Top 10 HBO Shows Adapted From Books, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

What makes a good TV show or movie? There are many factors at play, but perhaps the most important one is the writing. It is no wonder that the best projects often come from well-written books. It's a fact universally acknowledged at HBO, the network that has given us Succession and The Last of Us, among others.

Here is a list of ten notable book adaptations HBO has produced for the small screen:

10. True Blood (2008-2014, 7 seasons, 68%)

Set in a fictional Louisiana town, the show explores the lives of modern-day vampires striving for equality with humans. It features drama, romance, and complex plot twists that all come from Charlaine Harris's The Southern Vampire Mysteries. In fact, a convincing argument can be made that it was when True Blood started straying from books that its quality went downhill.

9. Sex and the City (1998-2004, 6 seasons, 70%)

One of the network's flagship shows, it follows four young adult female friends in New York navigating careers and relationships in the Big Apple. Based on Candace Bushnell's eponymous books and journalistic writings, the franchise has now expanded to include two big-screen instalments and a sequel, And Just Like That…, with its second season set to premiere in June 2023.

8. Game of Thrones (2011-2019, 8 seasons, 88%)

One of the most-watched shows in TV history, Game of Thrones features an fascinating fictional world of mediaeval feuds, dragons, and kings, meticulously crafted by George R. R. Martin in his A Song of Ice and Fire book series.

7. Big Little Lies (2017-2019, 2 seasons, 89%)

With an outstanding cast, the show revolves around ordinary women in a California seaside town whose lives begin to unravel as their dark secrets and desires start rearing their ugly heads until somebody is murdered. The series is based on Liane Moriarty's book of the same name.

6. The Leftovers (2014-2017, 3 seasons, 91%)

This post-apocalyptic show depicts the events following the 'Sudden Departure', an abrupt disappearance of 2% of humanity. Before adapting it for television, Tom Perrotta developed the idea in his eponymous novel.

5. Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014, 5 seasons, 92%)

Based on a 2002 nonfiction book by Nelson Johnson, the show follows Enoch Thompson, a corrupt Prohibition-era politician in charge of Atlantic City, and his various misadventures.

4. Sharp Objects (2018, 1 season, 92%)

Inspired by Gillian Flynn's 2006 novel, this miniseries follows a conflicted crime reporter struggling with alcoholism and childhood trauma as she investigates the deaths of two young girls in her hometown.

3. House of the Dragon (2022-present, 1 season, 93%)

This Game of Thrones spinoff is based on George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood. Set centuries before the main show, it explores events that occurred in the same fictional universe. With one season released, filming for the second instalment has already begun.

2. Olive Kitteridge (2014, 1 season, 94%)

Adapted from Elizabeth Strout's 2008 novel, the miniseries revolves around the titular character, a retired New England teacher with mental health issues, as we follow her troubled life in a small town.

1. Watchmen (2019, 1 season, 96%)

This superhero drama is based on the 1986 eponymous comic series by DC. Centred around Detective Angela Abar, the show takes place 34 years after the events in the comic series. Unfortunately, it was put on hold after the first season, as creator David Lindelof left the production, stating he had completed his story.