Last month we shared some movies that broke the “the book is better, actually” rule. Yes, the adaptation could not exist without the work of the original author(s). However, sometimes things just work better on screen for a variety of technical, personal, or social reasons. That list came from an idea for a much larger and ultimately unwieldy one that included mini-series and TV show adaptations. So here, we’ve decided to share some of the situations where the show was a better time than the book. (With some honorable mentions.)

In an era of prestige television kicked off by HBO and then AMC, it almost feels like the books have some disadvantages. A show can expand upon our favorite characters and plots. Like movies, they benefit from hindsight and more writers’ backgrounds influencing the story. Many of these elements can backfire, too. For example, TV yields a higher likelihood of unwarranted filler. Additionally, it is difficult to cast better characters than our imagination, where budgets and time are unlimited.

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