Whenever a TV show or movie is adapted from another medium, there are some changes along the way – and some fans upset by those changes. Last week, CBS debuted Under the Dome to great ratings, but, unsurprisingly, some fans of the Stephen King book its based on are already grumbling about differences from the source material. But one person who thinks you should be okay with those differences is… Stephen King.
On his website, King has King has written a new blog post about Under the Dome, noting that no matter what, his book is still his book and available to read in its original form. As King puts it, “If you loved the book when you first read it, it’s still there for your perusal. But that doesn’t mean the TV series is bad, because it’s not. In fact, it’s very good.”
IGN's Under the Dome: Series Premiere Review
Regarding the deviations, King writes, “Many of the changes wrought by [showrunner] Brian K. Vaughan and his team of writers have been of necessity, and I approved of them wholeheartedly.”
Vaughan has already revealed that he has an idea for the end of the series – and the explanation to what the Dome is – that is different from the book. King also approves of this, explaining, “Other story modifications are slotting into place because the writers have completely re-imagined the source of the Dome. That such a re-imagining had to take place was my only serious concern when the series was still in the planning stages, and that concern was purely practical. If the solution to the mystery were the same on TV as in the book, everyone would know it in short order, which would spoil a lot of the fun (besides, plenty of readers didn’t like my solution, anyway).”
King goes on to say that he felt the only thing that simply had to be the same was the big set-up – the Dome itself. As he puts it, “It’s best to think of that novel and what you’re seeing week-to-week on CBS as a case of fraternal twins. Both started in the same creative womb, but you will be able to tell them apart. Or, if you’re of a sci-fi bent, think of them as alternate versions of the same reality. ”
Lastly, King writes, “Feel free to take the original down from your bookshelf anytime you want. Nothing between the covers has changed a bit.”
Stephen King on TV: From Salem's Lot to Under the Dome
You can read King’s entire posting at StephenKing.com.
In the meantime, CBS have also put out this handy fact sheet below, revealing some of the rules of life Under the Dome… The TV version, that is.
Source : ign[dot]com
