“Every Year After” Showrunner Breaks Down the Biggest Changes from Carley Fortune’s Book (Exclusive)

**Showrunner Discusses Adaptation Differences in *Every Year After***

Adapting a beloved novel into a television series can present a considerable challenge, as it requires striking a balance between fidelity to the source material and the demands of visual storytelling. This is a task that Amy B. Harris took on as showrunner for *Every Year After*, the new eight-part series on Prime Video, based on Carley Fortune’s debut novel *Every Summer After*.

In a recent interview, Harris shared her journey through the adaptation process, noting that she quickly became engrossed in the book, finishing it in just 24 hours. She expressed a deep sense of responsibility to honour not only the narrative and its author but also the loyal fanbase. “I felt a huge amount of responsibility to honour this beautiful book and author and her fans,” she stated. Given her previous experience with adaptations, Harris was cautious about making changes, often questioning what might work best for the storytelling on screen.

One significant approach for Harris was to ensure that the fictional setting of Barry’s Bay was portrayed as a character in its own right. “It had to be a main character in its own right,” she explained, emphasising the need to capture the essence of the location that plays such a pivotal role in the storyline. As much as she aimed to honour the original love story between childhood friends Sam (Matt Cornett) and Percy (Sadie Soverall), she also incorporated various “Easter eggs” for readers of the book, focusing on key scenes that fans would recognise.

While the series retains the emotional core of the book, not everything unfolds as it does in *Every Summer After*. Carley Fortune herself remarked that the adaptation does a commendable job of maintaining the heart and spirit of the original while expanding the narrative. “It has the heart and soul of the book. It feels like the book,” she affirmed, recognising that the series brings new dimensions to the story.

One noticeable change in the series concerns the character of Sue, Percy’s mother, who leaves the family restaurant to Percy in her will. This aspect was absent in the original novel, where the establishment was sold to a family friend. Harris explained that incorporating this new plot element allowed her to explore themes of legacy and responsibility, tying them to Sue’s character. “To me, that scene with the tiara was really about Sue saying, ‘My boys aren’t going to want… this life,’ and I think you could hold that responsibility and treasure it,” she noted.

The series also introduces additional love interests for both Percy and Sam during their teenage years, a concept Harris believed added depth to their characters. She aimed to illustrate how summer romances often differ from the complexities of real life, leading to an exploration of relationships that are not as straightforward as they might seem. “Life gets in the way of these perfect summer romances,” she remarked.

Another key alteration involves the dynamic between Percy and Sam regarding a previous romantic encounter Percy had with Sam’s older brother, Charlie. In the book, Sam has known about this for years; however, the series chooses to have Percy disclose the incident to Sam upon her return. This change was intentional, designed to heighten the emotional stakes and allow audiences to witness Sam’s immediate reaction to the betrayal. Harris viewed this reveal as an opportunity for more dramatic tension, as it sets the stage for future developments should the show continue into a second season.

Harris also made Sam’s relationship with Taylor—a character introduced in the book—more serious in the series. In the original, their connection was relatively casual, but in the adaptation, Taylor becomes a more significant contender for Sam’s affections. This modification serves to illustrate how both characters have evolved separately over the years, each navigating their emotional complexities differently.

The series finale leaves Percy and Sam’s relationship in a state of uncertainty, contrasting sharply with the book’s conclusion, which sees them reunited and taking significant steps towards a future together. Harris deliberately opted for an ambiguous ending, suggesting that what viewers witness is merely the start of their journey. “We left them standing this far apart… this is just the beginning of their possibility,” she explained, indicating that the unresolved status of their relationship could offer fertile ground for future seasons.

Overall, *Every Year After* has received recognition for its adaptation of *Every Summer After*, and Harris’s approach seems to have resonated with both fans of the book and new viewers alike. As all episodes are now available for streaming on Prime Video, audiences can engage with this fresh take on a familiar story while grappling with the various changes that enrich the narrative experience.