His Dark Materials / Pullman / BBC1

[DracoM]

Well?

[jayne lee wilson]

I'll watch later.... much in need of fresh, original TV Drama.... (not read the books, so will watch it qua TV Drama......)....

[gradus]

I'd not read the books so found it a little difficult to follow. The production seems to draw quite heavily on Harry Potter-ish images especially the college dining hall but perhaps that's inevitable. Something of a slow-burn for me.

[johncorrigan]

Really enjoyed it. Saying that, I did love the first two books of the trilogy - the third was less convincing for me - and I'm also one of those who really liked the movie.

[teamsaint]

I enjoyed it. Not read the books, not seen the movie, but they were enthusiastically discussed at TS Towers back in the day.
And luckily, Mrs TS, who has had this bookmarked for some time, was on hand to answer my many questions.


I think she was pleased that I was showing an interest.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A bit of a pity that they had the introductory "explanation" (the written "this is a parallel world where people carry their souls around with them" bit) at the start - part of the glory of the book is how Pullman's writing intrigues readers from the start, compelling them to become gradually aware of how this nealy-familiar world "works".

But, it's the same problem as with The Name of the Rose, how do you reproduce the rhythms and vocabulary of a great novel's text in the medium of a television series? Pointless to do so - here they're just concentrating on presenting the "story", which is a pretty good one. Not quite sinister enough, perhaps? Mebbe.

[muzzer]

I have this to watch, and have not read the books. I find it depressing if viewers have had to be told it takes place in a parallel world before it even starts. Possible worlds are one of life’s great joys, and are ever present imho.

[Pulcinella]

I have this to watch, and have not read the books. I find it depressing if viewers have had to be told it takes place in a parallel world before it even starts. Possible worlds are one of life’s great joys, and are ever present imho.

I have read the books (and agree with johnc that the third is less convincing) and I thought that the introductory explanations were quite helpful: perhaps we need to remember that the audience/viewers might in general be younger than those on this forum.
I thought that the daemons were particularly well portrayed.
Not sinister enough? Maybe, but Mrs Coulter's daemon looked pretty malevolent to me.
I'm looking forward to future episodes, and encouraged to read the books again.

PS: Five stars in this morning's Guardian, and four in The Times.

[doversoul1]

I am rather surprised that Lyra in this production is 16. Or have I got it wrong? The absolute point of the story when the book came out was that the heroine was prepubescent thus not self conscious and most importantly innocent*. The prime condition of her quest was that she must not to know the purpose of her journey. I suppose all this really does not fit in the current trend of a great girl warrior who knows exactly what she is getting at.

* a nicer way of saying ignorant

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have read the books (and agree with johnc that the third is less convincing) and I thought that the introductory explanations were quite helpful: perhaps we need to remember that the audience/viewers might in general be younger than those on this forum.

But not younger than the readers of the books, who became fans without needing such "geddit?" prompts, Pulcie. The Beeb believing that telly audiences aren't as bright as kids who read books, mewonders?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I am rather surprised that Lyra in this production is 16.

They've given the series the title of the trilogy, rather than just Northern Lights, so perhaps all three books are being adapted - if so, they'd need an older actress to portray the sexually-aware Lyra of the last book. (And it's easier for a 16-year-old to remember their childhood and act younger than for a 12-year-old to imagine what it might be like to be 16 and act older. I thought that Dafne Keen did very well.)

[doversoul1]

I’m sure this extra information is for adult viewers who need to be reassured by the Authority that it’s OK to be watching a programme that has talking animals in because this is:
... questions about the value of organised religion, the corruptibility of authority, the ambiguity of truth, what we mean by souls (embodied by the daemons all characters have, who represent their inner essences) and other such moral and theological considerations. etc., etc..

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/nov/03/his-dark-materials-review-bbc

[Pulcinella]

But not younger than the readers of the books, who became fans without needing such "geddit?" prompts, Pulcie. The Beeb believing that telly audiences aren't as bright as kids who read books, mewonders?

True, but (and I need to check how Pullman introduces them) the concept of a daemon (for example) is surely easier to explain in words (not spoken by a character) than just visually to a 'fresh' audience?
Not much different from giving a place and year in The name of the rose (which I think we got)?

[doversoul1]

But not younger than the readers of the books, who became fans without needing such "geddit?" prompts, Pulcie. The Beeb believing that telly audiences aren't as bright as kids who read books, mewonders?

I see your point although at the end of the third book, Lyra is at the very end of her ‘innocence’ but not become quite fully sexually aware (that was how I read it). I’ve only saw the photos of the programme but she looks very much like you-know-who

[eighthobstruction]

....should be on at1700hrs not 2000hrs....Lyra too too old and formed [generally]....LOTS of money spent on it [hope they get it back]....couldn't hear some character esp Daemons.... brief scenes without gravity....I will not stick with it [codswallop and all that] so nswitched off early....[watched end of UK spending billions on Big bloody boat]