With My Brilliant Friend returning to Max today, September 9 2024, after a two-year wait, it got me thinking about other book-to-series adaptations available on the best streaming services. As you know, adaptations of books can be hit or miss, but there are three shows in particular on Max that have been highly credited – each with a score of over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Of course there are obvious ones like Game of Thrones, which we've included in our list of best Max shows, but I've decided to bring attention to series that may not have received the same amount of attention. And while the three I've selected have the book-to-series trait in common, each sits in the fantasy, supernatural, and historical categories, respectively.
The new season of the teen drama is part of everything new on Max in September, but you'll still be able to stream My Brilliant Friend season 2 and My Brilliant Friend season 3 on the platform, so there's plenty to keep you busy during the cozy months we have ahead. If you're after more ideas for your watchlist for the fall, here are three more series based on books worth considering.
His Dark Materials
RT Score: 91%
Age rating: TV-14
Cast: James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Dafne Keen, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Before the hit fantasy show came onto our screens in 2019 – His Dark Materials season 2 was released in 2020, while His Dark Materials season 3 aired in 2022 – Chris Weitz's The Golden Compass (2007) told the events of the first book in the trilogy starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. In the TV series adaptation of Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy, Dafne Keen plays orphan Lyra who embarks on a journey to track down her kidnapped friend. However during her mission, she discovers a secret kidnapping plot related to an invisible substance called Dust. Here's what we know about His Dark Materials future on Max.
Chernobyl
RT Score: 95%
Age rating: TV-MA
Cast: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, Emily Watson, Paul Ritter
Adapted from Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich's 1997 non-fiction book Voices from Chernobyl, the miniseries Chernobyl is a historical drama that recounts the events of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the clean up that followed. Directed by Johan Renck (Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead), the five episode miniseries explores the social and psychological tragedies of the nuclear disaster, featuring an ensemble cast of familiar names including Stellen Skarsgard, Jessie Buckley, Ralph Ineson, and Emily Watson.
The Leftovers
RT Score: 91%
Age rating: TV-MA
Cast: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Margaret Qualley
Based off Tom Perrotta's 2011 novel of the same name, The Leftovers ran from 2014-2017 and is one of five dystopian thriller shows on Max with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series adaptation of his supernatural thriller, a rapture-like event called 'The Sudden Departure' sees the disappearance of 140 million people leaving the billions of remaining people questioning what it means for them to be left behind. Three years after the rapture, society is divided to the extent where some find themselves joining a cult-like group called the Guilty Remnant. Police chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) upholds the task of maintaining peace between the people of the town and the cult, while attempting to prevent his family from dividing.
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