The Literary-Inspired Web Series You Should Be Watching
Once you’ve read all your favorite authors’ works and watched all the movies and TV shows based on said works, what do you do? Surely there can’t be another way to continue to enjoy the books beyond re-reads and re-watches? Oh, but there can! Thanks to the wonder of YouTube, literary enthusiasts, filmmakers, and fans have come out full force with their own web series based on beloved books. Whether it’s a loose adaptation or a true re-telling of a story, or even taking literary lives and famous figures and modernizing or satirizing them, the bookish adventures needn’t end! Check out these literary-inspired web series you should be watching:
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KisuGP2lcPs?list=PL6690D980D8A65D08
This was something of the grand dame of the resurgence of literary web series. This is an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice modernized and re-told through the eyes of 20-something grad student, Lizzie. The Bennet family rides again, even if Kitty is actually a cat, and is replete with costume theatre, bow ties, and spin-off vlog channels from other characters like the sassy Lydia. The company that created this series also went on to adapt an unfinished Jane Austen book in Welcome to Sanditon, and are currently working on Emma Approved, an adaptation of (duh) Emma. Up next for them is an adaptation of Frankenstein.
The Autobiography of Jane Eyre
This is another show in vlog format that adapts Jane Eyre to modern-day life. It’s shot in a more naturalistic way and takes us around Jane‘s world, so we’re not just stuck in regular sitting-in-front-of-a-camera vlogging format. We hop from places like Rochester’s house to her cousin’s to her stay with their version of the book’s St. John and family. They take some liberties with the book to make the modernization more logical, all the while managing to be funny, dramatic, sad, and spooky.
The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy
If you’ve ever wondered how Peter Pan could be adapted to the modern world and still maintain its magic, check out this series. Neverland becomes the town of Neverland, Ohio and Peter and his lost boys become 20-something man-children. Tiger Lily becomes a no-nonsense business bitch/queen and Wendy becomes the wrangler for the group and, of course, Peter’s love interest. And fear not, Tink is still Tink. Because Neverland, OH is an enchanting place.
A Tell Tale Vlog
Edgar Allen Poe’s irreverent vlog is populated by the morose Poe himself and the harebrained ghost Lenore. Literary references abound, as well as Poe’s attempts to write The Raven. You’ll basically want to be BFFs with Lenore. Click and watch it!
Classic Alice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DUbjMpIbvM?list=PLgRMT7lzLTVeDHz3xi8A2dJ_4JGIaUv4k
This is a series about a gal named Alice who is encouraged by her friend Andrew to live her life according to classic literature. The first episodes chronicle their brainstorm for the idea, followed by Alice’s ill-advised decision to take Crime and Punishment as a source of inspiration. And things quickly get complicated.
School of Thrones
All you need to know is: Game of Thrones set in high school. Prom is coming.
And most of all, these also incorporated a social media element giving their characters twitter accounts and websites for businesses, people, cities mentioned, and more so be sure to go that extra mile to really get into the worlds of these stories!