# Successful books that became successful movies and successful TV shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524 "2009-05-15T14:36:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/1 "2009-05-15T14:36:25Z")
The only one I can think of is M_A_S\*H. The criteria are the book came first and wash successful, followed by a successful movie and TV show (or TV show and then a movie). ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/2 "2009-05-15T14:39:49Z")
Peyton Place Novel by Grace Metalious in 1956 Movie in 1957 TV Show from 1964 - 69 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/3 "2009-05-15T14:42:16Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > The only one I can think of is M_A_S\*H. Really? I had no idea. When was it published? Amazon has a bunch of books by a Richard Hooker - is that the guy? What’s the book that started it all? ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/4 "2009-05-15T15:00:06Z")
Sex and the City, Candace Bushnell’s book, of course. The success of each is relative, although the TV version has proven itself adn wouldn’t occurred had the book not been successful, I think. _Northwest Passage_, by Kenneth Roberts, was made into a movie in 1940 (starring Spencer Tracy), and ended up as a one-season TV show 1958-59 (starring Buddy Ebsen). How successful the book was is hard to say. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/5 "2009-05-15T15:28:25Z")
Oh, I’ve got another one. Anne of Green Gables Book (first book in the series) 1908 by L.M. Mongomery (wow, I knew how old this book is, but typing out the year makes me even more amazed it is so old and still so readable) Movie in 1934 (I think there have been others, but this is the most successful IMHO) TV miniseries, followed by regular series - there have been several, but the wildly successful one is the CBC Kevin Sullivan production in, um, the mid 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/6 "2009-05-15T15:46:51Z")
The Doctor series by Richard Gordon, starting with Doctor in the House published in 1952. 17 books, 7 films produced between 1954 - 1970, a radio series and a number of TV series that ran on and off from 1969 - 1991. Also, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/7 "2009-05-15T15:48:26Z")
\*Gone With the Wind \*- Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for the novel, Best Picture Academy Award in 1940 for the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/8 "2009-05-15T15:49:11Z")
The Paper Chase. First a novel, then a movie and then a series on CBS for only one season, but then revived by Showtime for three more seasons. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/9 "2009-05-15T15:49:35Z")
> [@ColonelDax](#): > > \*Gone With the Wind \*- Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for the novel, Best Picture Academy Award in 1940 for the movie. When was the TV show on? ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/10 "2009-05-15T15:51:18Z")
D’oh. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/11 "2009-05-15T15:58:12Z")
Probably unfamiliar to Americans, but the best example I can think of, is the Keith Waterhouse novel _Billy Liar_. Published in 1959 it is the story of a teenager desperate to get his life in order, continually lying and indulging in fantasies trapped in a provincial town. It is both funny and touching. Waterhouse turned it into a 3 act play in 1960. It played in London’s West End with Albert Finney starring. It is still popular with amateur theatre groups because of its simple staging. John Schlesinger directed a movie version in 1963 featuring Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie. Two series of a sitcom were made by London Weekend Television in 1973-74 and a US ripoff (called _Billy_) was attempted in 1979 starring Steve Guttenberg. In 1974 it became a successful West End musical starring Michael Crawford. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/12 "2009-05-15T16:04:08Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Really? I had no idea. When was it published? Amazon has a bunch of books by a Richard Hooker - is that the guy? What’s the book that started it all? I’ll assume you are not kidding…though I don’t know for sure. It’s this one: [MASH by Richard Hooker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MASH_(book)) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/13 "2009-05-15T16:10:51Z")
Batman - if you’re prepared to allow comic books 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/14 "2009-05-15T16:11:38Z")
Would comic books be cheating? Batman, Superman, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, the Crow, Spawn all were comic book series turned TV series & movie(s). Another cheat: the Shining. Successful book, quite successful Kubrick film, and fairly successful TV miniseries. Emmanuelle and Lady Chatterley’s Lover both were successful books turned successful softcore movies (the first essentially redefined the softcore genre). Both lent their names to late-night pay cable series in the early 2000s (successful? not sure how to define success for late-night TV): Emmanuelle in Space and Lady Chatterley’s Stories. The Dirty Dozen started life as a novel by E.M. Nathanson, became a successful movie in 1967, and became a TV series that… well… okay, it wasn’t successful, but that may just be due to its being on the fledgling Fox network. The long-popular Dirty Pair anime franchise started as Japanese-language novels, and among the adaptations (OVA, radio, and more) have been a TV series (1985) and movie (1987). Similar to this, one could make a case for multiple Disney properties which are often adapted from books: Winnie the Pooh, DuckTales (based on Carl Barks’ duck comics), Little Mermaid, Aladdin, the Jungle Book (which spawned Jungle Cubs, the TV series), 101 Dalmatians, Tarzan, Robin Hood. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/15 "2009-05-15T16:14:16Z")
Oh! Forgot Belvedere (novel) \> Sitting Pretty/MR. Belvedere Goes to College/Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (movies) \> Mr. Belvedere (TV series). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/16 "2009-05-15T16:23:42Z")
I’m looking at the Wikipedia [list of television programs based on novels](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Television_programs_based_on_novels) and found a few more. Mister Roberts, although there were only thirty episodes of the series. A big one; The Waltons was first a novel and then a 1963 movie before the very successful series. And there are more if you include miniseries among the list. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/17 "2009-05-15T16:33:37Z")
[Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Huggins#The_.22Huggins_Contract.22) is one with a twist. > [@](#): > > At Warner Brothers television, (Roy) Huggins was repeatedly denied credit and compensation as the creator of several television programs. Perhaps most famously, Jack Warner deliberately had the pilot to 77 Sunset Strip screened briefly at movie theatres in the Caribbean in order to legally establish that the television series derived from a film, rather than, as was actually the case, several books and novellas Huggins had written in the 1940s. Since this was not the only occasion on which Warner had found a way to circumvent Huggins’ creative rights, he left the studio soon thereafter. Good old Jack. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/18 "2009-05-15T16:37:26Z")
[Black Beauty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Beauty_(disambiguation)) was a book first, then a film, then a TV and then a movie again [Ivanhoe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivanhoe_(disambiguation)) went from book, then to two operas, two movies, a TV series and then three more movies Fay Wheldon wrote [The Life and Loves of a She Devil](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Loves_of_a_She-Devil). The BBC made a great mini series and Hollywood really screwed the pooch. The Three Musketeers if you count Dogtanian and the three Muskahounds ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/19 "2009-05-15T16:37:36Z")
How successful were the book and movie of DOBIE GILLIS? I assume successful enough to launch the TV show. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524/20 "2009-05-15T16:55:50Z")
**Dracula** - Famous book, a horde of movies made about him, and at least one TV show (one of the ongoing storylines in “Cliffhangers” - a late 70s / early 80s series). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/successful-books-that-became-successful-movies-and-successful-tv-shows/496524.md?page=2)