His Dark Materials

[AllGoodDogs]

New BBC adaptation, looks so good, can't wait trailer here -

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10162256439035553&id=683285552&sfnsn=mo

It has gone completely off course. As a reader we didn't know different worlds really existed, we found out with Lyra, why do we need to know now? And John Parry... why now? Why the windows? It's all completely out of step. I like how the books move with Lyra and we found things out with her and our understanding of her world developed with her journey. I miss her mischievous lying side and her confidence.

Lord Boreal always popped here and there casually, right? He had some sort of permanent place in our Oxford. They’ve just brought in the subtle knife a bit early.

Loved this episode on Ms Coulter’s flat. Exactly the right sense of menace and glitz. Poor journo.

I enjoyed that episode so much, even better than last week. The benefit of not having read the books means I have no idea whether it is deviating from the original storyline or not but I found that episode really quite captivating and very tense and nerve-wracking in parts. I can see now why it's on at 8pm - the gobblers and Mrs Coulter are terrifying!

I haven’t seen tonight’s episode yet.

But wondered if anyone else has also been watching Seven Worlds One Planet and was as amused as we were last weekend to see that Mrs Coulter’s golden monkey from the books is now a golden haired, blue-faced, snub nosed snow monkey? We had no idea that these monkeys even existed until Attenborough showed us them last weekend. Then the very next thing we watched was His Dark Materials and there was one!

Lord Boreal always popped here and there casually, right?

Well yeah but not before the big reveal about other worlds. It kind of dampens the end if we already know. Why does Asriel do the extreme thing he does when he could just pop behind the garden gate that Boreals using.

Better than last week but not happy with the book 2 and book 3 stuff! No need to bring it in so early at all. What's the point in John Parry now?!

I'm trying to enjoy it for what it is but it's really difficult. Not sure what Phillip Pullman is letting them do.

However, the apartment is AMAZING and how I imagined too.

I know he had moved between worlds for a long time but we didn't know that in the books until Lyra and Will met him and we experienced the shock with them. Part of the magic was discovering that other worlds existed with Lyra so knowing now as a viewer that they exist feels strange and I'm not sure I like it.

Also not loving the future book stuff being woven in so early. I guess they are doing it so it’s a smoother ‘entry’ into season 2 when they get there

Yes Soup I thought exactly the same! How extraordinary that Mrs Coulter's monkey should be the exact same very rare species I had only just found out existed thanks to David Attenborough half an hour earlier

This episode was better, a bit more malevolence from Mrs C to add tension. I think my eyes are playing tricks though as in the scene where Lyra climbs into the air con shaft, I could have sworn she had red leggings on under her dress!

I get that too, @dementedma but I presume it was the lighting.

Apologies for jumping on the thread and have not read the books however I have to say that the young actress playing Lyra is reminding me too much of a young female Matt Baynton from Horrible Histories and now I've seen that I can't get past it.

Other than that I'm enjoying it although I feel like I've missed something important which will tie it all together for me. Or perhaps that's the intention.

@onedayallthiswillbeyours so glad I’m not alone in thinking that 😂😂

Ok now that this is totally deviating from the books I'm just going to treat it as a separate entity and enjoy the ride.

Sorry but I hate it. It feels like lots of boxes are being ticked - diversity, pc - and like most pc-ism it’s pretty po-faced. Perhaps it might pick up after a few episodes, but it’s feeling like one ought to stick with it because it’s worthy. Frankly I think the film was better - at least it was entertaining. Very disappointing as I found the books magical at the same time as being erudite. Essentially an exploration of philosophy wrapped up in a fantastic story.

Its normal for a TV series to tangle together the plots of different books in a series if the two books have entirely different characters and settings. A TV series needs to keep a broadly similar cast throughout with additions and subtractions as required.

The Magicians did the same, for example.

It feels like lots of boxes are being ticked - diversity, pc

Can you give some examples? I’m not picking that up at all.

I enjoyed it more than last week and I think the flat was fabulous - exactly what I imagined.

I was aghast at Boreal popping in and out of Oxford too. It just didn't make sense at all and seems to undermine the whole "reveal" at the end!

I still like it, but DD and I have decided that we will also treat it as a separate story to the books.

The gyptians (and in particular Ma Costa) are absolutely NOT what I had in mind!

Was anyone a little surprised to see cars in Oxford? And what was essentially a mobile phone?

No same, I imagined water gypsies, like bargees. Wiser and a bit more old world.

But that's 'our' Oxford
Borealis has hopped between worlds already. Too soon, what will the big reveal be now?

Was anyone a little surprised to see cars in Oxford? And what was essentially a mobile phone?

Erm......

I was a bit surprised that it was "modern day" modern day Oxford rather than the mid-nineties actually.

It'll make Will looking for a pay phone seem a bit unlikely!

I'm enjoying it but it reminds me of the TV adaptation of Neverwhere - lots of scenery-chewing Brit actors and not quite living up to the magic of the book...