The War of the Worlds - TV Adaptation on the Way

[Raven]

And it's a period adaptation set in Surrey, written by Peter (Strange and Norrell/Doctor Who) Harness!

 

More here: War Of The Worlds: Peter Harness working on new TV adaptation

[Kylie]

Can't wait!!

[woolf woolf]

I watched Spielberg's version in the cinema and really enjoyed the film in my teens, even today I think it's a good film. I'll keep watch of this series.

[Raven]

I watched Spielberg's version in the cinema and really enjoyed the film in my teens, even today I think it's a good film.

 

Get out!

 

(Only joking, but I'm not a fan of this version at all - except for the sound the non-Martians make.  It was as much of a remake of the 50's film as it was an adaptation of the book.  If you've not read the book, do so, it is so much better than anything Hollywood have knocked out under the same name - although I do actually like the 50's version).

[Anna Begins]

If you've not read the book, do so, it is so much better than anything Hollywood have knocked out under the same name - although I do actually like the 50's version).

Yes!  Read the book and you will probably change your mind.  The radio version from 1938 is good too.

[vodkafan]

I would like to see a version that is faithful to the book. Thanks for the heads up raven!

[Janet]

I also hope it's faithful to the book - I love the book (and Jeff Wayne's musical version).   Thanks for the heads-up. 

[Athena]

Oooh I'd like to see this, thanks for posting !

[Raven]

I've been waiting for this for a number of years now, I'm just slightly disappointed that it is not for the BBC, because I still think that they do the period stuff better.

[Raven]

Hurrah! Looks like Harness has jumped ship from ITV, because the BBC are doing it now!

 

First adaptation of HG Wells' The War of the Worlds

[Athena]

Exciting news, from what I've seen of BBC shows they usually make good stuff .

[Madeleine]

Let's hope it's better than the abysmal version of Day of The Triffids which they did a few years ago.

[Raven]

It's a period piece by the same people who did Strange and Norrell, I'll be very disappointed if this is another Triffids. 

Edited May 12, 2017 by Raven
OCD

[Raven]

Looks like this is finally going to air this autumn now.

 

From what I've read this had been due to screen last Christmas, but it wasn't ready in time.  It got bumped to the spring schedule and then disappeared, but more information about it is surfacing now, along with some show footage.  

[Raven]

Starts this Sunday, 9pm on BBC1.

 

ETA:

 

Just listened to an interview with writer Peter Harness on Radio 4's Front Row (broadcast on Monday if anyone wants to catch up with this on BBC Sounds) where he confirmed this is not a faithful adaptation of the book, even though that is the way the BBC are pushing it.  It sounds like he has used elements of the book along with some aspects of Wells own life to tell the story.  

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Raven

[~Andrea~]

This looks great! Good cast too. I'm looking forward to it!

[Raven]

Well, that was painful...

[Madeleine]

I thought it was OK, although the initial alien pod did remind me of a big ball of dung!  Like the ones you see those little ants pushing around in wildlife progs.

[~Andrea~]

I didn't mind it. It didn't blow me away but I quite enjoyed it. I'll watch it next week. Not as good as the Tom Cruise version though.

[Madeleine]

I didn't like the Tom Cruise version, it started off brilliantly and the aliens' arrival was very well done, but then it descended into a load of schmaltz about his family, and you had the end of the world guy (Tim Robbins I think?) which was all a bit daft, and the last part of the film just sort of fell apart, although I think that's probably more Steven Spielberg's fault than Tom Cruise's.

[woolf woolf]

I still haven't read the original book, sorry. I enjoyed the first episode, more focused on the period setting and the personal drama of the main characters. Let's see what comes after.

 

Spoiler

I felt that them showing flashforwards with Amy and her child looking for George spoils the drama a bit, as it was uncertain if they would find each other (or if she'd survive that long).

 

[Raven]

7 hours ago, ~Andrea~ said:

I didn't mind it. It didn't blow me away but I quite enjoyed it. I'll watch it next week. Not as good as the Tom Cruise version though.

 

5 hours ago, Madeleine said:

I didn't like the Tom Cruise version, it started off brilliantly and the aliens' arrival was very well done, but then it descended into a load of schmaltz about his family, and you had the end of the world guy (Tim Robbins I think?) which was all a bit daft, and the last part of the film just sort of fell apart, although I think that's probably more Steven Spielberg's fault than Tom Cruise's.

 

The alien fighting machines in the Tom Cruise version were very good, but the rest of the film was cobblers.  Welding broken families and science fiction into a cohesive story used to be Spielberg's forte (Close Encounters, ET, Jurassic Part etc) but I think he got the balance wrong in this one; not enough aliens, far too much annoying Dad and family (it really didn't help that none of the characters were particularly likeable!)

 

Back to last night and I'll save going into detail until I've seen the whole thing, but at this point I am struggling to see how they are going to fit the rest of the book into two hours, after spending a good deal of the first part setting up a relationship that isn't in the novel at all!  Where they are at the moment feels like the end of the first part if the series were six episodes long, not three.  I suspect this means that something is going to get cut/significantly shortened.

 

19 minutes ago, woolf woolf said:

I still haven't read the original book, sorry. I enjoyed the first episode, more focused on the period setting and the personal drama of the main characters. Let's see what comes after.

 

  Hide contents

I felt that them showing flashforwards with Amy and her child looking for George spoils the drama a bit, as it was uncertain if they would find each other (or if she'd survive that long).

 

 

The flash-forwards didn't work for me, either!

[poppy]

I hated the Tom Cruise version (I can't stand Tom Cruise, so I'm probably biased) and the kids were diabolical. I've watched the new TV series (it must have got here before the UK). I was rather underwhelmed, George was always standing round with his mouth agape instead of taking action. But I did watch the whole thing and enjoyed Eleanor Tomlinson and Robert Carlyle's performances. I usually can't stand Robert Carlyle either (I'm easily annoyed) but he was camouflaged enough for me not to notice.  

[Madeleine]

So far Eleanor Tomlinson has been likeable but not that different to Demelza Poldark, but we'll see.  I agree about the flash forwards too, bit of a spoiler there!

 

Agree totally about the family stuff in the Tom Cruise film (I'm not a big Cruise fan either) but it is a trademark of Spielberg now to bring in all the Dad/son schmaltz and unfortunately a lot of his later films have been ruined by it, including that one!

Edited November 19, 2019 by Madeleine

[~Andrea~]

I knew a lot of people don't like the Tom Cruise one, but I think it's really good. I can't really remember the family stuff at the end. I thought the little girl playing the daughter in it was very good.

 

I agree about George standing around with his mouth open in the BBC version

 

I haven't read the book either