Animorphs: The Next Book To Television Series?

The past few years has seen a steady rise in the book to television series genre. Mostly it involves adapting teen paranormal romance and socialite series into a television show of the same name and standing. Trueblood, Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Dexter, and Bones were all bound before they were filmed, and after being adapted have had moderate to obsessive fangirl success. For the most part the shows in this new genre follow a young to middle aged woman and their casual sexual relationships (supernatural or otherwise) and how pretty they are, but there are other series that have the potential to break that mold and be absolutely brilliant. In particular, one science fiction series that seriously calls out to be filmed and flying under the radar when it was published and afterwards, Animorphs is practically made for the small screen.

Numbering 54 book strong in the main story and with smaller chronicles on the side, Animorphs, was a series written by K.A Applegate and tells the story of four teenaged earthlings, a teen turned red-tailed hawk, and an angsty alien by the name of Ax (check out that alliteration) fighting to stop earth from becoming the bitch of a slug super-race called Yeerks. Tiny aliens that slither into your brain and take control of your life, the Yeerks have already made footholds and have Controllers (people now controlled by the Yeerks) in high positions throughout the globe by the time six teenagers are asked to stop it. Given the ability to transform and acquire the DNA of animals, the Animorphs are the only defense against an armada thousands upon thousands strong using only the raw, natural power that comes from the animal kingdom. And they still have to worry about passing math class.

Sounds like you have heard it before? Well yeah, but the vampire teenage girl market has been around since Buffy  and the qualities that make Animorphs different are the fact that it is not just about kids shouldering the burden of saving the world- but the entire idea of war itself, its impacts on everyone, the morality of it, the sympathies toward the invaders (Yeerks, after all, cannot feel or taste without a human body), how war changes people- though targeted towards children at all the Book Fair days in elementary schools, I doubt most parents would have let their fifth grader read them had they known battles would be fought and people die in the series. One of its best qualities is that it is not sugar coated- dark adult themes are explored, which admittedly are a little heavy at times while reading, but could make for some great television.

 

 

The books themselves are stylized almost in the form of a script already; heavy on dialogue with sparse exposition and strong descriptors of action. In addition, unlike many novels and book fiction series, it is reliant on character interaction.  The 54 books each change narration from the six main characters, giving a different viewpoint and different idea of what war does to people. As well, the structure of the series is already episodic. Each of the books had a clear cut beginning, middle, and climax; it was a succinct story with a preview of what would happen in the next book- so dividing the books into a television program would be relatively simple. If Showtime is able to get six seasons out of six books from Dexter, a network could certainly make at least four seasons for Animorphs.

For those of you who are nineties Nickelodeon savvy you’ll remember that Animorphs had in fact been adapted into a television series before. Starring Iceman from X-Men and…well, some other people. And you’ll remember it was a little less than stellar. Alright, it was pretty crappy.  However that is not to say if picked up by another network, its runtime lengthened to at least 45 minutes, and not trying to sugarcoat it for kids (seriously, from the network that gave us Are You Afraid of the Dark?, they’re going to censor a show about alien invasions?) it could be substantially better. And there are small communities scattered across the internet with petitions to have it made, and like most cult shows and series, role playing and extensive discussion of characters and story development.

Bitchin\’ Nineties Theme Song

 In market where teen paranormal romance is now its own category as television and fiction, where you can’t turn the television on and not see something with fangs or howls at the moon, Animorphs could be a refreshing start. With a larger budget and a more careful adaptation, it has all the fixings to be a phenomenal good old fashioned science fiction show.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to relive some of my childhood. I had such a crush on Cassie, the pacifist of the group.

 

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