Thanks to Candice — and to our Friend in Iraq who captures and uploads the shows for us outside BBC1 broadcast range! Again, watch while you can; it may be taken down at any time.
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Thanks so much for passing along! I enjoyed watching this and Cukoo’s Calling but the show doesn’t seem all that special compared to the books. But I wasn’t a huge fan of the Harry Potter movies compared to the books, either. (Which I read before seeing the movies, John!) The Strike books I’ve just been falling more and more in love with although It’s hard to re-read them the same way that I used to re-read Harry Potter. I feel like everything in the TV show is diminished compared to the books. I’m bummed that they left my favorite line out of Silkworm: “We need readers. . . . More readers. Fewer writers.” Surely J.K. Rowling meant that tongue-in-cheek? Or not?
Rebbeca,
Good on ya, then!
I’ve pretty much have to agree with you about the quality of the adaptations of the Strike novels. The irony is that I never cared for any of the Potter films past “Chamber of Secrets”.
If i had to sum up what’s wrong with this series is that it is trying to be a a series cliff-notes to their written originals. The problem is that both adaptations fail at being an audience guide. They make the fatal mistake of somehow removing all the elements that make the novels work. Part of it is the artificial pacing, which seems to not trust the viewers attention with a more subtle and intricate narrative flow that has nothing to do with a blockbuster style of filmmaking.
The biggest problem, however, is how the original writing is altered. Aside from a few interesting bits and pieces, such as reference to William Blake, a possible allusion to the Flying Ford Anglia, and a reveal of the protagonist’s full name as Cormoran Blue Strike, along with the details of how he lost his leg, there’s sadly little to recommend this as a good TV series.
It’s sort of a shame really, this could have been something if they’d just left most of the source material intact. Back to the drawing board, I guess.
I really liked the actresses playing Leonora and Orlando. I was disappointed not to see the snowstorm driving scene, but I guess that wasn’t in the budget. And why was the Fancort’s character’s name changed from Michael to Andrew?