Is Netflix's Bodies based on a book and who is Si Spencer from the show's tribute?

After delving into this time-jumping thriller series a lot of fans are wondering the same thing, Is Netflix's Bodies based on a book? And who is Si Spencer?

On October 19, Netflix released its latest crime series, Bodies, starring Shira Haas, Stephen Graham, and Amaka Okafor. The show kicked off with a bang as a dead man with a gunshot wound to the eye was found on Longharvest Lane in London's East End. However, there's a supernatural twist to this show as the same dead man was found in the same location in four different time periods. The first episode explored the three main timelines 1890, 1941, 2023, and at the end of the show, fans got a glimpse at the fourth timeline set in 2053. 

At the end of the episode, it was revealed that the episode was dedicated to Si Spencer. Here's what you need to know about this bittersweet tribute, plus what this time-bending show is actually based on...

Who is Si Spencer from the show's dedication?

Si Spencer is the author of the original mini graphic novel series that this Netflix show is based on. Si Spencer created eight novels as part of this series that were released between 2014 and 2015 in collaboration with DC. The timelines were slightly shifted in the TV series so that the 'present day' was 2023 and not 2014 as it was in his edition. 

In February 2021, Si Spencer died from heart failure at the age of 59. Just a year after his death it was announced that Netflix would be picking up his series for an adaptation. 

Bodies by Si Spencer £13.59 | Amazon

Pre-order the graphic novel by Si Spencer which is set to be released as a book on October 31.

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Paul Tomalin, the showrunner of Bodies, said that adapting the graphic novels was a daunting task and he was 'scared sh*tless' initially. "At first I thought no one's gonna commission this, it's too wild, it’s just too mental to do it," he told Yahoo!

He explained that they kept as true to the text as possible. "We kept to every moment that was cool that we could possibly include, but if we had to throw something out we did," he said. "There are big differences to the graphic novel, but the characters are the same, the themes are the same, and there's enough psychedelic madness from the graphic novels."

"I'm pretty sure we did our best to nail it. It was just a wild ride and [I'm] basically still recovering," he added.

Is Longharvest Lane a real location?

In the series, the dead man is found in Longharvest Lane in every timeline. The show says that the location is in Whitechapel in East London, but is this a real location? In short, no. This is sadly a made up location with a typically British sounding name. Although Whitechapel is very much real, actually much of the filming took place in Yorkshire, which is in fact rather far from London!