Wednesday, July 22, 2020

When Adapting a Novel

Neil Gaiman has indicated an interest in doing a second season of "Good Omens". Because as soon as you have a major hit on your hands, of course you want to do more. Never mind that the adaptation used up all of the existing source material, and the only people qualified to write more are Gaiman and Terry Pratchett working as a team. And while Pratchett has been unusually prolific for an ex-writer, this would be ambitious even for him.

Unfortunately, this is another case of falling into the same trap as "A Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Attwood, or "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. The first season adapts the book, and does so really well, turning into a big hit. Everyone involved therefore wants more, and that desire wins out over good sense. And then the regret sets in.

So, my new rule of thumb: when adapting a much-loved novel for TV, once you reach the end of the novel it is time to stop.

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