This book explores the intersection between a television landscape in transition—shaped by the rise of post-VOD streaming platforms—and the inherently hybrid space of neo-Victorianism. Through the critical lens of Adaptation Studies, it examines how contemporary series reinvent nineteenth-century literary and historical myths into complex televisual "half-worlds." By investigating the distinct temporal and intertextual regimes at play, the book reveals how these shows manipulate time, rhythm, and Gothic modalities to articulate a profound anxiety toward the present. Focusing on productions such as Penny Dreadful, The Frankenstein Chronicles, Ripper Street, Carnival Row, and Lupin, it uncovers how the serial format transforms the Victorian era into a dynamic laboratory.

Jessy Neau is an Associate Professor in Comparative Literature at the University of Poitiers and a Junior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France. Her research focuses on the relationships between literature and screen media, including cinema and television series. She is the author of Literature and Screens: Expansions of Adaptation (Peter Lang, 2024). She has also edited special journal issues on adaptation and television series, and has published widely on neo-Victorian television series, adaptation studies, and screen cultures.