The Best New TV Shows Based on Books to Stream in 2024 — Apple TV+, Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, and More Picks

It’s always a treat to see a favorite book realized on screen, especially when it’s seven to eight episodes of great television. And this year, there are tons of TV shows coming out that were adapted from incredible novels. From historical dramas to a black comedy starring Robert Downey Jr., these are the new TV shows based on books we’re most excited about this year.

Apples Never Fall (Peacock)

Based on the book of the same name by Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies), this new miniseries features a star-studded cast as the Delaneys, a picture-perfect family who recently sold their acclaimed tennis academy. When Joy Delaney (played by Annette Bening) goes missing, her four children (including Alison Brie and Jake Lacy) discover that their parents’ marriage may not have been what they thought it was. Sam Neill stars as their father, Stan.

The seven-episode series is set to premiere on Peacock on March 14.

We Were The Lucky Ones (Hulu)

Starring Joey King and Logan Lerman, this new Hulu miniseries follows a Jewish family, the Kurcs, that is determined to reunite after being separated during World War II. It’s based on the 2017 novel by Georgia Hunter, which was inspired by the true story of her own family’s survival in the Holocaust. The Kurcs are originally from Poland, which was the first country to be invaded by Germany during the war and Addy (played by Lerman) is based on Hunter’s grandfather.

The eight-episode series will premiere on Hulu on March 28.

Ripley (Netflix)

Patricia Highsmith’s 1944 psychological thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley, has been adapted several times — most notably for the 1999 film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Now, it’s getting the small screen treatment as a Netflix miniseries starring Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, Dakota Fanning, and Johnny Flynn. It follows a grifter, Ripley, who lives in New York during the ’60s and is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to bring his son home. Similar to the recent film Saltburn‘s plot (which drew inspiration from the story), Ripley becomes obsessed with the man.

The eight-episode series premieres on Netflix on April 4.

A Gentleman in Moscow (Paramount + with Showtime)

Based on the 2016 novel by Amor Towles, this new TV miniseries follows a Russian aristocrat (played by Ewan McGregor) who is spared from death and placed on house arrest in an attic room during the Bolshevik Revolution. His former life is turned upside down and places him on the wrong side of history. Other cast members include Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Johnny Harris, and Leah Harvey.

The eight-episode series premieres on Showtime on March 29.

The Sympathizer (HBO)

This black comedy miniseries takes place near the end of the Vietnam War. It follows a plant who was embedded in the South Vietnam army who escapes to the U.S. and lives with a refugee community where he continues to spy and report back to the Viet Cong. It’s based on the 2015 best-selling novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which also won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The show stars Robert Downey Jr., Hoa Xuande, Toan Le, and more.

The seven-episode series will premiere on HBO on April 14.

Lady in the Lake (Apple TV+)

A limited series on Apple TV+ in 2024, this show is based on the crime novel of the same name by Laura Lippman. It stars Natalie Portman as Maddie Schwartz, a housewife in 1960s Baltimore who reinvents her life as an investigative journalist. She’s led to examine an unsolved murder of a young Black woman in the town. The show also features Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit), David Corenswet, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Mikey Madison.

The seven-episode series will stream on Apple TV+ this year.