More than 20 years ago, Stephen L. Carter’s debut novel, “The Emperor of Ocean Park” spent 11 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, raking up accolades and award nominations. Carter, a law professor at Yale, would go on to write several more nonfiction and fiction books, including the sequels to “The Emperor of Ocean Park,” “New England White” and “Palace Council,” which make up his “Elm Harbor” series.

Interest in the novel has continued, and now “The Emperor of Ocean Park” has been adapted into a streaming series starring Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker.

Sherman Payne, creator of the show, said what stood out to him the most from the novel was the central intriguing “whodunit” storyline, along with the ability to depict a family that exemplifies the notion of Black excellence.

“As a screenwriter who has focused his career on putting Black people on the screen, I’ve dealt with all the different stereotypes of Black people on-screen that we could probably name right here,” Payne said. “This was a totally unique depiction of Black people in the book, and I was excited to bring that version of of Black culture to the screen.”

Carter, the author of the novel, said this portrayal of the Black upper-middle class was surprising to readers — and editors — back in 2002 when the novel was released.

“There weren’t a lot of portrayals in fiction of Black families that have had money for generations, and that is certainly not the universal experience of African-Americans,” Carter said. “But there was a larger chunk of the community to whom that applies than we sometimes realize. And I wanted to give voice to some of those people in all their complexity. They’re not all admirable. They’re not better than anybody else, but they have a different kind of experience, including a different Black experience than other people have.”

The series stays relatively loyal to the novel with some notable changes, namely the expansion of some female characters. And like the novel, the show includes discussions of race, class, politics and the intersection of Black America and majority-white institutions. But ultimately, Payne hopes viewers can appreciate both the underlying message while being entertained.

“I want them to love this story,” Payne said. “I want them to find it thrilling. I want them to fully engage in the mystery and whodunit aspects. Beyond that, I would love people to consider what it means to be Black in these institutions that we’re depicting.”

Guests

  • Stephen L. Carter, Yale law professor and author of “The Emperor of Ocean Park.”
  • Sherman Payne, creator of the TV series, “The Emperor of Ocean Park.”