10 TV Shows That Improved Upon The Source Material
4. The 100
Given that The 100 aired on The CW, it was reasonable to expect the show to be a fairly down-the-line adaptation of Kass Morgan's series of young adult sci-fi novels - the first of which was published just six months before the TV show premiered.
And for a decent chunk of its first season, The 100 was indeed a cheeseball teen drama show with a sci-fi gloss, yet after this it mercifully developed into something darker, edgier, more violent, and more character-driven.
Compared to the younger-skewing novel series, the TV show's more mature approach created night-and-day differences, ensuring it appealed to a much wider and more diverse demographic.
Characterisation-wise the show is leagues ahead of the books, and given that the novels and show were effectively being written at the same time by two separate parties, it's perhaps best to think of them as disparate companion pieces.
Either way, the show skirts a lot of the YA tropes that the books wilfully indulge, which is really all you need to know.