The Infernal Devices: Better as a Movie or a TV Show?

I’m sure that all of you shadowhunters have heard that Clockwork Angel was originally going to be made into a movie, but recently it’s planned to be a TV Show. The question is: Should it be turned into a movie or stay as a Television series?
There are going to be 5 different categories to determine if Clockwork Angel should be made into a movie or TV show,

Category #1: Story Progression
Category #2: Character Development/Relationships
Category #3: The Quality (like CGI)
Category #4: The Reception
Category #5: The Adaption

So let’s get this started to determine my opinion on them; from a fan and critical point of view.

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Category #1: Story Progression
If a movie was made for this series, each book could easily be made into one movie and maybe two for Clockwork Princess and would work out well (even though I haven’t read Clockwork Princess yet when I am writing this, I know something happens in the middle and part one of this movie could end when the event happens).

I kind of do understand how the series could be split up into episodes for a TV show (I am assuming that the episodes would be an hour long because I can imagine that happening). Like maybe a chapter or two from the book is adapted into an episode, and when we are at the end of the season it’s the end of that certain book. I think it would flow nicely and make a good show.

In the terms of progression in both mediums, I think be better either way. You could make 4 movies easily or you can make a TV show that would flow really well. I give both the movie and TV show one point.
Movie: 1
TV Show: 1
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Category #2: Character Development/Relationships
From what I realized recently, the Infernal Devices books are based more on the emotional aspect than plot and action (even though they have it throughout in the series). So Character Development/Relationships is a big aspect for this topic.

For a movie, I don’t think it would work out as well. Since you only have a limited time (2 1/2 hours at most) to play out the book, and the development and relationships would be cut out or removed from the movie to cramp more action since people who haven’t read the books might get bored if there was maybe 20 or 30 minutes of character interactions and development and they may lose interest in the movie altogether. So we would probably get more action than the development/relationships if it was adapted into a movie. And I am mostly looking at the Tessa/Jem/Will love triangle. From my experiences with love triangles in book-to-movie adaptions, they are not as strong as they are in the book. Like Katniss/Gale/Peeta. I guarantee you that most people who didn’t read the books would ship Katniss/Peeta than Katniss/Gale, and you should be conflicted by the love triangle and not pick sides immediately, but there isn’t enough time to make the love triangles as strong as they should be within a 2 1/2 hour movie. So if this was made into a movie, I think that most people would just ship either Wessa or Jessa (and I think most people would go for this) and not be conflicted like in the books.

But in a Television Show, you could easily make some episodes focused on the development/relationship and some on the action found in this series. Sure the audience may not really care about those episodes, but they would pay more attention with the episodes since they don’t have to sit and wait for something exciting to happen and they would still understand the plot of it and not get bored. Also with the episodes, there would be less, if not than no, cramping to get the development and relationships than the action within a 2 1/2 hour time period.

For the Character Development/Relationships, it would be harder to translate that into film than a TV show. If it was made into a movie, the development and relationships would go over the audience’s heads, if they haven’t read the book, and they would be bored of the movie. But with a TV show, the audience would pay more attention due to the amount of time the episode would be given and that they could focus one episode of the development/relations, and there would be no cramping unlike a movie. I give the point to the TV Show
Movie: 1
TV Show: 2
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Category #3: The Quality (e.g. CGI)
Like I have heard someone say, with all the clockwork that is in this series it would feel magical and beautiful seeing it all on the silver screen. The CGI for the clockwork would make it a captivating and memorable movie in that aspect. It would just be such a cinematic experience that I would definitely go to the theater just to see it (even if I never read the books).

For a TV show, I do not think it would work out as well. It would not be as great of an experience like seeing it in the movie theater. It would not be as magical and amazing and memorable if this was a TV Show. And also I don’t think it would look as good as it would in a TV Show, since (and I am just assuming this so don’t kill me if I am incorrect) so the clockwork CGI would not look as good on the little screen and they might not have enough money in the budget for the TV show if it’s filmed as that.

For the overall quality and experience for the CGI aka the clockwork in this series, it would be more cinematic and captivating if it was seen on the silver screen rather than a TV show. And also there would probably be more money in the budget if this series was adapted into a movie and the clockwork would look more realistic. The Movie version gets the point.
Movie: 2
TV Show: 2
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Category #4: The Reception
If the Infernal Devices was adapted to a movie, it would probably be seen as another City of Bones not only from the critics but the audience if they saw City of Bones, even though we all know it’s not. The plots are very different, but the cinematic audience (and the critics) don’t have the best picture of the world and would naturally assume it’s like The Mortal Instruments unless they are told or they read the book. The critics would probably like this a LOT more than City of Bones, liking the emotional aspect of the plot and how it takes place over a hundred years prior to COB in London, but the audience will probably not pay the money to see this movie if they didn’t like or care for the COB movie.

But if it was made into a TV show, it would probably get more views than if it was made into a movie. The critics would probably not like it as much compared to it being made into a movie, but it would be most likely be praised for not going to a movie and be made into a TV show.

The reception for the Infernal Devices would most likely be better than City of Bones from the critics on both sides of the spectrum (tv show and movie). But the other side of this category is the audience you will get from each of these mediums. You would probably get more views for a series than a movie (despite potential lower reviews from the critics), so I’m giving the point to the TV show.
Movie: 2
TV Show: 3
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Category #5: The Adaption
The movie for this series in terms of adapting would probably be relatively good, if it was made by Constantin Film (the studio who produced the City of Bones movie) they would hopefully learn from what worked and what didn’t work from the COB movie and make sure it would be better in a Clockwork Angel adaption. However, it would probably be a little harder to translate into film because explaining the world in this movie for those who haven’t read the books or seen the COB movie, and also there is so much in this (especially the emotional aspect) series  that I think it would be harder to make it a 2 1/2 hour movie.

But if it was made for a TV show, it would be easier because you could the episodes explain the world and you don’t have to worry to much about cramming information from the books to make it an accurate adaption before you could explain or show it over several episodes in a season.

It would definitely be harder to translate Clockwork Angel into a movie due to the time constraint for 2 1/2 hours and cramming this entire world in only a single movie that it would be harder for the audience to follow. But if it was made into a TV show, you have several episodes to help you adapt this easier since you don’t have as big a time constraint as you do with the movie. Thus, I give the point to the TV show.
Movie: 2
TV Show: 4
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So in the end, I wouldn’t mind getting an adaption for Clockwork Angel in a TV Show or a movie. But for the flowing of the plot, character development, adapting the series, and the possible reception, the Infernal Devices trilogy would be better as a Television show than a film. I'll leave you with one question:

Do you think Infernal Devices would be better as a TV show or a movie?