Talk:Lessons in Chemistry (miniseries)

"Novel of the Same Name"

I am just wondering why this article is for a TV show that has yet to air on a streaming service and not the runaway bestselling book it is based upon.

A book that has spent 52 weeks on the Amazon Most Sold Charts--currently #4 https://www.amazon.com/charts/2023-06-04/mostsold/fiction?ref=chrt_bk_nav_back, and 61 Weeks on NYT Best Sellers--currently #3 https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/.

It's the biggest debut novel of the year: https://slate.com/culture/2023/06/lessons-in-chemistry-book-bonnie-garmus-brie-larson.html

And the book and the author has been making the rounds of newspaper, magazines, and radio interviews. It so popular that many public libraries are having a hard time keeping it on the shelf and have hold lists that are 100s long. Goiaba Bean (talk) 15:51, 18 July 2023 (UTC)

The Bonnie Garmus article does mention the book. It might warrant a separate article if quality sources can be found. Fancy giving it a try? Knitsey (talk) 15:56, 18 July 2023 (UTC)

I agree with the original poster's implicit objection. Even though I found the book terrible, it is still selling well, whereas the adaptation might not go into a second season. I thought that on Wikipedia, originals, unless not particularly notable in their own right, were given priority over adaptations. Is there a firm policy on this, perhaps? Kdammers (talk) 20:40, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

TV shows get more coverage then books whether we like it or not, Brie Larson in a feminist themed production is likely to get internet talking heads raving about either grrl power or men's rights bring undue media coverage which amounts to notabity. Czarnibog (talk) 22:13, 6 February 2024 (UTC)

Title card vs poster

I propose to change the title card to this poster. I believe it's a better representation of the miniseries as a period piece and its story about a chemist doing a cooking show. TheVoicelessWriter (talk) 04:02, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

Dates

How was it that Apple TV+ issued a straight-to-series order for this miniseries in January 2021 if the novel it is based on wasn't published until April 2022 (over a year later)? ~2026-20625-89 (talk) 03:37, 14 June 2026 (UTC)

Is this information correct?

It looks like a timeline anomaly on the surface, but this gap is actually a great example of how the Hollywood pipeline overlaps with the publishing world.

The short answer is that Apple TV+ didn't option a published book; they optioned a **highly coveted, un-released manuscript** that had just set the publishing world on fire a few months prior.

The sequence of events unfolded across late 2020 and early 2021:

1. The Virtual Frankfurt Book Fair Auction (October 2020)

Before it ever hit bookstore shelves, Bonnie Garmus’s manuscript for *Lessons in Chemistry* was taken to the industry's premier international market, the Frankfurt Book Fair, by her literary agent. It became the absolute "talk of the fair."

The manuscript sparked a massive, highly competitive **16-way publishing auction** in the US, which was ultimately won by Doubleday. Simultaneously, the translation rights were rapidly sold in over 20 countries.

2. The Hollywood Feeding Frenzy (Late 2020)

When a book manuscript generates that level of explosive, multi-publisher bidding war, film and television scouts (who work closely with literary agents) immediately get their hands on "manuscript galleys."

Because the central character of Elizabeth Zott was so uniquely compelling, the film rights became just as fiercely contested as the publishing rights. Aggregate Films (Jason Bateman’s production company) and Piece of Work Entertainment quickly partnered with Susannah Grant (the Oscar-nominated writer of *Erin Brockovich*) to package a series adaptation. They brought aboard Brie Larson to star and executive produce.

3. The Apple TV+ Straight-to-Series Order (January 2021)

With Brie Larson attached and a white-hot manuscript as the foundation, the package was pitched to premium networks. On **January 22, 2021**, it was officially announced that Apple TV+ had bypassed the standard pilot stage and given the project a straight-to-series order.

4. Book Publication (April 2022)

While the television series was entering early development and scriptwriting throughout 2021, the traditional publishing machinery was moving at its usual, slower pace—handling final edits, marketing campaigns, printing, and distribution. Doubleday ultimately published the novel on **April 5, 2022**, where it instantly became a massive bestseller, paving a perfectly laid runway for the miniseries when it finally premiered in October 2023.

~2026-20625-89 (talk) 03:39, 14 June 2026 (UTC)