Reply to: The watch - the bbc

[vetran]

Watched episode 2 and 3 tonight.

Love it. It is kind of Pratchett - the same gleeful anarchy. But somehow so much darker. But darker than "Night Watch"? Pratchett-esque.

I couldn't give a toss about the gender changes. Cried with laughter when The Wat announced they're playing "Gold". I also like that they've put Vimes as a former gang member. But the others killed in order to eat Vimes went hungry.

And when Alice appeared, I immediately though "Who the f... is Alice?"


I think you need to take it on its own merits.

I did warm to it eventually but it was like the Dr Who reboot too much jarred at first.

Still not as good as Sir Terry but its better than nothing.

[NotAllThere]

Watched episode 2 and 3 tonight.

Love it. It is kind of Pratchett - the same gleeful anarchy. But somehow so much darker. But darker than "Night Watch"? Pratchett-esque.

I couldn't give a toss about the gender changes. Cried with laughter when The Wat announced they're playing "Gold". I also like that they've put Vimes as a former gang member. But the others killed in order to eat Vimes went hungry.

And when Alice appeared, I immediately though "Who the f... is Alice?"


I think you need to take it on its own merits.

[ladymuck]

It was cancelled after Season 3 - which is a problem as the story is only 3/4 of the way through.

That's annoying. I had only watched the first season but was intending to watch the rest at some point.

Oh well, it's not like I don't know how it ends

[d000hg]

It was cancelled after Season 3 - which is a problem as the story is only 3/4 of the way through.

oh no, I thought I'd seen a new series. Unless they are advertising S3. Was it good?

[eek]

On related topics, any proper fans care to weigh in on American Gods series? I've read the book and never got round to the show, which I see is still going strong.

It was cancelled after Season 3 - which is a problem as the story is only 3/4 of the way through.

[d000hg]

I liked the sky adaptions, yes there were times when the imagery and style jarred with my imagination but you could see how the director etc. had go there. Nothing screamed we changed it because we didn't think it agreed with our opinions.

The Watch looks like they were adapting the the Watchmen or Suicide squad not discworld. There are many magnificent female characters round the watch ecosystem changing Vetinari, Angua and cheery so much was not needed.

Sam Vimes is totally moral if a little damaged, he is the valiant warrior who has seen too much. He is not an idiotic oaf.

Thing is the books cover pretty dark subjects in such a light tone it comes across 'harmless'. Vimes has his morals but he's still a cop who would kick a suspect in the kidneys. Nobby is portrayed as a 'cheeky chappy' but robs the dead, and if they're not quite dead he'd be happy to help you along. All the old-timers would be happy to issue a bit of extra-legal corporate punishment, accept bribes, etc.

I'm with you on changing things just for the sake of it though. Carrot and Angua were such good characters in the books I don't see the reasoning to muck them about. She's smarter and stronger than the men, surely that plays well to a modern audience without changes.

[d000hg]

On related topics, any proper fans care to weigh in on American Gods series? I've read the book and never got round to the show, which I see is still going strong.

[vetran]

I watched up to episode 8 its not terrible but it isn't as good as Sir Terry.

[NotAllThere]

Going Postal - Claire Foy in leather. Hogfather was great too.

The first thing anyone feels with their whole body in Vetinari's presence is "I really don't want to be here - ever"

He can arrange that. Permanently. Don't let me detain you.

I watched the first episode this morning. I actually quite like it. It's not Pratchett. But I found it very darkly funny and it references many of the Vimes stories. I love that the alchemists guild are the drug dealers. Pterry didn't see that.

[vetran]

People have been butchering books on the small and big screen for decades, without it being "wokery".

I've seen a few DW adaptations and never been enthralled by any of them, it's hard to 'do' a universe like this on TV IMO. Too much quirkery and colour, it easily ends up overdone & cheesey. And it's so open for interpretation that any one director's version will miss the mark for many.

Even the recent Good Omens, which was done about as well as I could wish for with a great casting, still larked the spark of the book. DW translates well to radio but not TV, to my taste anyway.

I liked the sky adaptions, yes there were times when the imagery and style jarred with my imagination but you could see how the director etc. had go there. Nothing screamed we changed it because we didn't think it agreed with our opinions.

The Watch looks like they were adapting the the Watchmen or Suicide squad not discworld. There are many magnificent female characters round the watch ecosystem changing Vetinari, Angua and cheery so much was not needed.

Sam Vimes is totally moral if a little damaged, he is the valiant warrior who has seen too much. He is not an idiotic oaf.

[d000hg]

People have been butchering books on the small and big screen for decades, without it being "wokery".

I've seen a few DW adaptations and never been enthralled by any of them, it's hard to 'do' a universe like this on TV IMO. Too much quirkery and colour, it easily ends up overdone & cheesey. And it's so open for interpretation that any one director's version will miss the mark for many.

Even the recent Good Omens, which was done about as well as I could wish for with a great casting, still larked the spark of the book. DW translates well to radio but not TV, to my taste anyway.

[eek]

not great but its the Discworld universe so not terrible either.

It's only Discworld because the BBC bought the rights and then completely butchered it.

It's not Discworld in any way that the Terry Pratchett estate recognises - the retweet of https://twitter.com/neilhimself/stat...48850506846208 tells you everything you need to know as does the below quote

Rhianna Pratchett
@rhipratchett
·
Oct 9, 2020
Look, I think it's fairly obvious that @TheWatch shares no DNA with my father's Watch. This is neither criticism nor support. It is what it is.
289
1.7K
6.8KTerry Pratchett Retweeted

Rhianna Pratchett
@rhipratchett
Replying to
@rhipratchett
UPDATE:
@TheWatch
will succeed or fail on its own merits. But watching the recent talk around the show, I feel I should point out that there are many fine actors & crew involved who’ve worked hard on this. If you don’t like what you’ve seen, then please don’t take it out on them.

[vetran]

Thanks its not just me then.

Having read all the books and listened to the Audiobooks the characters are wrong in this.

If they wanted a female Vetinari then have them properly scary not like a nun. The first thing anyone feels with their whole body in Vetinari's presence is "I really don't want to be here - ever"

[cojak]

The Night Watch on Radio 4 had Philip Jackson as Vimes. A perfect piece of casting and Carrott was bang-on as the naive optimist. I really don’t like Tony Robinson’s portrayal of Carrott as stupid and slow.

[NotAllThere]

Going Postal on Sky was great. Angua proper scary (and exotic).

Hmm. Punk rock comedy thriller. I think I might drag the VPN out.