Lee Child said that some books from his original Jack Reacher series will be "impossible" to adapt, which has dashed my hopes of seeing one Amazon Prime Video detective series has an abundance of source material content to choose from. Since the show follows a one-book-per-person format, there are only some books it will eventually be able to adapt. For obvious reasons, some books in the series also deserve to be adapted more than others.

While it is debatable which books in the original series are better than others, some novels are almost universally considered the best in the lot. Only time will tell which books will get picked by the show, but it is hard not to hope that some of my favorite novels in the series will eventually get adapted for the small screen. Speaking about adaptability, Lee Child shared his insights on which books will be impossible to adapt. Unfortunately, he mentioned one book I hoped would make it to the small screen.

Lee Child Believes 61 Hours Cannot Be Adapted By The TV Show

Its Setting Could Be A Major Problem

In an interview (via Fortress of Solitude), Lee Child was asked about the Jack Reacher books he would like to see on the small screen. The author said that even though he would want them all to be adapted at some point, he understands that some books would be difficult to adapt. Citing 61 Hours as an example, Child said that its TV adaptation might never see the light of day because of its "snowbound landscape." Serving as the fourteenth installment in the original book series, 61 Hours primarily unfolds in South Dakota in the middle of winter.

While the book is driven by a compelling mystery and perfectly captures Reacher's ability to solve crime, its snow-covered setting (as Lee Child suggested) can lead to many production issues. Creating an artificial snowbound set would be logistically challenging and costly. At the same time, filming in real snow would also come with its own set of setbacks, especially because it is impossible "to do take two, because take one has already put footprints in the snow."

...Since the show's creators have so many books to choose from, they would likely pick ones that are more budget-friendly and easier to adapt.

Given how many shows and movies are still shot in snow despite all the challenges that come with it, an adaptation of 61 Hours might still happen. However, since the show's creators have so many books to choose from, they would likely pick ones that are more budget-friendly and easier to adapt. Owing to this, it is hard not to agree with Lee Child and believe that 61 Hours might not get a live-action adaptation in the near future.

Lee Child's Right - Not All Reacher Books Deserve A TV Adaptation

Not All Books Would Translate Well To Television

Books in the Jack Reacher series, like Past Tense and Midnight Line, are often touted as the narratively weaker installments. Therefore, it would make sense if the show glossed over these and chose the more acclaimed ones for adaptation. Other novels, like The Visitor, may not be a good fit because they are a little too light on action. So far, Amazon Prime Video's Reacher has thrived on a blend of high-octane action and Jack Reacher's imposing physical presence. Any story that does not capture these elements may not be received too well by audiences.

Other books, like Make Me and Worth Dying For, are a little heavy on violence and take things too far in of grit and brutality, which might narrow down the show's targeted audience a little too thin. Reacher, so far, has also never relied on graphic violence to make its action scenes more appealing. Any book that leans heavily on disturbing imagery and brutality may not align too well with what the show has portrayed in its initial seasons, which would make it a risky choice for adaptation.

Apart from 61 Hours, Many Other Reacher Books Will Likely Never Be Adapted

Two Books Will Likely Never Be Picked Up By The Show

While only time will tell which books will eventually be picked up by the show, two books will never receive a small-screen adaptation. One Shot and Never Go Back were both adapted from the two installments of the Tom Cruise Jack Reacher movies. Since they have already been translated into the live-action medium, it would be surprising if the show's creators decided to pick them for a future season.

Reacher season 2 also dropped a subtle reference to One Shot, hinting that its events have already unfolded behind the scenes in the show. This confirms it will never be adapted as a full season.