Discworld Night Watch TV series? Yes Please

[Aidan305]

As long as they don't bugger it up like they did with the last two.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/03/14/terry-pratchetts-discworld-being-adapted-to-crime-of-the-week-mystery-tv-series/

Still, they've a good writing team, and hopefully they'll get a higher budget, so we'll get to see the Disc unfold in all its glory.

[Vonotar]

My favourite set of Discworld books. I'm both excited and scared.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I shall be watching this with interest.

[PhantomFox]

I am cautiously optimistic.

[Jahkaivah]

yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyeeesssssss

[Sinfonian]

I want to give them the same message of encouragement that Sir Terry gave them in that article. "Don't bugger it up!"

[Thufir]

I'm... a tad skeptical. Since it's apparently going to be a weekly series, I wouldn't think they'd try to put a whole book into each episode - if they're the length of standard TV series episodes, that really wouldn't work. But it's apparently going to be a 'crime-a-week' thing? Each book is pretty much one big crime.

So, either:
1) They're doing a book per episode.
2) The 'crime-a-week' description was inaccurate, they're splitting the books up into multiple episodes for each one.
or,
3) They're going to come up with original stories with the existing world and characters - effectively shorter adventures which would in fact be happening between the books, to better fit the standard TV show format.

1) would be a bad idea. If they have longer than standard episodes they'd stand a better chance, but some of the books would really suffer too much from not being able to take one's time over them.
2) Would be great.
3) Would probably be pretty good, though it would be a tad disappointing to miss out on the possibilities of 2).

[Kato]

... *hides behind his bed*
No, seriously, I'm kinda scared. Yes, SkyOne did some good adaptions (Hogfather was great) but they want to write their own stories? Okay, maybe I'm a tad too skeptical but... but... I don't want them to ruin Pterry's characters! *whimper*
Of course, if they do a good job I'll be overjoyed but... but... Well, we'll see...

[Terraoblivion]

The press release outright says that it is new stories based on the setting. It might get it wrong, but based on what we know they won't be adapting the books.


this is the first time that Pratchett has granted a production company the international rights to his characters and world, for the creation of new stories exclusively for a television audience.

[Fri]

Now this might work. use the setting as a fantasy police procedural series. Definitely having high hope for this.

[Maxios]

I was playing Minecraft on multiplayer when I saw this thread, and this is what I said on there:
YES! WOOHOO! TAKE THAT CSI, WE GOT NIGHTWATCH NOW! WOOHOO!

[BiblioRook]

I can't lie, my interest is certainly piqued


...Wait, hold up

"As with Good Omens...'"
Since when has there been a Good Omens adaptation in the works too? :smalleek:

[The_JJ]

ohmygodtheybetternot****thisupohmygodtheybetternot ****thisupohmygodtheybetternot****thisupohmygodthe ybetternot****thisupohmygodtheybetternot****thisup

Okay, better now.

[Jahkaivah]

Amusingly I said only a few days ago that I said this should be made in response to someone's idea of a police procedural set in Gotham City.

[Aidan305]

Since when has there been a Good Omens adaptation in the works too? :smalleek:
For the last ten years or so. It keeps getting delayed and put back, and then there' finanacial problems and then people pull out, etc. etc.

Of course, I believe that the current adaptation is starting to make some actual progress. Rumour has it (and no, I can't provide a link) that Fry and Laurie are in the running for Aziraphale and Crowly.

[Sinfonian]

Rumour has it (and no, I can't provide a link) that Fry and Laurie are in the running for Aziraphale and Crowly.
Don't you dare joke about this. I want this to be true too much for anyone to tease about it.

[Thufir]

The press release outright says that it is new stories based on the setting. It might get it wrong, but based on what we know they won't be adapting the books.

Oh. I missed that bit.
Option 3 it is! Fair enough I guess.


Since when has there been a Good Omens adaptation in the works too? :smalleek:

Since recently.


For the last ten years or so. It keeps getting delayed and put back, and then there' finanacial problems and then people pull out, etc. etc.

To be precise, that happened with a possible film adaptation by Terry Gilliam, now it's going to be a TV thing with Terry Jones and some people and you know what the article is linked at the bottom of the Night Watch one:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/02/08/terry-jones-adapting-good-omens-into-a-tv-series/


Of course, I believe that the current adaptation is starting to make some actual progress. Rumour has it (and no, I can't provide a link) that Fry and Laurie are in the running for Aziraphale and Crowley.

I... I'm not sure about that as an idea.
Either of them would be a pretty good pick for Aziraphale, but I can't really see either as Crowley.

[BiblioRook]

the article is linked at the bottom of the Night Watch one:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/02/08/terry-jones-adapting-good-omens-into-a-tv-series/
Yeah, saw that just after I made the post



I... I'm not sure about that as an idea.
Either of them would be a pretty good pick for Aziraphale, but I can't really see either as Crowley.

I actually was thinking just this myself. :smallconfused:

[Lord Raziere]

.......No.

Some things in this world are too good to be true. Its gonna fail.

I'm not willing to believe, they are going to screw it up.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Please oh please be as good as I hope...

[Starscream]

If this is well done it will be the best thing ever.

If it is poorly done I just may set my TV on fire.

To me it all hinges on getting a good Vimes. That guy is the avatar of Lawful Good as it should be in my book. If they screw him up, it's hopeless.

[chiasaur11]

If this is well done it will be the best thing ever.

If it is poorly done I just may set my TV on fire.

To me it all hinges on getting a good Vimes. That guy is the avatar of Lawful Good as it should be in my book. If they screw him up, it's hopeless.

And if they get him right, it's worth watching no matter how bad the rest is. I know.

Man. Tension.

[Cheesegear]

2) The 'crime-a-week' description was inaccurate, they're splitting the books up into multiple episodes for each one.
or,
3) They're going to come up with original stories with the existing world and characters - effectively shorter adventures which would in fact be happening between the books, to better fit the standard TV show format.

3) Would probably be pretty good, though it would be a tad disappointing to miss out on the possibilities of 2).

My hope is that they can turn the actual novels into Myth Arcs for each season.

Turns out the Dragon Cult is behind everything.

Second-last-episode-of-Season-1 closing line

VIMES
Well, me, personally, I kind of want to slay the Dragon.

FADE TO BLACK

[Kato]

Either of them would be a pretty good pick for Aziraphale, but I can't really see either as Crowley.

What, you can't see Gregory House as Crowley? Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if there were already fanfics with him in the role and Wilson as Aziraphale...
But no, I can see Laurie well in the role, at least overall. He might be a bit old and maybe the more lively scenes we gotta see. But overall I think that'd be pretty awesome.


Regarding the books as seasn arcs... Trouble is in the first two books the Watch was tiny if I may remind you. Unless they screw up continuity. But I really don't want to go through the first two seasons with about half the cast.

[Adlan]

I... I'm not sure about that as an idea.
Either of them would be a pretty good pick for Aziraphale, but I can't really see either as Crowley.

As others have mentioned, Hugh Laurie went from comedy, to House. He could easily do Crowley.

So could Stephen Fry: Just watch him in a Absolute Power (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZPpvO8HsqE) he plays the Amora; Spin Merchant PR man to a T. He could be Crowley.

[pendell]

Story (http://www.sfx.co.uk/2011/03/21/pratchett-exclusive/)

I'm hoping it's great, but I'm terrified it will stink. Tolkien's LOTR was great -- the Bakshi adaptation was not.


Does anyone know these people? Are they any good?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Eleanor_Rigby]

Story (http://www.sfx.co.uk/2011/03/21/pratchett-exclusive/)

I'm hoping it's great, but I'm terrified it will stink. Tolkien's LOTR was great -- the Bakshi adaptation was not.


Does anyone know these people? Are they any good?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

I don't have cable so like most Terry Pratchett adaptations (Sky 1's Hogfather and Colour of Magic, which this article states the guy behind the TV show was the head of, and cartoons that came out before I was born spring to mind) I probably won't ever see it. Given that Rod Brown cast David Jason as Rincewind for Colour of Magic I'd have my misgivings, personally. I mean, I think David Jason's great, and if it had been animated I wouldn't have had a problem but he was a bit older than I thought Rincewind was meant to be and a very different body type - there are loads of great comic actors out there so it's not like they couldn't have found anybody who fits the physicality of the character and could also perform well. At least they didn't choose an underwear model for the part or something I guess.

I did see an adaptation of Johnny and the Bomb on CBBC which was quite good, although I saw that before I read those particular books (or before I started them, I read the trilogy before three part series had finished airing, I think) so I was going to be less judgemental about it really, I guess.

Also, "Has anyone know these people?", two of the people listed are Pratchett himself and "Monty Python's Terry Jones" ...I could be rather wrong about this but I thought that most Terry Pratchett fans were familiar with Monty Python too or had at least heard of them, the proper Python years were before my time but they kind of had a massive cultural impact and have a big crossover with Pratchett fans?

I tend to be less apprehensive about TV adaptations of books than I am about Film adaptations of the same material myself; series of books in particular just lend themselves better to serial television and there's often a lot more room to explore various facets of the book with TV serials. Heck, even TV films are more likely to have an adaptation that's properly in keeping with the source material than cinema films - I think it's largely because the audiences are different and the stakes don't seem to be so high. The only example I can think of at the moment is "Sherlock" vs. the Robert Downey Junior film and I liked what was done with both for different reasons. They were both borderline mould breakers if you ask me though and this is partly because they were both using their medium to their advantage. Point I'm trying to make here is: Films and TV are about as similar as newspaper serial comics and graphic novels - they're different ways of telling your story and this is painfully obvious sometimes.

Edited to Add: I'd be watching if it weren't slated for a chanel I'm too cheap to pay for. It sounds potentially interesting especially since I watch too many detective shows anyhow...

[Eleanor_Rigby]

What, you can't see Gregory House as Crowley? Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if there were already fanfics with him in the role and Wilson as Aziraphale...
But no, I can see Laurie well in the role, at least overall. He might be a bit old and maybe the more lively scenes we gotta see. But overall I think that'd be pretty awesome.


Regarding the books as seasn arcs... Trouble is in the first two books the Watch was tiny if I may remind you. Unless they screw up continuity. But I really don't want to go through the first two seasons with about half the cast.

The chief roles I associate Laurie with are his Blackadder characters (the Georges rather than the cameo ones), Bertram Wooster and Jasper from the live action version of 101 Dalmations with Ron Weasley's dad as Saul Horrace. So I've known that he could do something other than George/Bertie Wooster for about as long as I've been aware of him. (Blackadder and A Bit of Fry and Laurie demonstrate this too though and they predate by some time).

I would watch this if I didn't have to pay through the nose to do so. Maybe when/ if DVDs come out and the price strikes me as reasonable.

[BRC]

Judging by This (http://geeks.thedailywh.at/2011/03/21/behind-the-scenes-of-the-day/#disqus_thread), it looks like they are doing a procedural thing with original stories.
As far as I can tell, it's going to be original, crime-of-the-week, stuff taking place roughly after Thud. The day-to-day stuff the Watch deals with.

Personally, I think that sounds great.

[Selrahc]

As others have mentioned, Hugh Laurie went from comedy, to House. He could easily do Crowley.

So could Stephen Fry: Just watch him in a Absolute Power (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZPpvO8HsqE) he plays the Amora; Spin Merchant PR man to a T. He could be Crowley.

Eh.

Crowley is supposed to be cool. Trenchcoat. Sunglasses. Flash car. Flash apartment. I can't see Fry playing that character.

[BiblioRook]

I'll just leave this here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKtfgf1TVQg