to think that Around the World in 80 Days if a vanity project for David Tennant?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

As someone who loves the book, and Jules Verne is a very good writer (although I think he was certainly on something when he wrote Journey to the Centre of the Earth!) , this TV series is shockingly bad!

It bears no resemblance to the story at all apart from the 80 day long trip and the names of some of the characters! There was no balloon trip, Mrs Auoda doesnt exist, Fogg is all silly and excitable and nothing like the regimented knowledgable character in the book.....he gets sea sickness ffs when in the book it becomes clear that he is an accomplished seaman.

And DT is executive producer.....coincidence?

Feels a bit like Doctor Who goes back in time in terms of how he is playing the character. Tortured but funny.....loving but repressed......blah blah....

I should add that I like DT a lot, he was great in Staged (although the second series was rather tortured) amazing in Good Omens and Broadchurch. Nothing personal against him but it just sort of feels like he had a day dream about what he would like to do and then made it happen.

Oh now see I haven't read the book or know anything about the story but really enjoyed it!
By and large though, I've never enjoyed a film or series when I've read the book beforehand. I always want it to be exactly like it is in my head and even the smallest deviation annoys me. ( I'm looking at you, His Dark Materials).

Sorry, do you mean that there was a balloon trip in the David Tenant adaptation (I haven’t seen it)?

@DedafalalalalalusBloom

Oh now see I haven't read the book or know anything about the story but really enjoyed it! By and large though, I've never enjoyed a film or series when I've read the book beforehand. I always want it to be exactly like it is in my head and even the smallest deviation annoys me. ( I'm looking at you, His Dark Materials).

I’m just the same as this! If I’ve read the book the programme will disappoint in one way or another!

I did enjoy His Dark Materials but I had to separate it from the books and try enjoy it as it’s own thing. Otherwise I’d be sitting muttering ‘well where are all the daemons? Well why isn’t he taller? What happened to x character?’

I've not read the book.
I feel the same about any of these self ego stroking docu whatevers.
I guess their agents are quite persuasive.

Never mind, just googled and can see that yes, the hot air balloon ride was in the show.

It odd that it’s become so iconic, despite not being in the source material.

I think it was the David Niven film waay back that made the balloon thing iconic.

Its not a bad series per se.....but it is absolutely NOT the same story! It bears no resemblance whatsoever! They dont visit the same countries in the same way, the methods of transport are wrong, Fix was a policeman who thought Fogg was a bank robber, its just heartbreakingly wrong. When I say that only similarities are the title and the names of the characters.....I am not exaggerating!

And I do think that its all a bit "woke". Fix being a woman who is trying to do things her way, Passepartout being black and dealing with the KKK, lots of white middle class English men learning a life lesson......

Like S2 of Staged, its all a bit too try hard.

And yet if they had named it something else and said "Inspired by......" then it would have worked a lot better as it manages expectations.

I only watched it because I was feeling ill and desperate. I thought it would be a faithful Victorian jingoistic version of the book.
It's amazing. I love it!!!
It's taken the book and spun into another realm. I'm hugely enjoying watching it (and the wobbly sets). It's a reimagination and that's no bad thing.

I've not read the book, or seen the TV series yet.

But anything with David Tennant in is a winner in my eyes

Ah, I was wondering if there had been a radical departure from the book!

I prefer Willie Fogg. Less ego and far cuddlier.

I’m really enjoying it. It’s nothing like the book. But I’m ok with that.

Sometimes it doesn't do any good to make comparisons between books and TV programmes. Its better to just accept them at face value and read/watch them for what they are.

I haven't read the book, but sometimes literature doesn't transfer directly to television very well. What makes an entertaining book doesn't necessarily make for an entertaining TV programme, and changes need to be made.

To be fair I've been binge watching "The Great" and spent the first 20 minutes of that gibbering in horror at the depart from actual history. But then I relaxed into it.
So I took Phileas Fogg in my stride.
I like the wokeness. I like Bridgerton.

Well as a fan of the 80s cartoon, I’d say it definitely had a better theme tune. Also I believe there were frequent balloon rides?

Wasn’t Steve Coogan once Fogg too? I’m sure he was also in a balloon!

And we know Richard Branson definitely had balloons.

This thread is balloonist.

I’ve not read the book, but I think the TV series is brilliant. I don’t necessarily need something to be faithful to the source material to enjoy it.

David Tennant is a brilliant actor and the series is great to watch. YABU!

I’ve read the book, I’m also enjoying this version of the book.

Very very sad that someone thinks a black person or a woman being on TV is woke, genuinely can’t imagine being so racist or sexist.

I went off DT after his Dr Who finale, all the weeping and wailing and "I don't want to go, it won't be the same" etc. etc. Seemed like RT Davies and DT screwing over the new writers and Matt Smith as well as traumatizing the children watching.

To someone who hadn't read it it is great! I have no expectations about fix or passepartout so them being female/black doesn't surprise.

I haven't read the book but I remember the crisps

There've been so many adaptations I like that this is a bit different. We're enjoying it, although Fogg should definitely be unreconstructed Victorian ex public school boy Englishman.

Does anyone remember Phillie fogg? Around the world in 80 days cartoon back in the day? I loved that! Not seen the David tennent version yet!

@AngryApple

Well as a fan of the 80s cartoon, I’d say it definitely had a better theme tune. Also I believe there were frequent balloon rides?

Wasn’t Steve Coogan once Fogg too? I’m sure he was also in a balloon!

And we know Richard Branson definitely had balloons.

This thread is balloonist.

Yes Coogan was Fogg in a film version with Jackie Chan.

It's also very far from the book, it is however quite enjoyable and doesn't take itself seriously with a great cast. I far preferred it to this David Tennant version.

I'm a DT fan but didn't like this adaptation at all.

I have quite enjoyed the first two episodes (haven't watched the next two yet) but not sure about the way Fogg is portrayed - it wasn't until the train/bridge bit that he seemed to have any knowledge of engineering, perhaps I missed earlier references to it? I have a soft spot for the version with Steve Coogan as Phileas Fogg and Jackie Chan as Passepartout, with its vaguely steampunk feel and silly humour. That adaptation also plays fast and loose with the plot, including having a hot air balloon.
The balloon thing is a little odd, as it always seems to be presented as "here is a novel, new-fangled way to travel and only weird inventors would do it" whereas by the late Victorian period, in which the novel was written and set, hot air balloons had been around for about 80 years.