I agree about the Dark Materials, really enjoying that. I enjoyed the movies, The Golden Compass, and was dissapointed they didn't follow it up. The TV series doesn't seem to have been watered down as the movie has been accussed of, and i hope they follow up this first series.

I think you will be disappointed in this version of WOTW Mach71. Too disjointed and well away from the true story. Like I said in an earlier post, Peter Jackson may be the only movie producer to do this justice. It would be absolutely great if there were a collaboration between him and Jeff Wayne who did the musical record/cd version with the late Richard Burton's narration as on the original release. 

Far better to watch His Dark Materials, an 8 parter based on one of Philip Pulman's books Nothern Lights. His other two books are the Amber Spyglass and the Subtle Knife.

You should be able to stream the Dark Materials from the BBC. It is an excellent telling of the story that I have seen so far. Ruth Wilson plays the sinister but glamourous Femme Fatale Mrs. Coulter.....fantastic casting!

I just watched episode 1.

Not really good, not really bad.

So far it does not seem to be following the book very close. 

The 2 main characters are not very likable.

The story seems 2 dimensional so far. 

I don't really like the tripods, they look like something JJ Abrams would come up with.

On the good side the time period and location are correct. The costumes and sets look

good.

The main characters, while not very likable are somewhat plausable.

I'll probably watch the next episode.

There is a book with all of HGWells stories in one volume that I have. Also a book with seven of Jules Verne's stories. Worth looking out of you are into these two writers. Probably both books available from Amazon.

modelcrazy

 

 

Bish

I must admit i was a bit disapointed as well, i liked it at first, and i have not read the book so wasn't sure how that ends. Think i am going to have to read it.

 

 

 

 

Tom Cruise touches a dead ailen and goes home. The humans win.

 

LOL!

Bish: Actually the whole story is pretty short. Maybe a hundred pages or so. You should be able to read the whole thing in one or two sittings. Probably you can pick up a collection at the local library with his early (good) stories in it like this, 'The Time Machine', 'The Invisible Man', 'The Food of The Gods' and 'The Island of Doctor Moreau'. His later ones IMHO weren't all that good. 

Bish

I must admit i was a bit disapointed as well, i liked it at first, and i have not read the book so wasn't sure how that ends. Think i am going to have to read it.

 

Tom Cruise touches a dead ailen and goes home. The humans win.

I must admit i was a bit disapointed as well, i liked it at first, and i have not read the book so wasn't sure how that ends. Think i am going to have to read it.

Ah, that blows! Was hoping they'd get it right, esp as Bish said it's set in the right country. Still the story is so short I wonder if movie makers feel they need to add something to it?

Was looking forward so much to this, but what a disappointment. It ran out of steam about half way through and too many flash forwards disjointed the already too adapted story. Although more in period, it went the same way as all the previous wotw screen and tv adaptations going way off the mark of the original Wells novel.  Maybe, just maybe someone like Peter Jackson who made the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogies and King Kong may pick up the gauntlet and make an epic movie, fairly true to the original story. Peter Jackson owns Wingnut Wings, so a bit of lobbying might be worth it! Who knows?

My guess is it will replace World on Fire on BBc 1, the last episode is this coming Sunday. So expect W0tW on the 17th.

I am glad the BBC have done this, i really enjoyed the Golden Compass and was disapointed there were no sequels.

The BBC are running WOTW trailers more frequently over this last week, but still no announcement about when it will air.

Saw the first instalment of Philip Pulman's 'His Dark Materials' that looks as though it is based on his first of the three novels Northern Lights. I believe that a second series has already been shot based on one of the other books of the three, either the Amber Spyglass or the Subtle Knife. Really liked the the first airing having read all three books about 5 years ago.

The Beeb are now running a trailer for Philip Pulman's Dark Materials Trilogy. It will be airing in the UK November 3rd. The trailer for this looks really good, so really looking forward to seeing it.

No actual announcement about when War of the Worlds will be going to air. I would hazard a guess that it may well be over the Christmas Period in the UK.

Not sure about in America when they will go to air. BUT! There is a thing on the internet named BBC I Player that enables BBC TV programmes to be viewed for a week after transmission in the UK. Stateside viewers may be able to access this on a smart TV or by broadband on a PC.

I remember the version you referred too, barely.  Not that great.  

My first contact with war of the worlds was reading the book as a kid, followed by the movie.  I have a copy of the 1939 radio broadcast out of New York City that caused a lot of problems.  I even watched Orson Wells tell of the lengths they went to do a special broadcast, it eventually had to have a notice in the middle that people were listening to a show.  Wells said he never knew what trouble was until that night.

Later there was a musical version done by Jeff Wayne, based on the original story, narrated by Richard Burton and music done by the Moody Blues.  Much later it became a stage show (can be seen on Youtube, at least parts).

The broadcast was repeated twice, once near the Canadian border at N.Y. and later in  South America.  It worked both times with the panic.  From what they said, the souithern broadcast was not received well, the angry public burned down the radio station, killing several people.

There actually was a version made in the correct time period but I heard it was horrible. Awful acting and cheap quality FX, I haven't seen it though.

Crossing my fingers this will be good, love the idea of having it as the novel and not an updated version.

I have done some checking and oddly enough this seems to be the forst on screen production of War of the Worlds make in the Uk and the first in its correct setting.

About bloody time.

Sure hope this airs on BBC America!

GAF

I had to go find the trailer on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-yas0yPbLU

Looks interesting, but we'll see.  I don't hold out much hope for productions in these times.

Gary

 

The BBC have been doing some god stuff the last few years, i have high hopes for it.

Bugatti Fan

At long last a 3 part version of War of the Worlds that is based in Edwardian England as per H G Wells novel. The BBC are running a trailer and it looks good.

Also in November they are dramatizing Philip Pulman's Dark Materials fantasy novel

 

I had to go find the trailer on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-yas0yPbLU

Looks interesting, but we'll see.  I don't hold out much hope for productions in these times.

Gary

Saw the War of the Worlds trailer, looks good. No date given yet but stuff usually air's within a few weeks of the trailer.