Did you know crime novelist Elmore Leonard inspired several television productions based on his written work? Several of his novels were adapted to TV movies including Gold Coast, Split Images, Glitz, and Pronto. Aside from his extensive film credits, Leonard was the brains behind Maximum Bob, Karen Sisco, and FX's Justified.
Maximum Bob was a short-lived television series based on Elmore Leonard's 1991 novel of the same title. The series was set in the backwoods of Florida, specifically a town called Deepwater. The comedy-drama centered on Judge Bob Gibbs and his world at home and in the courtroom. Eccentric characters shuffling through the court fueled most of the episodic plots. Interestingly, shades of Maximum Bob can be seen in Saturday Night Live's hit-or-miss skit 'Maine Justice.'
Karen Sisco was an adaptation of an adaptation based on another adaptation. It was another short-lived yet considered cancelled-too-soon television drama from 2003. Karen Sisco was a United States Marshal based on Elmore Leonard's character from various novels, as well as the same one featured in the film adaptation of Out of Sight. Based in Miami, the crime drama revolved around Karen Sisco tracking down fugitives in South Beach and Palm Beach.
Justified, which is currently airing on FX, broke the one-season curse for Elmore Leonard. Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is based on the popular character from Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap, as well as the short story "Fire in the Hole." Set in Lexington, Kentucky during modern times, Givens is a lawman influenced by the Old West style of enforcement and justice. His own brand of justice makes him the target of criminals. Additionally, Givens has to reconcile with his personal demons when relocated back to his hometown in Kentucky, a place he left behind for good.
Elmore Leonard, dubbed the "Dickens of Detroit," passed away today due to complications from a stroke he suffered on July 29, 2013. He was 87 years old.
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