It's been a bit of a gold rush for adaptations. As streaming services dominate programming, they need something to stream. A lot of somethings. Stories just don't seem to be written fast enough, and Netflix especially has been gobbling up the rights to published (and publishing) books. Other streaming services aren't far behind. "Station Eleven," "Shining Girls," "The Queen's Gambit" and "Anatomy of a Scandal" make up just a handful of recently adapted fare.
But not all fiction lends itself to the screen. Some novels just aren't successful as shows, not without serious reworking. Needs more snake is not a note I ever thought I'd be writing to myself, but that was before I'd seen "The Essex Serpent." Based on a 2016 novel by British author Sarah Perry, the Clio Barnard-directed series with Anna Symon as head writer is the latest in Apple TV+'s adaptations. It's unfortunately also one of the weakest. Meandering, ponderous and lacking tension, "The Essex Serpent" is in desperate need of more bite.
