There are 30 books and counting in Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, so the show isn’t lacking for source material. The author has cited many influences on his avenging drifter over the years. Sherlock Holmes is a big inspiration for Reacher, as was Frederick Forsyth’s masterful thriller The Day of the Jackal.
The Travis McGee Books Were A Major Influence On Jack Reacher
Starting with 1964’s The Deep Blue-by, author John D. MacDonald penned 21 novels about the tough “salvage consultant” Travis McGee. This beach bum lives on a boat in Florida and works dangerous jobs where he recovers stolen items for clients, in exchange for a 50% recovery fee. Child has often stated that MacDonald’s writing was the biggest inspiration for Reacher.
The author modeled many of Jack Reacher’s traits on McGee, including his willingness to fight for people in need and his mix of smarts and brawn. Child also learned how to structure a thriller from reading these books. MacDonald’s work has been adapted twice, with the first being 1970’s Darker than Amber, starring Rod Taylor.
The second came with 1983’s Travis McGee, starring Sam Elliott. This adapted the seventeenth novel, The Empty Copper Sea, with the ABC TV movie being intended as the pilot for a new series. Elliott signed on for a five-year contract, but despite the film doing well in ratings, a TV show didn’t come together.
Sam Elliott’s Travis McGee Pilot Was Disrespectful To The Source Material
In a move that would never happen today, Elliott vented many of his issues with the Travis McGee film to The Philadelphia Inquirer shortly before it aired. Elliott signed up because he loved MacDonald’s novels, but soon became frustrated with ABC’s approach. For instance, key parts of the series included its Florida setting and McGee’s houseboat, The Busted Flush.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale both circled an adaptation of The Deep Blue-by during the 2010s, which was intended to launch a Travis McGee movie franchise. The movie has yet to move ahead.
Both were excised for this pilot, and Elliott was largely unhappy with the changes the various screenwriters made to the title character. Elliott summed up his feelings with: “The writers seemed to think, ‘MacDonald sure wrote some wonderful books, but I can do better.'” Eventually, Elliott committed to the project, even though doubts remained about its quality.
Even if it did well, ABC must have ultimately decided a Travis McGee show wasn’t worth the headaches it had taken to produce the pilot. That might be for the best, since Elliott went into the movie feeling like the “essence” of the books had been lost.
Prime’s Reacher Worked Because It’s Faithful To Lee Child’s Books
Travis McGee didn’t connect because the creatives behind it thought they could improve on the source material. The showrunners behind Reacher took a different tack, and while each season makes various tweaks, they’re still very faithful to Child’s novels.
Critically, Alan Ritchson’s Reacher feels like he walked right out of the novels. In any book adaptation, changes inevitably need to be made, be in its setting, story or character. That said, Prime’s thriller series always does its best to stick with the Jack Reacher books.
In that regard, the success of Reacher speaks for itself. It’s a pity Elliott’s Travis McGee TV film didn’t take the same approach, as it could have become a solid 1980s detective show. Still, as a prototype for Lee Child’s creation, there’s always the option to reboot it for a new generation.
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
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- Birthdate
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August 9, 1944
- Birthplace
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Sacramento, California, USA
- Notable Projects
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A Star is Born, Ghost Rider, Hulk
