My vote goes to House of Cards
It also has my vote for best change of ending from book to screen.
The book is not bad, but the TV series is magnificent.
Many people will realise why this comes up now.
I’ll vote for Lonesome Dove.
House of Cards is good but I’m partial to Shogun myself.
I suppose you have heard the news that Ian Richardson , who took the lead role in the series, died last week.
My favourites are the two John Le Carré stories *Tinker Tailor *and Smiley’s People. Incidentally Ian Richardson also appeared in the former production.
Hard to go past Tinker, Tailor/ Smiley’s People. Alec Guinness. Beryl Reid is unbearably sad. Patrick Stewart (Karla) infests the whole six or so hours and IIRC has no lines at all.
I’d put up The Jewel in the Crown or Brideshead Revisited.
For consideration:
[ul][li]Shogun (already mentioned)[/li][li]Lonesome Dove (already mentioned)[/li][li]Riget (AKA The Kingdom)[/li][li]Roots[/ul][/li]I’ve not seen the others.
Of those four, I enjoyed Shogun. I lived in Japan when I was little, and I like the history and culture. Roots was, I think, an important milestone in television. IMO it was more socially relevant than Shogun. Riget is one of my favourites. I can’t think of another show that literally put me on the edge of my seat. I thought the initial development was a little slow, but it picked up in the latter half. I think Lonesome Dove tops my personal list of the four series. Good acting, and a good Western.
Incidentally, I always get a laugh from this scene in Riget: Helmer and Man from Haiti are standing at urinals. Helmer glances down to see how the other man is fixed. Helmer looks shocked and slaps the guy in the face. Yes, it plays on the racial stereotype; but Helmer is such a stuck-up cunt that it fits the character.
Shogun
Rich Man, Poor Man
Lonesome Dove
In that order. Everything else is an “also-ran.”
North and South. Book II was ok, and Book III was for shit, but the original was fantastic. The Blue and the Gray was good, too.
No love for Band of Brothers?
:smack: :smack: :smack:
Is it too late to change my vote? I really want to change my vote.
I thank you for the replies. There are quite a few that I have not seen. I will look for them on DVD.
Let me ask whether anyone here who did not vote for ‘House of Cards’, has actually seen it?
“Salem’s Lot”
I vote for “Blackpool” or “Viva Blackpool!” as it was called on BBC America.
Oh, and BTW, if you want to do some research about the series, don’t read the summary on the BBC website, as it’s a whodunit and the website clearly states whodunit.
Holocaust. Just look at the cast!
I’ve seen it and enjoyed it, but it’s really just a cartoonish thriller with very two-dimensional characterizations, so I wouldn’t classify it at the top rank of filmed literature.
Roots and Shogun are my top 2.
Does Upstairs/Downstairs count?
I’d add Poldark to Silenus’s list.
From the Earth to the Moon. Near-perfect treatment of a difficult and expansive subject matter. Thanks to HBO for paying for all those wonderful sets, and thanks to Tom Hanks for being the star behind the scenes getting it done. 
The Singing Detective. Period. (I haven’t seen the reputedly horrible theatrical version that came out a few years ago.)