ITVs 'Midwinter of the Spirit' Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins

[mollie123]

just a heads up that this 3 part drama commissioned by Encore is to be shown on ITV on 23rd September. It has me worried as it is described a 'contemporary and edgy'
it also has the following pedigree:
Midwinter of the Spirit will be directed by Richard Clark (Doctor Who, Whitechapel), produced by Phil Collinson (Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Sea of Souls) and executive produced by Creative Director, ITV Studios in Manchester Kieran Roberts (The Trials of Jimmy Rose, Blue Murder, Coronation Street.
I have loved the books but as I live in Herefordshire/Welsh border which is the location for the books I am a bit uneasy that the casting will not reflect that area of England.

I only managed to watch fifteen minutes of this last night (have the rest though and will watch later). I wasn't sure but I'm willing to give it a go, although it's always hard when you're a fan of the original books because the TV versions are never quite as you saw it in your head.

As someone said unthread I do hope this gets Phil Rickman out to a wider audience, his books deserve it. I'm always trying to recommend the Merrily Watkins series to people but the description of "a rural female vicar who's an exorcist and often gets involved with police murder investigations" sounds like some kind of unholy cross between miss Marple and Ghostbusters, which makes the books a bit of a hard sell.

Of all the characters so far, Lol doesn't look anything like I envisaged

Me neither! I imagined him looking like Ioan Gruffudd but with the John Lennon specs. I like Doc Brown though, so I'm interested to see what he makes of the part.

I also thought of Gomer when I saw the tractor

agree - hope more people will find the books interesting and in some ways better than the TV adaptation.
just please don't have a 'Merrily Watkins' trail through the villages and towns around here (most of which are fictitious anyway)

Oh many thanks Lorelei

Sounds like I need to read the books. A pp description of the countryside with the undercurrent ...sounds amazing.

I quite enjoyed it, but thought it wasn't anywhere near as good as the books, but that's only to be expected. I thought the acting was great, and loved Jane and Merrily in particular, but it didn't have the depth of the books. I'm looking forward to the next episode though, especially to see what Lol will be like. He's a social worker here, and doesn't live in Ledwardine, so I'm wondering how much of his backstory has been kept.

I've watched it all now, I agree it's lost a lot of the atmosphere of the books, but maybe that'll come through in the next episode.

I did find it well cast, and I rather like Lol being a social worker. I know Lol's whole backstory is about him recovering from MH issues but sometimes for me he spills over from sympathetically diffident into annoyingly wet. Giving him a profession might steer him away from being too wishy washy, although I hope he's still a musician on the side.

I know Lol's whole backstory is about him recovering from MH issues but sometimes for me he spills over from sympathetically diffident into annoyingly wet.

I agree. I hope they haven't cut all the Hazey Jane stuff though. Mind you, I think Merrily comes over a bit wet sometimes in the books too, so I'm glad that she's a bit 'stroppy' (as a PP said) in this

If anyone's wanting to read Phil's books about Merrily, start with the first book; Wine of Angels (Midwinder of the Spirit is the second book in the series). This is where we are first introduced to Merrily when her and her daughter arrive in Legwardine. Here is where she first meets Lol and Gomer and another good character, Lucy Devinish. Highly recommended.

Widwinter Ledwardine

The Merrily Watkins books are my favourites and I have the next one on pre order. I live in Shropshire so quite near the Welsh Borders. I was so excited by this series but...while it was very watchable and scary(ish) it doesn't do justice to the scope of the book.
In the book I found Denzil Joy one of the most terrifying characters I have ever read. Maybe because I knew what would happen, I didn't find the same sense of evil and menace on screen.

I was feeling a sense of menace.

really surprised I haven't come across these before. So many books!! I've still got a bunch of boring domestics to do before I can settle down with 1 of 8 I have from the library at the mo!

maybe I should become one of those annoying people who stands in queues with them etc.

sorry, as you were.

Oooh lorelei9, there's nothing like the pleasure of anticipating sitting down with a sure fire fabulous book (or set of books) to read later . Bliss.

I caved in and downloaded the book to my Kindle last night. I'd forgotten how annoying Jane is a character, though. She talks in great lumps of exposition.

watched it last night - and except for the nasty moment in the desecrated church was not overwhelmingly shaken in my seat.
I realise it is difficult to maintain suspense (when interrupted by ads ) but it just does not work as well as the book where one can use imagination.
the characters are on the whole well-acted but have no backstory to make us interested in them
much of it was sheer hokum and the overbearing music does not help
they would have been better dramatising one of the other books which have a tighter plot/setting such as 'A crown of llights' (for those who have read that one)
of course ep 3 may rescue it from boring

Oh dear, last autumn a friend and I stayed in Hereford and did our own mini-Merrily tour as we both loved the books

error - no shame as you helped our tourism and it was not an 'organised' thingy. Lots of the places mentioned are fictitious (for the purposes of protecting the innocent) but many of the churches can be found and are a fascinating look at rural history and of course the scenery is lovely

I forgot to watch last night so will catch up tonight. I wish they'd televised Wine of Angels because it would have shown Merrily first coming to Ledwardine to take up the post, and we could have met Lucy. I loved her character.

Last night's was really good - loads better than the first episode.

I am still finding this quite scary ! I agree a bit of back story might have been helpful fro anyone who hasn't read the books (I have read tow or three of them - so have a bit of an idea) I found Jane less annoying in the books.

Lol isn't at all how I imagined him, he is much too neat and tidy. Where's the lovely rock star? I though there might have been some Nick Drake songs somewhere too. I found last night's much more creepy but it just condenses it too much. It needs at least 6 episodes.

is it 3 episodes?

I have no background as I've not read it but the fact that Lol is so named is a bit strange!!

thought it v. good on Weds night.

Thanks Mollie
We looked up locations from this book www.amazon.co.uk/Merrilys-Border-Herefordshire-Marches-Merrily/dp/1906663696
It was an excellent weekend!

Lol is a nn for Lawrence, nothing to do with Internet lol.

I've got the Merrily's Border book, it's pretty good, lots of background on the locations in the books.

I agree, three episodes isn't enough, if you hadn't read the book I think it might be quite hard to follow. I wonder if it'll be successful enough for ITV to commission more.

oh I know, I just find it funny.

Merrily really needs to start locking her doors, I reckon.