Television Wishes: Three Books

I'm a fan of television. Not only do I watch a lot of shows, but I watch them aggressively, if that's possible. While there are relatively few movies I can watch for two whole hours, I have no problem flying through a full season of a show in a couple of weeks. And I get excited about the shows; I honestly care what happens to the characters and love when something completely unexpected happens nearly as much as I love when something that's been building for a while finally happens.

I'm sure I will always love books the most, but as far as storytelling goes, television is in a unique place in that the stories get to stretch out over long periods of time and the characters grow and change as time goes on. Pam from season six of The Office is a much more mature and self-assured person than the Pam of season two was. Books, even long series, rarely have this ability.

That said, there are a few books, both stand-alones and series, that I think would be great bases for television shows.

Flirt Club

Cathleen Daly

Alright, so no offense to Hannah Montana & friends, but do you guys remember when Disney Channel used to have really good shows? (Sure, my definition of "really good" may be a bit tainted by the fact that I had a huge crush on Gordo, but whatever.) Let's turn back the clock to those days and then put Flirt Club into production because this novel about junior high drama geeks is hilarious, cute, and wonderful. I can just imagine it as an incredibly quirky and lovely "tween" show that, as an "adult" (I use that word very loosely in relation to myself) I would totally watch.

The Kid Table

Andrea Seigal

This book is pretty structured (the story is divided into five sections, each one detailing a family event at which the kid table members are present), but I think that could work really well for a television show. The book is focused on Ingrid Bell and her five cousins, a concept that I think would be awesome for a show, especially because the second I was done with The Kid Table I wanted more about Ingrid and her family. Think NBC's Parenthood meets Community with darker Dexter-esque* undertones. Yeah, I think that could be most excellent. I know I'd tune in weekly.

The Naughty List 

Suzanne Young

Spy cheerleaders? Heck yes. This would totally satisfy my craving for another great spy show. (For some reason I just can't get interested in Chuck.) The Naughty List and its sequel, So Many Boys, follows a squad of high school cheerleaders who double as spies who catch cheating boyfriends. The book is fabulous, fun, and smart... just like the show would be. Plus, stereotype-defying is always awesome. The more I think about this one, the more I really, seriously want the tv show. UM, PLEASE.

*Okay, I've only seen a few episodes of Dexter. But it's definitely creepy and has that dark undertone and plus the main character in this book might be a psychopath.