Noah Hawley’s TV adaptation of Fargo set itself up for success by using an anthology format instead of running a single serialized storyline into the ground. The Coen brothers’ Fargo has been hailed as one of the greatest movies ever made — it’s both a darkly comic crime caper and a philosophical look at morality — so adapting it was a tall order.

When FX first announced that it would be turning Fargo into a TV show, some fans were naturally skeptical. The Coens’ voice is very distinctive and idiosyncratic and inimitable. But Hawley managed to recapture that magic in his TV series, because he adapted the overall vibe of the film (the tone, the themes, the sense of humor) instead of any specific characters or plot elements.

Fargo's Anthology Format Helped Make The Crime Seri

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