I ask because I’m reading Butcher’s novel Fool Moon, in which Dresden asks Bob about (the various types of) werewolves, and Bob emphasizes that while there are various magical ways werewolves are made, in no case can one become a werewolf by being bitten by a werewolf; if that were so, the world would shortly be overrun with werewolves.
The plot of the TV-show ep that aired Sunday night (2/11/07), OTOH, depends on exactly that premise.
Butcher, from everything I’ve read, is perfectly content with the way the TV show is going; he has reported being kept in the loop for casting and plot development, and has been on the set more than once. He’s also stressed time and again that TVHarry is a sort of parallel universe to the BookHarry and therefore- primarily as a result of the media change- we will see alterations to things that may not make sense but have real (creative or otherwise) reasons.
For example, (spoilered in case anyone who hasn’t read the books is reading this), the inability for the Blue Beetle to make it over to TV- a beetle is impossible to film in unless you have multiple cut-up versions, and the 6’4" actor getting in and out of it is simply comical (yes, I understand this is a plot point in the books, but the average TV viewer isn’t going to know that). Enter the Jeep. Or Bob the air spirit talking skull- the initial pilot filmed with a light-up talking skull, and it was absurd. Enter Terrance Mann. Or the blasting wand/staff turning into a hockey stick and drum stick. Or Harry being SEXY AS HELL. Oops, sorry. 
Butcher has even commented that the throw-away reference to Murphy being a single mom (very, very, very not present in the books, and creating a wave of annoyance through the BookHarry fans) was actually a good idea, and even theorized where he could have “revealed” it had he thought of it first. Is he lying? Who knows. But considering the HUGE backlash Ursula LeGuin created during/after the filming of the EarthSea travesty, I would think that Butcher would feel pretty comfortable about giving negative feedback.
So… you have SciFi fans who may or may not have been Dresden fans prior to the show. Those who haven’t been are certainly going to be familiar with the “werewolf bite = werewolf” mythos, and without an already-existing attachment to Harry, they will wonder why this guy is screwing with the mythos. I don’t think it’s such a big issue that we should wonder if Butcher would have done it differently.
But I do really, really, really wonder how they’re going to deal with vampires.
I am a big fan of the books but so far, I haven’t really liked the series. That said, Hair of the Dog was not that bad, and if they can show steady improvement I will keep watching. Unfortunately, I doubt the show will last that long. I am thinking it doesn’t make a full season.
As long as Butcher makes lots of money from the series, so he can keep writing the books, I don’t care much what the series does.
Seconded, by stars and stones!
I liked the first & second episodes. Enough, in fact, to start reading the books, which hadn’t done before. Now I find that really liking the books (I’m midway through the second to the last book now) has spoiled the shows for me. I only half-watched the werewolf one because it just seemed… wrong.
I really like the actor who plays Harry, though – my mental image of the book-Harry is totally that guy – so I’ll probably keep watching, but only half-heartedly, and only for the hubba-hubba factor. And I’m happy for Butcher, if he’s making a ton o’ bucks, and isn’t hating the series. I certainly don’t want him to have to get a day job!
I did not like it until “Hair of the Dog”, but it was a nice one-hour werewolf story and it won me over. I thought the actor looked right, but until this episode, I thought he was less sexy then book-Harry,
Parellel universe and all that, I get it, but it’s just not right for a non-blonde to play Murphy!
Ratings wise, the first two episodes were right there with Battlestar Galactica in the top two or three shows on the network.
That’s good to hear. Dresden is probably a lot cheaper to make, so maybe they’ll keep it around for a bit.
Thank you! I’ve been wondering if my memory was so poor that it didn’t remember how Murphy is supposed to look. In my mind she is blond.
But I do think the screen Murphy is attractive.
To answer the OP: no. Author holding out for creative control = show not being made. Which also equals author not being paid.
Seeing the show caused me to start reading the books. I am enjoying them but it’s not like they are great literature that must not be tampered with. They are Philip Marlowe as a wizard. I have no problems with the series so far. Just like the books, a fun way to spend some leisure time.