You’ve binge-watched the shows… but do you know the stories behind them?

Millions of us have watched these shows, but few know the powerful books behind them. Not only that, but many of the original stories actually differ from what we’ve watched on screen. Discover what you didn’t know about your favorite shows and what they’re really all about.

Do you enjoy escaping from your everyday life through epic adventures with mythical creatures? Then you might’ve watched the extremely successful epic fantasy drama, "Game of Thrones", which aired on HBO and is currently available on streaming.

It’s a visual masterpiece based on George R.R. Martin’s novels titled "A Song of Ice and Fire." These books feature complex political maneuvering among families fighting for the Iron Throne, endless supernatural elements such as the mysterious threat from the frozen North, and morally gray characters who are endearing yet disappointing. Some differences from the original story include new characters and, sometimes, entire plotlines being cut out.

Are you one of those people who likes to reflect on how far human cruelty can go? Then maybe you know about "The Handmaid’s Tale", which aired on Hulu. It's an expanded version of the novel of the same name, written by the well-known Canadian author Margaret Atwood.

The original text was published in 1985 and is considered a groundbreaking speculative and dystopian drama. Hulu’s production then became an award-winning adaptation that builds heavily on the book's initial foundation of terror, subjugation, and resilience experienced by the main character, June (Offred), in the theocratic Republic of Gilead, although less centered on June’s famous internal monologues and more on other aspects like the "Colonies" and the Commanders' secret lives.

For those who love spending time with family and friends, this is an all-time favorite. The NBC series "Little House on the Prairie", developed by Michael Landon, is a legendary adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical novels (the first of the same name and the follow-up book titled "On the Banks of Plum Creek").

It’s important to note that the original books presented an authentic, grounded look at 19th-century pioneer survival, including more grueling realities and extreme danger, and the TV show leans into a broader family drama, balancing day-to-day country hardship with deeply emotional and heartwarming storytelling focused on romance and community.

Romantic stories tend to be a big favorite. For all those who love love and are open to a bit of fantasy too, "Outlander", which aired on the Starz network, is a fantastic choice. The show is a condensed adaptation of the best-selling novels by author Diana Gabaldon.

These books are an epic romantic fantasy about time-travel, romance, and war. They center around a nurse named Claire in 1945 who visits Scotland. She then touches a magical stone, and suddenly finds herself in the 18th century. As the story develops, referencing real historical events, she shares a deep love with a Scottish warrior named Jamie, and they fight to stay together across time and space.

Have you ever longed to follow clues and solve mysteries? Then you probably love all things Sherlock. The BBC show adaptation of the same name has been a brilliant reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic 19th-century books for modern times, swapping notepads for cell phones.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original texts include four novels and 56 short stories written between 1887 and 1922, creating the modern mystery genre and establishing the famous Mr. Holmes as the ultimate master of deduction; that is, the art of reaching big conclusions from small clues. The stories are famous for the detailed clues that invite the reader to play the detective game alongside Holmes and his close friend, Dr. John Watson.

Money troubles and social class are other issues that affect all of us, and the 1995 "Pride and Prejudice" miniseries is a brilliant adaptation of the timeless novel of the same name, written by Jane Austen in 1813.

The show is considered a gold standard of TV adaptations, made up of six episodes that perfectly capture the romance and social rules of the book, which follows the witty and intelligent Elizabeth Bennet as she falls in love with the wealthy and proud Mr. Darcy. The novel is especially famous for showing why people often let their egos get in the way (pride) and judge others too quickly (prejudice).

And for the endless romantics, here we have another option: the Netflix adaptation of "Bridgerton", based on a collection of eight novels written by Julia Quinn, each story focusing on a Bridgerton sibling's search for true love.

While the books are considered entertaining, many fans argue that the TV show offers a richer version of the original stories, maintaining their essence while expanding the narrative into a more exciting on-screen experience, including deeper characters, heightened drama, visual magic, and powerful soundtracks.

Beyond usual crowd favorites, viewers often want to watch something a bit more twisted and are intrigued by exploring what’s behind a murderous mind. For those situations, Showtime’s "Dexter" is perfect.

The show is based on the book "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay. It follows Dexter Morgan, who by day works for the police and solves murders, and by night, he is a vigilante serial killer who hunts other murderers. The first season closely follows the novel, but as the show continues, it begins to differ, presenting deeper character arcs and alternate explanations, such as Dexter’s desire to kill being the result of psychological trauma (instead of the mysterious dark ‘power’ described in the text).

To broaden the scope, let’s look at shows that also cover historical situations and, in this case, a story concerning the game of chess. We are talking about Netflix’s show "The Queen’s Gambit", which is a very faithful and stunning adaptation of Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel of the same name.

Both tell the gripping story of Beth Harmon, an orphan and chess genius who rises to become a chess master, while she battles addiction to drugs and alcohol, the pressures of fame, and sexism in the male-dominated world of chess.

Last but not least, to round out the list with a fantastic show that centers on politics, Netflix’s 2013 "House of Cards", based on the 1989 novel by British author Michael Dobbs, starring Kevin Spacey and Robyn Wright, was extremely popular.

The original story follows a British politician named Francis Urquhart and his thirst for power. In contrast, the TV show focuses on Frank and Claire Underwood, a ruthless and power-hungry couple living in Washington, D.C. After Frank is denied a cabinet appointment, he begins a quest, at any cost, to climb the ladder to the presidency.

The truth lies beneath

What did President Bush mean by "Read my lips"? 11 phrases explained

Some quotations become so famous that they take on lives of their own. We repeat them in classrooms, movies, headlines, and everyday conversations, but sometimes without knowing what the speaker actually meant. Sometimes the original context gets lost, and sometimes popular myths overshadow the truth. These iconic phrases have endured for decades, even centuries, but their true meanings often surprise us. Did you know about the following 11?

George H. W. Bush delivered this memorable line while accepting the Republican presidential nomination in 1988. Written by speechwriter Peggy Noonan, it wasn't simply a catchy slogan, it was a firm campaign promise meant to reassure conservative voters that his administration would not raise taxes under any circumstances.

The phrase became famous for what happened next. Facing a growing federal deficit, Bush agreed to a bipartisan budget deal in 1990 that included tax increases. Many supporters viewed the move as a broken promise, and "Read my lips" has since become shorthand for political pledges that later prove impossible to keep.

Standing before Berlin's Brandenburg Gate in 1987, President Ronald Reagan addressed Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev with what became one of the Cold War's defining lines. He wasn't literally ordering workers to demolish the Berlin Wall but challenging the Soviet Union to demonstrate that its promises of openness and reform were genuine.

Several advisers reportedly urged Reagan to remove the sentence from the speech because they feared it was too confrontational. He kept it anyway. Although the Berlin Wall fell two years later for many complex political reasons, the phrase remains a powerful symbol of freedom triumphing over division.

This famous sentence from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address is sometimes mistaken for a demand for unquestioning patriotism. In reality, Kennedy was encouraging Americans to become active participants in democracy rather than passive recipients of government benefits.

Delivered at the height of the Cold War, the speech called on citizens to serve their communities and country. The message inspired countless Americans to volunteer, including many who joined the newly created Peace Corps.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s words have become synonymous with hope, but the "dream" he described was remarkably specific. Speaking at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, King envisioned an America where the Constitution's promises of equality would finally apply to everyone, regardless of race.

The speech's most memorable section was not fully scripted. According to several accounts, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson encouraged King to "tell them about the dream," prompting him to set aside his prepared remarks and speak from the heart. Those improvised passages became some of history's most celebrated words.

Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke these famous words during his first inaugural address as the United States struggled through the Great Depression. Rather than offering generic encouragement, he argued that fear itself had become an economic force, causing bank runs, panic, and paralysis that only made the crisis worse.

Roosevelt believed restoring public confidence was essential to recovery. Within days, he declared a nationwide bank holiday and launched the first measures of what became the New Deal. His phrase has endured because it captures the powerful effect fear can have on people's decisions.

One of history's most persistent language myths claims that Kennedy accidentally said, "I am a jelly doughnut." In reality, German speakers clearly understood what he meant when he declared, "Ich bin ein Berliner" during a visit to West Berlin in 1963.

Kennedy was expressing solidarity with the isolated city's residents at one of the Cold War's tensest moments. Linguists have long dismissed the doughnut story as a misconception, while historians view the speech as a powerful demonstration of American support for West Berlin. Still, it was fun.

Richard Nixon uttered this famous denial during a televised press conference while the Watergate scandal dominated headlines. Although many people remember it as a blanket denial of wrongdoing, Nixon was specifically insisting that he had never personally profited illegally from holding public office.

The phrase quickly took on a life of its own. As investigations continued and evidence mounted, Nixon resigned less than a year later, making him the first U.S. president ever to do so. Today, the quote is remembered less for what Nixon intended than for the irony that history would attach to it.

Popular culture remembers the Apollo 13 crisis as "Houston, we have a problem." The actual transmission was slightly different. After an oxygen tank exploded aboard the spacecraft, astronaut Jack Swigert calmly radioed, "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here," with commander Jim Lovell repeating the report moments later.

The wording reflected that the emergency had already occurred rather than merely being discovered. The shorter version became famous after the 1995 film Apollo 13, but the original exchange remains one of the best-known examples of calm professionalism.

Neil Armstrong's first words on the Moon are among history's most quoted sentences, but one tiny word has sparked decades of debate. Armstrong always insisted he said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind," even though the article "a" is almost impossible to hear in the recording.

The distinction matters because without it, both halves of the sentence mean nearly the same thing. Audio experts have analyzed the recording for years without reaching complete agreement.

Patrick Henry's dramatic declaration is often imagined as a battlefield cry, but it was actually delivered during a political debate at Virginia's Second Convention in March 1775. Henry argued that peaceful negotiations with Britain had failed and that the colonies needed to prepare for armed resistance.

Interestingly, no verbatim transcript exists. The famous wording was reconstructed decades later by biographer William Wirt, using recollections from witnesses, although historians cannot confirm every word.

At first glance, Theodore Roosevelt's famous advice sounds aggressive, but it actually promotes restraint. Roosevelt believed successful diplomacy begins with calm negotiation, while credible strength remains available in the background if peaceful efforts fail.

He said the phrase reflected an old West African proverb, although historians have never found evidence that such a proverb existed before Roosevelt popularized it. Regardless of its origin, the expression became permanently associated with his approach to foreign policy and remains a familiar shorthand for negotiating from a position of strength.