Anyone else ridiculously excited about 'World Without End' starting on Saturday?

[Vagaceratops]

I cannot wait!

Just me then

:)

I have just read the book - talk about an apt title, I thought the blooming thing would never end!!! Had read pillars of the earth and watched in when it was on, the second book was a load of rubbish really, but I will still watch it ( do love medieval stuff!) - however it now clashes with Borgen, so will have to watch that and record this so I can watch it secretly when no-one else is around.

So that'll be just the two of us then!

Mixed feelings As pillars of earth was pants

I enjoyed Pillars of the Earth TV series, then read the book. Book was good, but I enjoyed the series alot more (nothing to do with Rufus Sewell and Eddie Redmayne, oh no). I will be watching tonight.

Have just watched most of the episode recorded last night, thought it was OK, costumes and cruelty were very good and some famous faces, Miranda Richardson, Ben Chaplin etc, so was pleasantly surprised that it wasnt as bad as I feared, it is certainly good viewing for a cold afternoon with the ironing pile! Do love how they recreate medieval times, but everyone is so CLEAN - one bath a year????

I've just watched the start. In the first five minutes I was annoyed! You can't ride a galloping horse and reload and repeatedly fire a cross bow! You need to put both feet into the bow and pull the string with both hands!

Oh, and Edward III was only 14 when he was crowned! He looks about 25 on the telly!

:)

I know, I think if you are looking for historical accuracy, don't watch this, it got me googling Edward IIIrd tho' to actually look at his reign and what he did, think most of it is just piffle, if you know what I mean. I dont know why Follett didnt make it more accurate, there is a lot of detail in the writing, but most of it is just to sell books......I do wish the producers would accept that not everything has to be dumbed down, the Beeb used to to wonderful historical series years ago, why is it so impossible to have such dramas now. I think Horrible Histories has been utterly brilliant in the way it has captured children's imaginations - and look at how the Tudors were portrayed on TV in the latest series ( although Jonathan Rhys Meyers was worth watching!) - this from a nation that can produce amazing writers like Hilary Mantel and the stunning Wolf Hall series..... shame this cant be put on screen more accurately.

I know! I sometimes wonder I we actually are a nation of idiots!
I'm currently reading Jean Plaidy's The Vow On The Heron. Edward III seems to be quite a good king. He seems to have been fairly reasonable most of the time, and after the Black Death abated he made charters meaning that workers couldn't demand extortionate pay, and that every man under 60 had to do his share of farming etc, and traders couldn't demand extortionate prices, in order to help the country get back on its feet. The population was decimated!

Interesting, I might have to read that myself, - I quite like her books. It is a really compulsive time historically, and is given absolutely no time at all in national curriculum, you would think primary school kids would love learning about the Black Death and the horrible punishments and tortures they had then.

Years ago the beeb did a series on Henry II ( drama with Jane Lapotaire and Brian Cox) - I have never forgotten it after all this time, it was so watchable and realistic.

In WWE, I remember in the book the position of the guilds was portrayed very well, about the stranglehold they had, and about the role of apprenticeships, and also Caris herself is quite a feminist icon for those days, keep watching and you will see. Nice to have a chat about Medieval times, when I read todays papers not much has changed, other than we dont do public hangings anymore!:)

I watched this, I'm hoping it gets better It doesn't seem as grabbing as POTE.

the last was 10 minutes was hilarious though, for all the wrong reasons (sicko)

I think we could really do with a charter restricting how much people can demand for wages especially the banking fat cats and definitely how much traders can demand for goods!

I've just watched this on catch up, having recently read the book. I'm so irritated by the many, many changes from the book. I'm not sure if I can watch the rest of it. But I might just have to.

I can't help comparing it with the adaptation of Game of Thrones and WWE comes off worse. Why is it always sunny? Why is everything so clean?

You are right, it is always lovely and sunny there and everyone looks so bright and cheerful! I have yet to see GOT, but really want to - this WWE is fine for doing your ironing in front of - its not very demanding, but quite watchable, some bits have been changed, but basically about power and who's wealthy and who isnt..... sound familiar?!

PS It is filmed in Hungary I noticed from the credits at the end. Looks lovely there doesn't it?

Hi - it was called the Devil's Crown and was made in about 1978 I think, will go and google it for more info, it also had John Duttine in it - it must have made quite an impression on me as I can remember a lot of it ( and I am really old!!!)

I was a bit disappointed with it. I just kept thinking that you could tell the majority of the actors were acting, if that makes sense? Cynthia Nixon is good though!

I have just started watching this (only seen 1st episode, 2nd waiting on my Sky box) and it seems quite good.

But I didn't see Pillars of the Earth, so can anyone tell me if this is a continuation, or are the characters, time period, etc, all new?

Also, what are the books like? Are they well thought of or just a kind of 'medieval blockbuster'?

Pillars of the Earth comes before WWE. IMO, Pillars is a really good book and has made me slightly obsessive about flying butresses and the TV series was terrible, leaving out loads of detail on the background. WWE was a real disappointment to me as a book, more of a historical bonk buster than researched novel, but somehow the TV series is therefore more watchable.

Oh right, thanks for the info, but do some of the same characters appear in both?

No, it's set 150 years later.

Alot of the characters in WWE are 'related' to characters in POTE - so there is a slight connection there, and some references made back to them = Bluey is right, its not really historically accurate, it is a bonk buster really, but hey, it makes the ironing easier and is watchable as wallpaper if you know what I mean - it could have been so much better and gripping, but there you go.