8 Best TV Adaptations Of Non-Fiction Books

Despite this, non-fiction books have much to say about the joys and pains of the world. They chronicle real parts of history. Luckily, fictionalized TV shows based on non-fiction books offer a much wider reach. Even with the “based on a true story,” there’s so much stylistic variation. These eight TV shows use the visual medium to enhance the story told in their book counterparts.

8 Orange Is The New Black

The dramedy Orange Is the New Black, based on the memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman, might not have been the first Netflix original show, but it is the breakout series that brought audiences to the streamer and made them stay. The TV show follows Piper Chapman, a woman sentenced to a minimum-security women’s prison, and her fellow incarcerated individuals.

The TV show is fantastic, balancing gallows humor with emotional beats. It doesn’t shy away from social critique about LGBTQ+ issues, racial injustice, and the prison-industrial complex, to name just a few topics. On top of that, the cast of Orange Is the New Black gave incredible performances that felt so real they could walk off the screen.

7 Friday Night Lights

Based on the 1990 book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, the football drama Friday Night Lights tackles the story of a high school team in the small town of Dillon, Texas, who are the entire town’s hope. The town is the epitome of the phrase “faith, football, firearms.” Each of these things is explored in depth, showing both the goods and bads of this kind of culture. The script is phenomenally written, and the characters feel relatable.

However, what puts Friday Night Lights above the rest is the incredible cinematography and direction. The football TV show draws characteristics from a cinema-verite documentary. The TV show uses natural lighting and handheld cameras, plus snap zooms. The post-production team used authentic movements and unscripted blocking.

6 Dopesick

Two dramas about the opioid crisis came out around the same time, but they had different outcomes. Painkillers floundered, coming across as a melodrama. Meanwhile, Dopesick is one of the best and most tragic TV shows based on a true story. The Hulu show uses the book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy as source material.

From a factual perspective, it’s clear that the team did their research. According to an NPR article with quotes from experts, the show is largely accurate. On top of that, they selected the idea cast to bring this stomach-churning story to life. Michael Keaton, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Kaitlyn Dever really stand out. Unsurprisingly, Dopesick received 14 Emmy nominations and won 2.

In Hulu’s Under the Banner of Heaven, a devout Mormon police detective named Jeb Pyre and his non-Mormon partner Detective Bill Taba investigate the murder of a Mormon mother and her baby. The further they get into the case, the more Jeb’s faith gets tested. There are so many reasons to appreciate Under the Banner of Heaven, even though it was deemed controversial.

Unlike many other true-crime dramatizations, this show handled the real-life murders outlined in Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven with tact, never coming across as salacious or exploitative. Additionally, the themes extend further than the Mormon Church. With the incredible performances of Andrew Garfield and Gil Birmingham as the anchors, Under the Banner of Heaven delves into the dangers of religious extremism and toxic patriarchal systems.

4 Mindhunter

The show Mindhunter, based on the book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, frequently gets held up as the gold standard of prestige TV, and there’s a good reason for that. The story follows FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, plus psychologist Wendy Carr, as they interview serial killers, forming the criminal profiling unit.

However, Mindhunter ties many prominent serial killers into the narrative without ever lifting them up. The show is critical of its main characters, showing how flawed criminal profiling is. On top of that, David Fincher delivered a masterclass in creating atmosphere through creative choices, crafting a very clinical, cold visual feel. Add to that the attention to detail in recreating the 1970s, and it’s easy to see why Mindhunter is considered a pinnacle of greatness.

3 Boardwalk Empire

Mobster TV shows have become a staple of the crime drama genre, with Boardwalk Empire and The Sopranos standing out as two of the best. Unlike The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire is based on a true story told in the 2002 book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. From the moment they cast Steve Buscemi as a villain, it was clear the TV show would be on another level.

Many of the standout elements have nothing to do with the cast, though. The writing is extremely believable and compelling. The production design is out of this world, creating a realistic 1920s Atlantic City set. Additionally, auteur Martin Scorsese directed the pilot episode, setting the tone for the entire show.

2 This Is Going To Hurt

The British dramedy This Is Going To Hurt is a miniseries adaptation of Adam Kay's This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, and it elevates the diary entries into a cohesive storyline. The show follows Adam, a doctor on the Labour Ward, and his coworkers trying to do their jobs in an underfunded NHS hospital. They don’t have mental health resources or enough time to even go home and get a full night’s sleep.

Rather than painting the whole thing as a drama, This Is Going to Hurt finds comedy in the pain, with Adam breaking the fourth wall to bring viewers in on the joke. One of the best changes the TV show does is add the character Shruti. Not only was she the breakout role for Ambika Mod, but she’s also the heart of many of the show’s messages.

1 When They See Us

Netflix’s When They See Us is a brutal but extremely moving retelling of the Central Park jogger rape case, focusing on the perspective of the Exonerated Five: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise. These Black and Latino teens spent six to thirteen years in jail for a crime they never committed.

The book The Central Park Five: The Untold Story Behind One of New York City’s Most Infamous Crimes by Sarah Burns provided all the framework. However, director Ava DuVernay brought the heart in her directing and co-writing. When They See Us zooms in on the systemic injustices that happened at every point of the case. The actors made the pain and confusion palpable, and Jharrell Jerome gave a tear-jerking performance.