5 Beloved Book-to-TV Adaptations That Deserve Another Chance

Published Jul 26, 2026, 3:55 PM EDT Amanda M. Castro is a Network TV writer at Collider and a New York–based journalist whose work has appeared in Newsweek, where she is an Associate Editor, and The U.S. Sun, where she previously served as a Senior Consumer Reporter. She specializes in network television coverage, delivering sharp, thoughtful analysis of long-running procedural hits and ambitious new dramas across broadcast TV. At Collider, Amanda explores character arcs, storytelling trends, and the cultural impact of network series that keep audiences tuning in week after week. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Amanda is bilingual and holds a degree in Communication, Film, and Media Studies from the University of New Haven. Every couple of months, we see yet another cherished book series adapted for the screen, with claims that this adaptation will fully bring out the book's main theme. Often, this may actually happen; however, in most cases, the viewers find themselves in a situation where they are wondering how a huge fantasy saga has been brought down to only eight episodes, why certain characters were missed, and why the adaptation rejected the traits that made the books interesting and captivating to read. Not every adaptation that fails deserves a second chance, but some do. Even if the adaptation was completely off the novel or was canceled instantly after getting back on track, these five series have their unfinished stories to tell, and some need to restart from the very beginning, while others require just finishing what has started. 5. Shadow and Bone (2021–2023) Image via Netflix Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels gained enormous popularity over the years; however, apart from the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the world of the Six of Crows duology is quite intriguing. While none of the stories were adapted individually, Netflix decided to combine them into a single project. Although this approach gave rise to some remarkable moments in the screen adaptation, including the ones featuring Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) and the Crows, it also led the adaptation to struggle against itself for the whole duration of the show, as the action was rendered extremely fast with characters from different timelines appearing at the same time. Ben Barnes brought surprising complexity to General Kirigan, while Jessie Mei Li, Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, Danielle Galligan, and the rest of the ensemble slipped comfortably into Bardugo’s world. The issue was structural, as the adaptation often seemed more interested in racing toward crossover moments than in allowing each storyline to breathe on its own. With Netflix canceling the series before several of the books were adapted — and shelving a planned Six of Crows spin-off — the Grishaverse never received the long-form treatment it deserved. A fresh adaptation that lets each series stand on its own could finally give Bardugo’s sprawling fantasy universe the room it has always needed. 4. The Shannara Chronicles (2016–2017) Image via MTV The Shannara Chronicles by Terry Brooks has garnered comparisons with Lord of the Rings over the years as it features generations of heroes in a grand fantasy world. MTV did a commendable job with the adaptation, with mind-blowing locations, impressive creature effects, and state-of-the-art production values. However, it hardly shows enough confidence in the original material. Instead of relying on the mythology created by the books, it falls prey to clichés of teenage drama rather than a classic fantasy epic. That disconnect became more obvious as the series progressed. Brooks’ novels contain enough political intrigue, ancient history, and evolving character relationships to sustain multiple seasons, yet much of that richness was flattened into melodrama and familiar love triangles. Moving from MTV to Spike for its second season only delayed the inevitable, with the show ending long before exploring the larger Shannara universe. Today’s fantasy television landscape has become much more welcoming to sprawling literary adaptations. Given another chance, The Shannara Chronicles could finally embrace the epic scale that made Brooks’ novels endure for nearly five decades. 3. Shadowhunters (2016–2019) Image via Freeform Despite inspiring a film and a television series, Cassandra Clare’s work has yet to receive the definitive adaptation fans wish for. While the movie was not considered a commercial success in 2013, Freeform’s Shadowhunters had the chance to come in and sweep fans off their feet. Over the course of three seasons, it expanded its mythology, improved considerably after the disappointing first season, and developed a fierce fanbase that even fought against its cancellation. However, the series continued to struggle with growing pains. It suffered from a lack of budget, which affected its portrayal of the fantasy world, while the original episodes fell flat in terms of humor, suspense, and complexity that were the trademarks of Clare’s work. Although Shadowhunters was gaining its own footing, it was headed towards a premature conclusion. Accordingly, given that Hollywood is now ready to spend money on large-scale fantasy television series, there’s no doubt The Mortal Instruments is long due for an adaptation that would be designed specifically as an accurate, full-scale interpretation of the series. 2. Lockwood & Co. (2023) Image Via Netflix Unlike several entries on this list, Lockwood & Co. wasn’t undone by creative choices. Joe Cornish’s adaptation of Jonathan Stroud’s novels captured the books’ wit, spooky atmosphere, and surprisingly heartfelt friendships with remarkable confidence. Set in a Britain where only children can see and fight ghosts, the series balanced supernatural horror with coming-of-age adventure while assembling a trio of leads whose chemistry immediately sold the partnership between Lucy Carlyle (Ruby Stokes), Anthony Lockwood (Cameron Chapman), and George Karim (Ali Hadji-Heshmati). Critics embraced it, audiences pushed it into Netflix’s global charts, and the first season ended by opening the door to much larger mysteries. Then Netflix canceled it anyway, a decision that stung because the adaptation had barely scratched the surface of Stroud’s five-book series. The first season adapted only the opening novels, leaving major revelations about The Problem, Lockwood’s past, Penelope Fittes (Morven Christie), and the wider mythology unresolved. Rather than starting over with another adaptation, the smarter solution would simply be continuing the one that already worked. Few canceled Netflix shows have felt so obviously unfinished, and Lockwood & Co. remains one of the clearest examples of an adaptation deserving another season instead of another reboot. 1. Anne with an E (2017–2019) Image via Netflix While many literary heroines have had adaptations made from them, Anne Shirley is probably among the few that have had many yet very distinct adaptations made. The creators of the series Anne with an E, Moira Walley-Beckett, celebrated the spirit and warmth of Anne of Green Gables while delving into topics that had always been left in the background: childhood trauma, racism, sexism, identity, class discrimination, etc. Amybeth McNulty portrayed Anne so well that she kept her imagination alive while also emphasizing the hardships she has gone through, thus creating one of the finest adaptations of the character ever. Not all of the ideas put into practice by creators were well received by loyal fans, but the series showed impressive results due to its ability to evolve. The world of Montgomery is no longer a museum piece to look at. The three seasons of the show serve as proof that there are still ideas to be discovered in the original work written more than a hundred years ago. Its cancellation had less to do with audience rejection than shifting business decisions between CBC and Netflix, leaving countless character arcs unfinished just as Anne and Gilbert’s (Lucas Jade Zumann) future was finally beginning. Like Lockwood & Co., this isn’t a series crying out for another reboot. It already found its voice, but deserved the chance to finish telling Anne Shirley’s story.