TV series adapted from hit movies walk a very thin tightrope, especially when they're based on movies that were based on genre novels or comic books. Generally, writers are either faced with altering the original concept, or backtracking to fill in the "gaps" the source material omitted. Especially in works based on fantasy, it entails a great deal of fleshing out, usually with very uneven results. It more or less worked in Beastmaster, in which the episodic version actually surpassed the rather lame movie, a reworking of a novel by Andre Norton. The Crow: Stairway to Heaven didn't fare as well in its attempt to reinvent Eric Draven as a really cool Hulk, sans the green skin and such.
Every once in a very great while the TV guys, enamored with the source material, get it right and make a series that actually transcends its origins. USA's series The Dead Zone, inspired by the movie of the same name, which was, oddly enough, inspired by the Stephen King novel of the same name, was one such rarity. While the original material focused on the premise of what would you do if you knew in advance a person of power would bring about global destruction, the series honed in on coming to grips with such a dubious talent. It had a phenomenal six season run on USA, and can still occasionally be seen in syndication markets.
Casting Anthony Michael Hall in the Johnny Smith role originally played by Christopher Walken was in itself a risky proposition. It required transforming the protagonist from a character mired in mood to a guy next door using his powers for good. What made The Dead Zone so successful was that, with the exception of a few transitional episodes, it was largely episodic. Instead of welding itself to the premise that Vice-President Stillson will eventually bring on the Apocalypse, the series wisely dealt with more pressing day-to-day visions of changeable futures.
That approach made it possible for The Dead Zone to remain engaging throughout its six-season run. It was by no means a rehash of the movie, or even the novel — it was about inalterable pasts, and futures with infinite possibilities. That being the case, The Final Season peppers its standard formula (bad thing may or may not happen, depending on how Johnny reacts to one of his visions). This allowed the writers and producers rare latitude in the storylines, with often unexpected plot twists. I won't bore you with the teasers of each episode — suffice it to say that every episode of this season works as a mini-movie, standalone episodes that subtly weave more intricacies into the overall theme of the show.
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