What is your favorite TV/Movie adaptation

[David DeLee]

...of either a book or character?

I'm currently enjoying watching LONGMIRE, based on the series of books by Craig Johnson. I've not read his stuff yet, but will be sure to do so soon. I also think JUSTIFIED is a stand out show, based of course on Elmore Leonald's Raylen Givens character.

What's your favorite, or most disappointing TV/Movie/Screen adaptation?

[Albert Tucher]

Okay, confession time. I love the Bourne moves (the first three. I haven't seen the new one yet.) I can pick any one of them up at any point and watch for as much time as I have available. And since I'm confessing, I haven't read any of the novels. Not sure I need to.

[David DeLee]

Yes, I've enjoyed the Bourne movies and am looking forward to the newest one. I'm a big fan of Jeremy Renner. I've read the Bourne books originally done by Ludlum, but so long ago I don't really remember them. Maybe I should pick one up.

Renner was also in THE TOWN, based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan.

[EDWARD C MORGAN]

For pure mysteries, I'm a big fan of:

• Sherlock (the newest series on PBS)
• Tom Selleck's Jessie Stone portrayals
• I love Justified, but have not read the Elmore Leonard stories, so I can't compare.

I too like Matt Damon as Jason Bourne.  Saw the new one, and it is quite good.  I used to read a lot of Ludlum, and do feel the movies are in keeping with the spirit of the Bourne books.

[David DeLee]

Tom Selleck's Jesse Stone. A good one. Got me to read the Robert B. Parker novels as I'd only read his Spencer books before that.

One I liked but didn't last long was THE WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB starring Angie Harmon.

I'm enjoying her RIZZOLI & ISLES, but the Tess Gerritsen's books are much more compelling.

[Jack Getze]

Justified, Dexter, and (forgive me) True Blood, which is completely wacky but never goes where I think it's going and is therefore entertaining to me. Will never read Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books, on which TB is based, but I've read some of her other books, and Charlaine is the real deal -- a wonderful writer and storyteller. I could see why she's so popular.

[I. J. Parker]

MASH.  (TV only).   Frost series;  Inspector Morse;  The one with the female superintendant (sorry, can't recall); Dibdin Zen series (much better than the books).

 

I don't go to the movies anymore.

[Caroline Trippe]

I don't think it was based on any single book, but I loved "Prime Suspect." Helen Mirren as Jane Tennyson was top=notch.
Maybe this is the place to spout off about my most recent disappointments. I've just watched the entire series (on DVD) of "Wire in the Blood." As far as I can tell, only the first episode, "The Mermaids Singing," was based on a book---the Val McDermind novel of the same name, which I read, after the fact.
After I saw that, I was not going to watch any more because the crimes were SO violent and kinky, but then a friend said how he got pulled in, so, silly me....
The thing that bothered me most about ALL of these episodes was how far-fetched they were! Not only were the crimes "beyond the pale," all obsessive psychopathic serial killers, but I could not keep my disbelieve suspended! I mean, how does a 100-lb psycho who thinks she is Joan of Arc manage to single-handedly move and bury (in a church graveyard, in some cases) all these victims she has killed? Things like that. And Tony Hill....well, I sort of liked the Robson Green character, except when I wanted to slap him for talking when he should have been trying to throttle the person who was asking him to tie up his own ankles.... seriously!
And yet.....I watched every one of them....they were seductive: the music, the suspense....even though they let me down almost every single time in the Willing Suspension of Disbelief department.
I thought the first episode was the most horrific thing I'd ever seen---until the one with the cannibal. Directly taken from the Hannibal Lector series? Or is sadistic cannibalism more common than I thought?

[David DeLee]

I heard good things  about the Helen Mirren PRIME SUSPECT but never saw it. Need to see if its available. Though I did enjoy the American version, (I like that gritty, realistic, city cop setting--very similar to HILL STREET BLUES, DETROIT 187 & BLUE BLOODS) but, like Detroit 187 it only lasted one season.

Haven't heard of the other one you mention. From your take on i, not sure I want to.

[Caroline Trippe]

All 7 episodes of "Prime Suspect" are  available on DVD.Available from Netflix, or you can probably stream them, if you don't want to buy them. 

The cases are suspenseful. Gritty and believable. Gritty? Funny word that.  The scripts are good---but it's Helen Mirren who makes it all work. I've always thought she was a "great" actress, whatever that means. I guess it means she makes you believe in and empathize with the characters she portrays. This series has depth. 

You can avoid "WITB."  I would never have heard of it either, but you turn up a lot of stuff when you go searching on Netflix for movies & TV shows of interest. 

[I. J. Parker]

Yup.  PRIME SUSPECT.  That's the one.  With Helen Mirren.  Excellent.

[Conrad Johnson]

No Country For Old Men, hands down.

[David DeLee]

Just saw ALEX CROSS. Good movie, not fantastic. Tyler Perry does a convincing job playing the role of Alex Cross, but I came away from the movie feeling like I'd just watched a two hour synopsis of a really good story. All surface stuff, didn't get down into the meat of the characters motivations or emotions.

That's my take anyway.