His Dark Materials - BBC series

[radiator]

As a work of adaptation, the way they are haphazardly spilling information and willingly undermining what should be late-story reveals is so weird that, as a reader of the books, I can't really wrap my head around it or see the logic. Let's just say that 3 episodes into season 1, and they have already totally blown the biggest twists of the climax of both books 1 and 2. It's genuinely quite hard to see how the ending of this season will even work, or that the introduction of things like the Subtle Knife won't lose a lot of their impact now that theyv'e already shown characters hopping between dimensions willy nilly.

I'm sure the screenwriter is working to some sort of wider plan, but it's certainly an... interesting way to go about it.

[JamesC]

I'm still watching this but frankly it's a little boring.
I can't say I'm particularly interested in the characters and as someone mentioned up thread - I keep wondering where all the animals are.
I also find the names of things so naff that it makes the whole thing seem a bit hokey - 'Gobblers?', 'Spy Flies'? - well naff (especially the spy flies which seem to be beetles rather than flies).
There are some good bits though (I like the evil monkey).
I'll stick with it in the hope it gets better.

[wedgeski]

Episode 3 was the best so far -- amazing what a good, driving narrative will do for an episode. The raid on Mrs. Coulter's apartment was particularly good. Hopefully this signifies a step up, because until now it's been watchable and good-looking, but weirdly dissonant.

[Frank]

I keep wondering where all the animals are

In interviews, the writer, Jack Thorne, said he had to think very carefully about putting animals in a scene or giving them a line of dialogue, since that cost so much money. HBO money isn't Netflix money, apparently.

[JamesC]

I keep wondering where all the animals are

In interviews, the writer, Jack Thorne, said he had to think very carefully about putting animals in a scene or giving them a line of dialogue, since that cost so much money. HBO money isn't Netflix money, apparently.

Just give em a dog or a mouse from the pet shop. Job done.

[wedgeski]

I keep wondering where all the animals are

In interviews, the writer, Jack Thorne, said he had to think very carefully about putting animals in a scene or giving them a line of dialogue, since that cost so much money. HBO money isn't Netflix money, apparently.

Not to mention the violence done to them in the first three episodes already. I've assumed they haven't focused on them too much because it's a hard sell to draw the kiddy-winks in with cute animal best friends only to see them throttled by a monkey or squished in someone's hand. And with more to come.

[Dandontdare]

Well I'm loving it, and Phillip Pullman is happy with the adaptation - maybe he doesn't understand his own book.

[JamesC]

Well I'm loving it, and Phillip Pullman is happy with the adaptation - maybe he doesn't understand his own book.

Either that or he likes the money.

[Dandontdare]

ooh, very cynical. I've heard/read a few interviews and he doesn't strike me as the sort of moneygrubbing mercenary who'd praise a bad adaptation just for the cash, he comes across as very sincere and thoughtful person who would tell the truth if he thought they'd got something wriomng - check out his interview on the Adam Buxton podcost.

I think we're seeing the "skywalker" effect here - some people get a VERY fixed idea about how something should look or feel, and if it doesn't exactly match up, they are quick to denounce them as "wrong".

I'm willing to trust the author (and my own enjoyment) than any naysayers.

Casting so far has been spot on IMO - though from the trailer, I'm very worried about LM Miranda as Lee Scoresby, but I'll hang fire, he may surprise me.

[Bolt-01]

Yeah, Sam Elliott really was perfect casting for Mr Scoresby...

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah, Sam Elliott really was perfect casting for Mr Scoresby...

Yep this will certainly be a hard me to overcome. One of the few things I liked about the movie. The movie casting might also explain my issues with Ruth Wilson as Mrs C

[radiator]

Yeah, Sam Elliott really was perfect casting for Mr Scoresby...

Yep this will certainly be a hard me to overcome. One of the few things I liked about the movie. The movie casting might also explain my issues with Ruth Wilson as Mrs C

I'd have to rewatch it to be certain (and granted the TV show doesn't have the budget to stretch to A-listers like Nicole Kidman), but based on what I've seen of the TV show so far I much prefer the movie versions of the characters on the whole. Except Ian McKellen as the bear. That was a bit weird. I wasn't bowled over by the actress who played Lyra in the movie but at least she had a little of book Lyra's feistyness compared to the rather glum TV show Lyra.

Looking forward to seeing LMM as Scoresby - big Hamilton fan so willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[radiator]

After a shaky start, I feel like the series is starting to find its feet - episode 4 was a big improvement.

Lin Manuel Miranda's Lee Scoresby gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me, he injects a lot of charm and levity into a series that has (imo) been quite dull and really lacking in sparkle on the character front up to this point, and he even manages to coax a sense of fun and mischief out of Lyra. Iorek is brilliantly realised - love that he has a Scandi accent.

[Tiplodocus]

Yeah, I liked this one too. Definitely ramping up.

I reckon thEy spent more on Iorek than they did on the whole of WAR OF THE WORLDS.

[Jim_Campbell]

I'm enjoying this a lot. That is all.