.
6
‘Anne of Green Gables’ (1985)
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Image via CBC</figure>
Kevin Sullivan‘s CBC classic Anne of Green Gables can be viewed as either a two-part miniseries or a made-for-television film. Regardless, one thing remains certain: This is a cornerstone of televisual Canadian pop culture. Based on the eponymous book by Canadian icon Lucy Maud Montgomery, the miniseries follows a spirited orphaned girl who’s taken in by an aging brother and sister on Prince Edward Island, her fierce charm slowly transforming their lives and the local community.
Though its DNA is as passionately and warmly Canadian as that of Montgomery’s book, this is as universally endearing of a small-screen story as they come, full of exceptional performances and breathtaking PEI and rural Ontario vistas. It’s the sort of miniseries so irresistibly charming and emotionally complex that it’s virtually impossible to watch it and not enjoy it at least a little bit.
5
‘Dopesick’ (2021)
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The subject of both the Hulu masterpiece Dopesick and the non-fiction book it’s based on, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America is the story of the company that triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history. What follows that premise is one of the best crime miniseries of all time, one as insightful as it is deeply human and admirably dramatic.
How can one even begin singing the praises of such a perfect show? For one, there’s the star-studded cast, featuring top-tier performances by actors like Michael Keaton and Kaitlyn Dever. Then, there’s the multi-perspective framing, which lends the story an air of raw realism. All in all, it’s an incredible adaptation that fuses the journalistic spirit of its source material with deeply sensitive and faithful narrative drama.
4
‘Lonesome Dove’ (1989)
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The question of what single book is most worthy of the elusive title of “The Great American Novel” is a debate that’s probably destined to never have one satisfying answer, but there’s a certain title that’s thrown around far more often than most: Larry McMurtry‘s Lonesome Dove. This just so happens to be the source material of the greatest Western TV miniseries the world has ever seen.
One of the best 8-episodes-or-less masterpiece miniseries in history, Lonesome Dove is both deeply faithful to the legendary book and uniquely strong when analyzed in a vacuum. It’s a masterful de-mythologization of the American Frontier and the tropes it carries with it, anchored by Basil Poledouris‘ incredible music and the jaw-droppingly perfect work of stars like Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.
3
‘Pride and Prejudice’ (1995)
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Jane Austen‘s Pride and Prejudice, about the eventful relationship between the quick-witted Elizabeth and the wealthy Mr. Darcy, is such a crucial pillar of English literature that adapting it is always a titanic task. In the eyes of many fans, no one has ever been more successful than Andrew Davies, whose BBC adaptation is far and away the most perfect version of the story that the screen has ever been graced with.
One of the miniseries with the most perfect pacing and most wonderful writing, Pride and Prejudice mainly benefits from Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle displaying some of the most unbelievable chemistry that any actor-actress duo has ever displayed in a miniseries. Full of iconic moments, luxurious visuals, and loving fidelity to Austen’s classic, it’s a must-see for anyone who doesn’t have a heart of stone.
2
‘I, Claudius’ (1976)
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Image via BBC</figure>
Based on the historical novels I, Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves, the BBC’s I, Claudius is one of those near-perfect miniseries that have been tragically forgotten as the years have passed. Nonetheless, this retelling of the history of the early Roman Empire from the perspective of Emperor Claudius still remains one of the highest-rated miniseries in history on IMDb.
That praise is all for good reason. It’s an absolutely brilliant adaptation that marvelously condenses two super-complex novels into a seamless 12-episode narrative, darkly satirical and absolutely Shakespearean in tone. On top of being visually and narratively impressive, it’s also a masterclass in classical acting, including the top-notch performances of actors like Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, and Patrick Stewart.
1
‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
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For years, HBO’s Band of Brothers, executive-produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, has been the highest-rated miniseries of all time on IMDb. It’s such a masterful show that that’s likely to never change. Based on the 1992 non-fiction book of the same title by historian Stephen E. Ambrose, it’s one of the best-ever HBO miniseries based on books, and then some.
There’s the incredible performances of the stacked cast, including actors of the stature of Damian Lewis, David Schwimmer, Michael Fassbender, and Tom Hardy. There’s the way the show, much like Hanks and Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, captures the brutality of World War II combat with unmatched realism and humanism. There’s the deep emotional resonance of the way the book explores themes of brotherhood and leadership. From top to bottom and from beginning to end, Band of Brothers is not only an immensely faithful adaptation of an excellent non-fiction book, but genuinely one of the greatest works in television history.
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