History InNameOnly / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/TheWatch2021'' is "InspiredBy the works of Creator/TerryPratchett". It somehow manages to be both DarkerAndEdgier ''and'' DenserAndWackier than [[Literature/{{Discworld}} the books]], with an Ankh-Morpork filled with 21st century technology including perfectly ordinary looking ''payphones'', while Vetinari's "legalised crime" initiative is presented as making Ankh-Morpork a ''more'' dangerous place to live, when the paradox in the novels is that it actually ''works'' (and it extends to dealers in dangerous drugs such as Slab, which it definitely didn't in the books -- also this is apparently the purview of the Alchemists' Guild, who in the novels are ''far'' too unworldly for that kind of thing). Despite keeping the gag about the six-foot Carrot being a "dwarf by adoption", the main biological dwarf, Cheery Littlebottom, is actually taller than him. Colon and Nobby are AdaptedOut. Vimes is given a new angsty backstory where he had ulterior motives for joining the Watch. And Lady Sybil has gone from a middle-aged dragon-breeder whose main asset in a fight is a CompellingVoice to a [[AgeLift young]] vigilante ActionGirl. The plot is a weird mashup of ''Literature/GuardsGuards'' and ''Literature/NightWatch'', stitched together with elements from other books and entirely new material. Notably, the official Keepers of Discworld (Rob Wilikins and Creator/RhiannaPratchett) have distanced themselves from the whole thing.

* ''Series/{{Cursed}}'' and the YA book its based on are intended to be a retelling of the Myth/ArthurianLegend. Aside from certain characters having the same names and/or similar roles (Arthur, Morgana, Nimue, Merlin, Uther Pendragon etc.), having a plot involving a magic sword that OnlyTheChosenMayWield and being set in the British Isles in the Dark Ages, overall the show's plot bears little resemblance to the usual stories in the Arthurian mythos (seeing as it's set up as an OriginStory for the Lady of the Lake, it may have intended to hew closer to the legends as the series went on, but seeing as it was cancelled after one season we'll never know).

* ''Series/TheWatch'' is "InspiredBy the works of Creator/TerryPratchett". It somehow manages to be both DarkerAndEdgier ''and'' DenserAndWackier than [[Literature/{{Discworld}} the books]], with an Ankh-Morpork filled with 21st century technology including perfectly ordinary looking ''payphones'', while Vetinari's "legalised crime" initiative is presented as making Ankh-Morpork a ''more'' dangerous place to live, when the paradox in the novels is that it actually ''works'' (and it extends to dealers in dangerous drugs such as Slab, which it definitely didn't in the books -- also this is apparently the purview of the Alchemists' Guild, who in the novels are ''far'' too unworldly for that kind of thing). Despite keeping the gag about the six-foot Carrot being a "dwarf by adoption", the main biological dwarf, Cheery Littlebottom, is actually taller than him. Colon and Nobby are AdaptedOut. Vimes is given a new angsty backstory where he had ulterior motives for joining the Watch. And Lady Sybil has gone from a middle-aged dragon-breeder whose main asset in a fight is a CompellingVoice to a [[AgeLift young]] vigilante ActionGirl. The plot is a weird mashup of ''Literature/GuardsGuards'' and ''Literature/NightWatch'', stitched together with elements from other books and entirely new material. Notably, the official Keepers of Discworld (Rob Wilikins and Creator/RhiannaPratchett) have distanced themselves from the whole thing.

** The SpinOff series ''Series/TomSwift2022'' gets hit with it even harder. It has a far darker and more adult tone, much like the new Drew does. The only characters to carry over to the new series were Tom himself and his father Barton...and not only are their personalities are altered far beyond the point of recognition, Barton is killed off almost immediately. [[spoiler:Not that that stops him from playing a huge role in the plot, once time travel is introduced...]]

* ''Series/{{Cursed}}'' and the YA book its based on are intended to be a retelling of the Myth/ArthurianLegend. Aside from certain characters having the same names and/or similar roles (Arthur, Morgana, Nimue, Merlin, Uther Pendragon etc.), having a plot involving a magic sword that OnlyTheChosenMayWield and being set in the British Isles in the Dark Ages, overall the show's plot bears little resemblance to the usual stories in the Arthurian mythos (although seeing as it's set up as an OriginStory for the Lady of the Lake, this may change in later seasons).

* ''Series/{{Haven}}'' is ostensibly an adaptation of Creator/StephenKing's novella ''The Colorado Kid.'' But other than having a murdered character named "The Colorado Kid" and Vince Teague, who is a reporter, the show took the concept of AdaptationExpansion to heart. Fans would be surprised to hear the DifferentlyPoweredIndividual premise and the overarching IdentityAmnesia story line are exclusive to the show. The book isn't even set in Haven--that's a location borrowed from ''The Langoliers,'' another King story. However, the show is very aware it's technically a Stephen King adaptation and love to throw in {{Mythology Gag}}s referencing his other work.

* Very shortly after the long-running prime time Australian soap opera ''A Country Practice'' (1981-1993) was canceled, there was an attempt to revive it. This incarnation was filmed in another city, shown on another network and didn't involve most of the cast and crew of the original. It understandably tried to shift the focus to the new characters, but was bogged down trying to explain the disappearances of most of the old ones. The original show attracted a passionate fanbase that the new one tried to exploit, but it turned out most of them knew when to let go. It was axed after six months.
* ''Series/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectiveAgency'' has very little to do with the story of the [[Literature/DirkGently original book]] apart from the fact that there is an eccentric 'holistic detective' in both of them and that everything in it is connected to everything else. The previous ''Series/DirkGently'' series on the BBC was likewise, except that it also had a Richard Macduff who bore little resemblance to the one in the book, and the pilot featured the death of a Gordon Way in completely different circumstances. Both series also featured [[spoiler: time travel]] as a late reveal, again in completely different circumstances to the book.
* The television version of ''Series/IZombie'' has nothing to do with the comic version of ''ComicBook/IZombie'' beyond a zombie who gets visions of how the deceased died from eating their brains. In the comic the "zombie vision" plot line becomes less important as the eponymous zombie, Gwen, gets roped into preventing the apocalypse with a FantasyKitchenSink cast. The show is a PoliceProcedural where the eponymous zombie, Liv, solves crimes every week with a mostly human cast. The comic version is also very magic heavy while the show is pure science fiction.
* ''Franchise/NancyDrew'' gets a Riverdale-esque makeover in ''Series/NancyDrew2019''. There is the occasional MythologyGag here and there, but between the different setting, the supernatural aspects, and the fact multiple characters have their backstories and personalities radically changed, it feels like a new property where some characters just happen to share their names with Nancy Drew characters. Or just similar names in some cases, since Nick, Bess, and George all had their names slightly changed from their book counterparts.
** The SpinOff series ''Series/TomSwift2022'' gets hit with it even harder. It has a far darker and more adult tone, much like the new Drew does. The only characters to carry over to the new series were Tom himself and his father Barton...and not only are their personalities are altered far beyond the point of recognition, Barton is killed off almost immediately. [[spoiler:Not that that stops him from playing a huge role in the plot, once time travel is introduced...]]
* The series based off of Betsy Haynes' ''Literature/BoneChillers'' books is mostly made of original episodes and the ones based on certain books only retained the basic concept. Additionally, the books were an anthology while the show uses the main characters from the entry ''Back to School'' for the entire series.
* The ''Series/{{Goosebumps}}'' episodes ''The Haunted House Game'' and ''Teacher's Pet'' kept the concepts of board games and a snake person from the short stories they were based and that's about it.
* Literature/TheNightmareRoom's ''The Howler'' only retains the basic concept of a machine that lets you talk to ghosts. Everything else is changed, from the motivation to wanting the device to what the ghosts do.
* Netflix's ''Series/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'' has nothing in common with the source material aside from character names and the haunted house aspect. Everything else, from relationships to the history of the titular house are tweaked in some way or another.

* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'': Take everything you thought you knew about Arthurian Legend and throw it out the window. Arthur is a Prince right from the start, Merlin is Arthur's servant [[AgeLift who is around his age]], magic is outlawed, Gwen is a Camelot servant (with a RaceLift) rather than a French princess, etc. Things like the dragon under the castle and TheReveal about Morgana come from the legends, but have their contexts significantly changed. Then again, the [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Arthurian Mythos]] has been doing this with every iteration of King Arthur since before the written word, so it's tradition.

* ''Series/ResidentEvil2022'' manages to outdo even the Creator/PaulWSAnderson [[Film/ResidentEvil film franchise]] in this regard when it comes to the [[Franchise/ResidentEvil source material]]. Rather than following Chris, Leon, Jill or Claire the characters from the games and their stories, the Netflix show instead follows Jade and Billie the CanonForeigner daughters of Wesker in a {{Dystopia}} ComingOfAge and MeanwhileInTheFuture story set AfterTheEnd. Wesker instead of being a platinum blonde aryan looking MadScientist who died in a volcano in 2009, is a black British man living alive and healthy in 2022 with Umbrella being a global threat in the post-apocalypse, unlike the games where they were brought down not too long after they caused a single outbreak that was limited to one town rather than the whole world. Besides the zombies ([[NotUsingTheZWord which they call “Zeroes”]]), Lickers, zombie dogs, big insect/arachnid monsters, a typewriter in a safe room and the names of “Wesker”, “Raccoon City” and “Umbrella” the show has [[BroadStrokes nothing in common with the games]] and if “Resident Evil” wasn’t the title you’d be forgiven for assuming the show was a take off of ''Film/TheMazeRunner'' series or some other YoungAdultLiterature adaptation.

* ''Series/{{Haven}}'' is ostensibly an adaptation of Creator/StephenKing's novella ''The Colorado Kid.'' But other than having a murdered character named "The Colorado Kid" and Vince Teague, who is a reporter, the show took the concept of AdaptationExpansion to heart. Fans would be surprised to hear the DifferentlyPoweredIndividual premise and the overarching IdentityAmnesia story line are exclusive to the show. The book isn't even set in Haven--that's a location borrowed from ''The Langoliers,'' another King story. However, the show is very aware it's technically a Stephen King adaptation and love to throw in [[MythologyGag Mythology Gags]] referencing his other work.

* The original [[Series/Ironside1967 Ironside]] focused on a white cop paralyzed due to a sniper's bullet, who solved crimes in San Francisco. The [[Series/Ironside2013 Ironside revival]] focused on a black cop paralyzed due to accidentally being shot by a fellow cop, who solved crimes in New York City. In addition to the change in setting, the new version was also darker in tone, didn't use the original theme, nor did any other character from the original carry over. The original lasted 8 seasons, the revival was canned in the middle of its first.

* ''Series/{{MADtv}}'' bore no resemblance at all to [[Magazine/{{Mad}} the magazine]] that is its namesake. For the first few seasons, there were ''Spy vs Spy'' cartoons in every episode, but even those were eventually removed.

* As the series went on ''Series/RobinHood'' kept moving further and further away from its [[RobinHood source material]]. By the time Tuck shows up (black, fit, not a Friar and pontificating on the "idea of Robin Hood" instead of spiritual matters) and Robin Hood is paired up with a whiny village girl called Kate instead of Maid Marian, you begin to wonder what the point was.

* In ''Series/SpiderManJapan'', the eponymous hero looks like Franchise/SpiderMan and has the same powers, but he is more a {{toku}}satsu superhero (in fact being '''the''' predecessor for ''Super Sentai'''s HumongousMecha elements) than a comic book superhero. He has a wrist-worn transformation device (although it merely stores the Spider-Man suit in this case), a Spider-Car (technically the comic had one too, but it was totally different and short-lived), his webshooters are voice-activated (he would shout ''Spider String!'') and last but not least, he has a ''HumongousMecha''. Yeah. Imagine Peter "constantly strapped for cash" Parker being able to buy, repair, refuel and run general maintenance on a robot the size of a skyscraper. This Spider - man and Leopardon later play a role in SpiderVerse.\\

* The original ''Literature/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow'' was a comic tale involving a man playing a prank on a romantic rival. The television show ''Series/SleepyHollow'' is the story of a [[FishOutOfTemporalWater time-displaced]] [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution Revolutionary War soldier]] who [[TheyFightCrime teams up with a local cop]] to fight [[AllMythsAreTrue demons and supernatural entities]].

* ''Series/LegendOfTheSeeker,'' while not technically bearing the same name as ''Literature/SwordOfTruth,'' is very much in the spirit of this trope. The series is "based" on the first book, ''Wizard's First Rule'', but past the first half of the pilot episode, you can basically take everything you remember from the book and just stop expecting any of it to match. There are a ton of characters that share the same names but have completely different appearances, attitudes and role, and while there are a few episodes that are closer to chapters in the book than others, overall it bears little resemblance.

* ''Series/TheElectricCompany2009'' has almost nothing in common with [[Series/TheElectricCompany1971 its predecessor]] but its' name and having a group of children called the Alphakids. To make things more confusing, they threw in a "they fight crime with superpowers" motif that has little to do with phonics.

* The ''[[ComicBook/TheDefenders Defenders]]'' Creator/{{Netflix}} show is not based off the comic (which was about a secret group of heroes best known for their founding four -- Comicbook/DoctorStrange, [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk The Hulk]], [[Comicbook/SubMariner Namor the Sub-Mariner]], and the Comicbook/SilverSurfer). Instead, it features a RagtagBunchOfMisfits consisting of ComicBook/LukeCage, ComicBook/IronFist, Comicbook/JessicaJones and Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}. In mild fairness, Luke Cage has been a Defender somewhat regularly, and Iron Fist has joined once or twice, but the Defenders as a whole have had a very, very extensive lineup, so this isn't saying much.

* As ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'''s detractors note, the series is completely different in tone and content from the ''Comicbook/ArchieComics'' that they're derived from--aside from being a DarkerAndEdgier DysfunctionJunction, it makes some creative choices that would just confuse fans of the franchise, like having Jughead and Betty start dating.

* ''Series/DonkeyHodie'' has an episode called "The Cow And Potato Bug Opera", where Donkey writes an opera that's supposed to be a reference to the opera of the same name from ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood''. All it has in common is the fact that it is a play starring a cow and a potato bug.

** The SpinOff series ''Series/TomSwift2022'' gets hit with it even harder. It has a far darker and more adult tone, much like the new Drew does. The only characters to carry over to the new series were Tom himself and his father Barton...and not only are their personalities are altered far beyond the point of recognition, Barton is killed off almost immediately. [[Not that that stops him from playing a huge role in the plot, once time travel is introduced...]]

* The 2001 revival of ''Series/CardSharks'' had contestants predict whether cards were higher or lower than each other... but other than that? Where were the survey questions? The second player's row of cards? And what the hell are Clip Chips?!!?

** The SpinOff series ''Series/TomSwift2022'' gets hit with it even harder. It has a far darker and more adult tone, much like the new Drew does. The only characters to carry over to the new series were Tom himself and his father Barton...and not only are their personalities are altered far beyond the point of recognition, Barton is killed off almost immediately.

* ''Franchise/NancyDrew'' gets a Riverdale-esque makeover in ''Series/NancyDrew2019''. With the exception the show's name and the occasional Mythology Gag there, this show (at most) barely uses any of the books from the franchise. Main series and Spin-offs. Not to mention the fact that Ned,Bess, and George all get new names so this trope doesn't work with them.

* ''Series/ResidentEvil2022'' manages to outdo even the Creator/PaulWSAnderson [[Film/ResidentEvil film franchise]] in this regard when it comes to the [[Franchise/ResidentEvil source material]]. Rather than following Chris, Leon, Jill or Claire the characters from the games and their stories, the Netflix show instead follows Jade and Billie the CanonForeigner daughters of Wesker in a {{Dystopia}} ComingOfAge and MeanwhileInTheFuture story set AfterTheEnd. Wesker instead of being a platinum blonde aryan looking MadScientist who died in a volcano in 2009, is a black British AntiVillain living alive and healthy in 2022 with Umbrella being a global threat in the post-apocalypse, unlike the games where they were brought down not too long after they caused a single outbreak that was limited to one town rather than the whole world. Besides the zombies ([[NotUsingTheZWord which they call “Zeroes”]]), Lickers, zombie dogs, big insect/arachnid monsters, a typewriter in a safe room and the names of “Wesker”, “Raccoon City” and “Umbrella” the show has [[BroadStrokes nothing in common with the games]] and if “Resident Evil” wasn’t the title you’d be forgiven for assuming the show was a take off of ''Film/TheMazeRunner'' series or some other YoungAdultLiterature adaptation.

* The [[Series/RichieRich 2015 Live-Action Richie Rich Series]] basically has nothing in common with [[ComicBook/RichieRich the original comics]]. Most of the comic's supporting cast such as Gloria, Dollar, Cadbury, and Professor Keenbean were AdaptedOut, with only Richie's dad and Irona the Robot Maid appearing. Also, instead of Richie being from a well established wealthy family, he got his fortune from making a reusable energy source.

* The 1997 BBC adapatation of ''Literature/TheWomanInWhite'' follows the book, more or less, until just before the end of Walter Hartright's first narrative (perhaps a fifth of the way in). After that the plot becomes so different that a letter to the ''Radio Times'' wondered why the author of the adaptation had bothered to keep the same title.

* ''Series/TheWatch'' is "InspiredBy the works of Creator/TerryPratchett". It somehow manages to be both DarkerAndEdgier ''and'' DenserAndWackier than [[Literature/{{Discworld}} the books]], with an Ankh-Morpork filled with 21st century technology including perfectly ordinary looking ''payphones'', while Vetinari's "legalised crime" initiative is presented as making Ankh-Morpork a ''more'' dangerous place to live, when the paradox in the novels is that it actually ''works'' (and it extends to dealers in dangerous drugs such as Slab, which it definitely didn't in the books -- also this is apparently the purvue of the Alchemists' Guild, who in the novels are ''far'' too unworldly for that kind of thing). Despite keeping the gag about the six-foot Carrot being a "dwarf by adoption", the main biological dwarf, Cheery Littlebottom, is actually taller than him. Colon and Nobby are AdaptedOut. Vimes is given a new angsty backstory where he had ulterior motives for joining the Watch. And Lady Sybil has gone from a middle-aged dragon-breeder whose main asset in a fight is a CompellingVoice to a [[AgeLift young]] vigilante ActionGirl. The plot is a weird mashup of ''Literature/GuardsGuards'' and ''Literature/NightWatch'', stitched together with elements from other books and entirely new material. Notably, the official Keepers of Discworld (Rob Wilikins and Creator/RhiannaPratchett) have distanced themselves from the whole thing.

* ''Series/LukeCage2016'' villain Black Mariah has absolutely nothing in common with her comic book counterpart. While the show takes liberties with all of Luke's rogues gallery, the changes to Mariah are the most drastic. Whereas the comic version is a BrawnHilda, has always been a crime boss, and is named after the ambulance used to transport dead bodies, in the show she's average-sized, a NonActionBigBad, and a city councilwoman who at first only dabbles in corrupt activity before increasingly leaning into her family's criminal heritage. The name "Black Mariah" was changed to an EmbarassingNickname, and even her real name, Mariah Dillard, is a married name as she's a widow whereas the comic version never married. She's also RelatedInTheAdaptation to the villainess Deadly Nightshade, her daughter [[ChildByRape from being raped by her great-uncle]], a connection and background wholly invented by the show.

* ''Series/LukeCage2016'' villain Black Mariah has absolutely nothing in common with her comic book counterpart. While the show takes liberties with all of Luke's rogues gallery, the changes to Mariah are the most drastic. Whereas the comic version is a BrawnHilda, has always been a crime boss, and is named after the ambulance used to transport dead bodies, in the show she's average-sized, a NonActionBigBad, and a city councilwoman who at first only dabbles in corrupt activity before increasingly leaning into her family's criminal heritage. The name "Black Mariah" was changed to an EmbarassingChildhoodNickname, and even her real name, Mariah Dillard, is a married name as she's a widow whereas the comic version never married. She's also RelatedInTheAdaptation to the villainess Deadly Nightshade, her daughter [[ChildByRape from being raped by her great-uncle]], a connection and background wholly invented by the show.

* ''Series/LukeCage2016'' villain Black Mariah has absolutely nothing in common with her comic book counterpart. While the show takes liberties with all of Luke's rogues gallery, the changes to Mariah are the most drastic. Whereas the comic version is a BrawnHilda, has always been a crime boss, and is named after the ambulance used to transport dead bodies, in the show she's average-sized and a NonActionBigBad and a city councilwoman who at first only dabbles in corrupt activity before increasingly leaning into her family's criminal heritage. The name "Black Mariah" is an EmbarrassingChildhoodNickname, and even her real name, Mariah Dillard, is a married name as she's a widow whereas the comic version never married. She's also RelatedInTheAdaptation to the villainess Deadly Nightshade, her daughter [[ChildByRape from being raped by her great-uncle]], a connection and background wholly invented by the show.

* The ''[[ComicBook/TheDefenders Defenders]]'' Creator/{{Netflix}} show is not based off the comic (which was about a secret group of heroes best known for their founding four -- Comicbook/DoctorStrange, [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk The Hulk]], [[Comicbook/SubMariner Namor the Sub-Mariner]], and the Comicbook/SilverSurfer). Instead, it features a RagtagBunchOfMisfits consisting of ComicBook/LukeCage, ComicBook/IronFist, Comicbook/JessicaJones and Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}. In mild fairness, Luke Cage has been a Defender somewhat regularly, and Iron Fist has joined once or twice, but the Defenders as a whole have had [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters a very, very extensive lineup]], so this isn't saying much.

* The VideoGame/ManiacMansion TV show had basically nothing to do with the Creator/LucasArts PC game, beyond the fact that there were a bunch of maniacs living in a mansion and one of them was named Dr. Fred.