• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

His Dark Materials

I enjoyed the books years ago and we saw t'fillum which we liked.
Techy keeps saying 'Oh look, His Dark Materials, not your sort of thing, I'll watch that when you're out!'

I protest that I WOULD like it but it's as if he can't even hear me. Weird.

Although maybe it's because I did Paradise Lost for a degree and lectured him about it when we watched t'fillum.

Yer motto: Better To Rule In Hell Than To Serve In Heaven.

I bet it's Hell for Techy!
 
More dieselpunk, sort of 1930s to 1950s - or loosely somewhere in the 20th century. I like that they've not gone full late Victorian steampunk.
Okay, that's fair. I suppose zeppelins are more dieselpunk.
 
Best episode so far this week. Murray Lachlan Young made an interesting observation on Radio 4 at the weekend, that the daemons were like smartphones in our world, a companion most of us can't be parted from. Which makes me one of the zombie children or the creepy, glaikit nurse.
 
Proper cliffhanger ending, too! Almost literally.
 
Although they've fumbled the storytelling at times, I can't fault the acting, everyone's been great. But the real appeal is the atmosphere, tonight's was just perfect for the Solstice evening, incredibly rich (think the snowbound scenes were shot in Canada?).

Anyway, back next year, though they've kind of given away what happens next.
 
Although they've fumbled the storytelling at times, I can't fault the acting, everyone's been great. But the real appeal is the atmosphere, tonight's was just perfect for the Solstice evening, incredibly rich (think the snowbound scenes were shot in Canada?).

Anyway, back next year, though they've kind of given away what happens next.
They commissioned the third book at the same time so we’re guaranteed to see it all.
 
They commissioned the third book at the same time so we’re guaranteed to see it all.

Excellent, on Sunday evenings again, I hope? It's proof you can make a fantasy TV series that doesn't rely on sex and violence to keep people watching, ideas are important too.
 
Consolidated viewing figures hovering around the seven million mark which is excellent.
 
Last edited:
Consolidated Vieirinha figures hovering around the seven million mark which is excellent.

Spent a while trying to work out what you meant by that, then decided you meant "Viewing figures" - am I right?! Anyway, that is really good if so, and it'll only rise when the iPlayer figures are added to the total.
 
Spent a while trying to work out what you meant by that, then decided you meant "Viewing figures" - am I right?! Anyway, that is really good if so, and it'll only rise when the iPlayer figures are added to the total.
Oops! Didn’t notice that, will correct it.
 
Genuinely very enjoyable. The other half read the books around the time of their release, and while she thought them a little heavy handed in the 'organised religion is a bad thing' messaging did enjoy them. I remember watching the film adaptation and really not seeing what she was on about. But this, i see, was largely due to those themes being very heavily played down for film.

Not so, here. it's even kind of echoed by the choral chanting in parts of the theme tune. A very compelling series, with good production values, which took a few episodes to truly hit its stride. But once it did? It was pretty bloody good stuff.

I understand that they've threaded themes from and of the second and third books far earlier here. The notion of parallel earths is very much implied even from the title sequence, but I understand that really wasn't present in the first book?
 
Last edited:
It's been a very long time since I read these books, but I think that's right about the parallel earths not being evident in the first book (at least, the parallel Oxfords). I absolutely loved this adaptation - I think they got it spot-on with pretty much everything and Ruth Wilson was exceptional as Mrs Coulter. I'm very much looking forward to the next series.
 
It's been a very long time since I read these books, but I think that's right about the parallel earths not being evident in the first book (at least, the parallel Oxfords). I absolutely loved this adaptation - I think they got it spot-on with pretty much everything and Ruth Wilson was exceptional as Mrs Coulter. I'm very much looking forward to the next series.


I loved the way that on the brief occasions Coulter was actually shown to lose her temper her physicality shifted to match that of her daemon. Details like that were nice to see.
 
I loved the way that on the brief occasions Coulter was actually shown to lose her temper her physicality shifted to match that of her daemon. Details like that were nice to see.
Yes! She did some incredible pure-rage screaming. There was a scene where Lyra did the same at the same time, which I thought was wonderful.
 
Yes! She did some incredible pure-rage screaming. There was a scene where Lyra did the same at the same time, which I thought was wonderful.
Like mother, like daughter? I am always impressed by what a bitchy face Ruth Wilson has. You would think that such a talented actress would have a larger filmography, but she seems to like doing actual theatre as well.
 
Last edited:
Ruth Wilson seems to have been trapped in a crappy contract for some US TV show over the past few years - it was in the news that she refused to do nudity on it, so out of frustration they had her character raped and murdered. Classy. She's better off out of that, and has been fantastic in HDM.
 
BBC trailer for series 2:

There is an HBO trailer too, but it's full of BWAM!!! noises and is a bit annoying. The Beeb's version is more promising.
 
Back with season (series?) 2 last night, perfect as the nights are drawing in. Took me about 20 minutes to adjust to it, and maybe not the best episode to kick off with, but by the cliffhanger I was enjoying it all over again.
 
Back with season (series?) 2 last night, perfect as the nights are drawing in. Took me about 20 minutes to adjust to it, and maybe not the best episode to kick off with, but by the cliffhanger I was enjoying it all over again.

Those nasty kids tormenting the cat! I hope they're eaten by polar bears!

Took me some time as well to readjust to the action but I'm loving it.
 
I was much happier from the off with tonight's episode (hope you agree, @ramonmercado ), truly appreciated what a fantastic job Dafne Keen is doing with Lyra. Loads of intrigue, Ruth Wilson being coolly conniving, and Omid Djalili as a bonus!
 
I was much happier from the off with tonight's episode (hope you agree, @ramonmercado ), truly appreciated what a fantastic job Dafne Keen is doing with Lyra. Loads of intrigue, Ruth Wilson being coolly conniving, and Omid Djalili as a bonus!
Yes and unlike American TV there was no mention of Omid In the opening credits so it was a nice surprise to see him pop up.
 
I was much happier from the off with tonight's episode (hope you agree, @ramonmercado ), truly appreciated what a fantastic job Dafne Keen is doing with Lyra. Loads of intrigue, Ruth Wilson being coolly conniving, and Omid Djalili as a bonus!

It is pretty good as well as the plot developments the airships bombing the islands looked great.
 
B-i-i-i-g cliffhanger ending(s) to series 2, and also a bit of a cull of the famous names. At least Ruth Wilson is still in it, what a terrific villainess. But by the time they get around to series 3, Lyra will be about 30. Anyone know if they've been filming under restrictions?
 
Back
Top