Will anyone else (who can access UK tv) be watching this new medieval drama, which begins Saturday 12th Jan on Channel 4 at 9pm?

Will it be similar to Game of Thrones, do you think?

What do you want/ not want it to depict or be like?

Is that an adaptation of Ken Follett's World Without End, the sequel to Pillars of the Earth, Johnny?

If it is the one I'm thinking of, I was disappointed in the Pillars of the Earth tv series. There was too much attention paid to the romance side of the story and very little of the building of the cathedral side, which is what the books are really about.

It is not like Game of Thrones though.

Thanks, ID, I've not seen the Pillars either, and wondered what style and content it might contain- hopefully not like Merlin or The Tudors (not half bad, actually, in parts).

But it sounds quite duff, appealing to the Mills & Boon market?

I have recorded the first part, JH. Somehow I don't have high hopes. the run of 'Shakespeares Kings Plays' in the autumn was so good that I doubt that this series will be anywhee near the same league in production to contest with my awed memory of some great TV production.

There's no comparison whatsoever with the excellent Hollow Crown series. I lasted barely half an hour of World Without End last nite before becoming bored with it. And to think that they've made 12 hours of the tripe. I won't be bothering with any more.

I wandered home last night after one of those lengthy lunches that go on until late evening and put that on about 15 minutes in. After 15 minutes I gave up being completely at a loss as to what was going on. I suspect I know the answer but, is it worth watching it from the beginning?

Mmm, the Pillars of the Earth series wasn't crash hot either. A good book was taken and reduced to sentimental tosh so I haven't high hopes of the sequel. But I'm downloading it anyway, at least I'll know what I'll be rubbishing!

Always a mistake to watch tv series or movies of books that are read first and enjoyed though.

Islanddawn wrote:

Mmm, the Pillars of the Earth series wasn't crash hot either. A good book was taken and reduced to sentimental tosh so I haven't high hopes of the sequel. .... Always a mistake to watch tv series or movies of books that are read first and enjoyed though.

And I'm not so sure it was "a good book" to start with. I found it, as well as, 'World Without End', to be utter garbage and not even well written garbage at that. I only read them because everyone else raved about them, but I had to really force myself to finish them they were so dire (so all in all just like my reading of "The Da Vinci Code"). I found both books to be light-weight, factually inaccurate, annoyingly contrived, historical romances, and obviously aimed at the 'popular audience' ... so perfect for TV adaption. If that's your thing then fine, but I thought the books crap ... and I doubt the TV producers will manage to make anything better from the original story.

However I expect it will still be lauded by audiences and critics alike and so will ultimately win, if not loads of luvvy awards, then certainly plenty of dosh for all those involved.

Right, that's several hours of my life that I can put to better use. Thanks. I haven't read the books nor seen the previous series so I wasn't sure if it would be worth watching.
Not even bad enough to be good then?

Well that is just my opinion ferval, about the books. Regarding the TV productions, well, I don't get UK TV, and indeed I very rarely watch any TV at all ... so I am not perhaps the best person to give a review about current UK TV productions.

For what it's worth though, I absolutely detested "The da Vinci Code" as a book ... but I actually thought the film was OK. Completely implausible, and unbelievable, but still an engaging, mystery romp nonetheless - much in the same vein as "Indiana Jones" or "Tomb Raider" etc. - Tom Hanks' wooden acting being more than made up for by that of Audrey Tautou and Ian McKellen.

So I really shouldn't damn a TV interpretation of a popular book, especially not before I've even seen it.

'Da Vinci' was forced upon me by a friend who was enthralled, I managed about 3 chapters before the ceremonial tossing across the room. Apart from the rotten writing and total absence of characterisation, I'd read 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail' years ago so the plot wasn't exactly a surprise. I haven't seen more than a little of the film but I can see what you mean. It is what it is with no pretensions.
The book was basically a screen play with aspirations above its station, I think, and reminded me of reading 'Jurassic Park' before it was filmed and you could visualise the coming movie, scene by scene.

'Jurassic Park' is indeed another one . I read the book when it first came out about 1980 and though I found it OK, I wouldn't at the time have said it was a classic. But the later film I loved. Although that's maybe a reflection of me at the time: a very keen amateur paleontologist, off every weekend hunting fossils ... etc ...

But to return to the point in question: I found the book 'Jurassic Park', a somewhat pedestrian plod, at best .... but then (some ten years later) I loved the film.

And I have always found it interesting that Stephen J Gould, the famous palaeontologist, once wrote an article arguing the complete opposite: he thought the book was great - the film disappointing. So I guess everyone has their own taste? But these individual differences of opinion and perception are very interesting, aren't they?

Meles meles wrote:

For what it's worth though, I absolutely detested "The da Vinci Code" as a book ... but I actually thought the film was OK. Completely implausible, and unbelievable, but still an engaging, mystery romp nonetheless - much in the same vein as "Indiana Jones" or "Tomb Raider" etc.

Unfortunately it was not so with what I saw of World Without End. No escapist romp. It just consisted of 21st century sensibilities and 'politically correct' triteness relentlessly hammered onto 14th century characters - or rather caricatures.

Well I've watched the first episode, I wasn't expecting much so am not overly disappointed. The usual historical inaccuracies and deviations from the book abound but, neither claim to be historically accurate I suppose.

What I found most annoying was all that silly over long hair on the women. A woman of that era would never have gone around with her hair unbound and uncovered.

Islanddawn wrote:

Is that an adaptation of Ken Follett's World Without End, the sequel to Pillars of the Earth, Johnny?

If it is the one I'm thinking of, I was disappointed in the Pillars of the Earth tv series. There was too much attention paid to the romance side of the story and very little of the building of the cathedral side, which is what the books are really about.

My sentiments exactly....