[Closed] The Watch.... WHY?

from today on bbc iplayer
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2021/the-watch

It's so bad I can't bring myself to be annoyed about it......

Vimes was always Pete Postlethwaite, but nowadays Paddy Considine or Mark Rylance.

Lady S? Penelope Wilton in a fat suit, innit?
Victoria Wood on chips would have been perfect.

I'd missed all of Pratchett's books until lockdown insomnia hit and I've now basically listened to the lot on Audible. I've always had Roger Allam as Vimes in my head (and I realise that he's a bit old for the early books) Pete Postlethwaite would have been wonderful, although I've always had someone in my mind a little heavier set. As for Carrot, I've always had Van Damme's dancing from Kickboxer in my head.

If Pete Postlethwaite was playing anyone it'd surely have to have been Rincewind.

Regular readers will know that I'm no stranger to a contentious comment. And I may be about to excel myself.

I've just watched the first episode. With the caveat I said earlier, if you accept that it's "based on" or "inspired by,"

I thought it was ****ing brilliant. I'm off back downstairs now to watch episode 2. Vimes is a hoot, the only glaring miscast so far has been Vetinari.

I agree - I've watched the first two episodes. Really enjoyed it. I'd go as far as best Pratchett TV series so far.

I think earlier adaptions undermined by trying to stick too closely to the books and fail because they can never live up to the world's we have built in our imaginations. I think this is supported by all the arguments about who should play the character as we've drawn them in our minds eye.

By putting a bit of space between the books and this series allows it to breathe.

Yeah.

Is it the show we wanted? No. Is it the show we expected? No.

Get over that and it's great. Cigar-chomping scenery-chewing Vimes is masterful. Angua as a tortured soul is heartbreaking. Sybil reimagined really works. Cheery needs a bit of space but I can see where they were going. Carrot is, well, a bit of a knob, but he always was. Speaking of which, where's Fred and Nobby?

Two episodes in I think my biggest criticism is what it's omitting. Where's CMOT Dibbler (McKenzie Crooke surely) selling rat-on-a-stick? But it's early days. And remember, Vimes in the early books was a reckless bitter alcoholic crackpot, our Sam as portrayed here wouldn't be a million miles out in a faithful recreation.

Y'know what I'm suddenly reminded of?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117509/

"Well, it's ruined the original Shakespeare!"

Watched the first couple of episodes yesterday and thought it was ok. I have  more or less completely removed any Pratchett link and am just taking it as a random sci fi/fantasy show.

*currently reading Thud

Incidentally,

Did anyone else spot the THE WATCH HOUSE sign glitch near the beginning?

I watched the 1st episode last night and didn't think it was too bad. That comes with the caveat that it needs to be watched without trying to tie it to discworld. It did feel a bit disjointed, I think in part due to the location seeming like it couldn't decide quite where it was set but I'd watch episode 2.

I'd like to see discworld done as I imagine it but it'd be really hard to do that as demonstrated by the stuff that has gone before. It'd need a lot of money throwing at the project to get it right and then it'd still piss everyone off because the casting wasn't right for what they wanted. And that would be more of an issue for that type of film/series because it's be tiring into those already invested for the core market.

It’d need a lot of money throwing at the project to get it right and then it’d still piss everyone off because the casting wasn’t right for what they wanted.

I don't think it would need a massive budget, I actually think that is the mistake getting made. Most of Pratchett's work, especially as the discworld grows from the early books, are character based it is the interaction and language of the characters as they develop and grow, that is the important part. Only a few special affects are really necessary, the fantasy is really only a framework to base the characters and humor upon. Ankh Morpork is basically a British city coming into the victorian era, with wizards and a sometimes benevolent dictator.

Is it the show we wanted? No. Is it the show we expected? No.

Agree with the above btw, the special effects could be shit (it's not as if there are massive battles every 5 mins anyway!), as long as it was done right.

CMOT Dibbler (McKenzie Crooke

Oh yes please

I thought the first two episodes were pretty good all things considered. **** me tho Its gone downhill fast since, I'm up to about 5 now but I'm not sure, I think I'm blocking it out.

Despite all my bitching I actually enjoyed it, possibly because I was having bets with myself over how far off the next character mentioned would be.
Has Buggy Swires made an appearance yet?

Watched the first three, and getting into its stride I think.

Slightly weird that it (obviously) doesn't tie in with the Discworld in my head, but once I got over that and accepted its "based on" I'm quite enjoying it.

Strangely, as an ardent Pratchett fan, I'm rather enjoying it. No the characters aren't as in the books, but as the ones in the books probably really only work in your head (or maybe the radio) it is a good homage drawing inspiration from the books. Enjoying the steam punk blade runner vibe too.

I've been enjoying it. While not true to the books and set in a different world, I do think it feels 'Pratchett'.

Enjoying the steam punk blade runner vibe too.

My lad and I picked up on Blade Runner feel to it

We quite enjoyed it.
It's not how we imagined Ankh Morpork or any of the characters, but it has charm, and terrible gurning from the Vimes character. It has humour, and terrible dancing. The characters were pretty recognisable, and had independence enough within the envelope to be able to grow.
I'd be quite keen for them to have confidence to go for a second series.

Huge discworld fan

This interpretation has nothing to do with any of Pratchetts books.
Awful so far

Episode 2....

Not pratchett. Doubt if he was about it would be made.

Cant decide if its shit assists not the discworld or if its just shit.

Hope it improves

And again hope it doesn't stop a proper discworld film

Anyone ever seen the animation's? They're mint.

And where can I play the old PC games on PC?

I’ve been a huge Pratchett fan since the 80s.

The Watch, as in this adaptation, is a ****ing car crash.

Is it the show we wanted? No. Is it the show we expected? No.

Get over that and it’s great.

Yeah, if you think of it as a show inspired by Pratchett, with actors enjoying themselves doing a whole lot of scenery chewing, it's fun to watch. I didn't think Vetinari worked, I always thought Zeljko Ivanek (the Magister from True Blood) was exactly what Vetinari would be like, but it was enjoyable nonsense to watch.

Ian Richardson as Vetinari would have been my shout, if it could be anyone.

Huge discworld fan

This interpretation has nothing to do with any of Pratchetts books.
Awful so far

I’ve been a huge Pratchett fan since the 80s.

The Watch, as in this adaptation, is a **** car crash.

So, why are you watching it? As some sort of self inflicted torture? so you can criticize it? It's weird behavior. Almost no novel ever, has survived being made into a film/series.

Is it the show we wanted? No. Is it the show we expected? No.

Exactly, cos it's not made for you - you've got the books. I can't imagine why anyone would want to watch a TV series of books they loved and yet wanted it to be exactly the same. How could it be? It's different in every reader's mind, for starters, and the way stories are constructed in the different media is completely different. Books, TV shows and films are all fundamentally different things.

Huge discworld fan

This interpretation has nothing to do with any of Pratchetts books.
Awful so far

Also a huge Discworld fan.

This interpretation has little to do with any of Pratchett's books.

I'm six episodes in now and it's bloody brilliant.

I enjoyed , it was a bit disjointed and obviously naff all like the books but It could never be too much like the books as everyone reads them and has things in their heads that they've taken from them and they'll all be different in different people
I'm now quite enjoying good omens on amazon

Also, forgive me but,

I'm warming to this scenery-chewing Sam Vimes as a reasonable interpretation of very early Pratchett Vimes. It's easy to forget but Vimes used to be an alcoholic crackpot loser, he grew into his boots over multiple books.

And if you don't buy into that then, well, if you pretend the books don't exist he's a glorious character.

Ankh Morpork is basically a British city coming into the victorian era,

And to kind of prove the point, where did you get Victorian era from? Always been medieval in my head.

So, why are you watching it?

Because I want to cause I was hoping it would be good.

Pretty stupid question really.

Why does it bother you what I watch , or is this thread only for people who like it .?
Weird

I’m six episodes in now and it’s bloody brilliant.

Hopefully it gets better then.

What's the age-rating on this? BBC describe it as "G - Contains language which may offend" on iplayer. Asking for an 11-year old who loved "His Dark Materials" 🙂

Because I want to cause I was hoping it would be good.

Because you wanted it to be the version of it you had in your head.

And to kind of prove the point, where did you get Victorian era from? Always been medieval in my head.

Tells you that it never will be, unless you're the one making it...So complain about the cinematography, complain about the effects by all means, but to complain about the interpretation just reveals to everyone that you've not got an imagination.

Holy shit mate get a grip.
Why does anyone watch any programme? Cause they hope they will like it.

Many party invites ?

Holy shit mate get a grip.

If you can't deal with folk having a different opinion than you, then why are you offering an opinion?

Opinion ?
Your not offering an opinion and I’m not questioning one?
If I offer one it’s because I’m entitled to ?
You’re offended because I’m daring to watch a programme I don’t like ?

I’m out.
I’ll report back if I grow to like it.

I always thought Discworld had a medieval / industrial revolution vibe to it with some bat shit crazy / random stuff.

I've always thought the Circumfence should have been adopted by flat earthers.

I watched it. I've never read any of Terry Pratchett's books. I enjoyed it. For those moaning about how it's not 'faithful' to the books etc; don't ever watch a James Bond film. Your heads will explode.

Always been medieval in my head.

The earliest books maybe but especially towards the end of the series its starting to industrialise (the railways, clacks and even the changes to the banks). Not quite Victorian but definitely leaning that way more than medieval.

It’s easy to forget but Vimes used to be an alcoholic crackpot loser

Not really, it's mentioned about 700 times on this thread alone.

But as a non Pratchett fan, (tried and failed a few times to get anywhere with the books when I was a youngster) is it worth watching, accepting its not going to be anything like the discworld I spent weeks being infuriated by until I discovered custard and octopus belong in loos.

And to kind of prove the point, where did you get Victorian era from? Always been medieval in my head.

Photography is as early as the first or second book. Over the course of the run we get libraries, universities, the police, philosophy, steam engines, a postal service, basic telegraphy, football, banks... Discworld is basically teetering on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution.

What’s the age-rating on this? BBC describe it as “G – Contains language which may offend” on iplayer. Asking for an 11-year old who loved “His Dark Materials” 🙂

It's a bit sweary, is all. If you're happy for him to hear words like 'shit' and 'bollocks' - and I guarantee he hears them every six minutes at school - then you're good.

I’m out.

Thank christ for that.

But as a non Pratchett fan, (tried and failed a few times to get anywhere with the books when I was a youngster) is it worth watching

I'd say you're the perfect target audience TBH. It's the fanboys who are all butthurt about it.

And to kind of prove the point, where did you get Victorian era from? Always been medieval in my head.