h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks for the link.

At least I think that may be the link - it could be a generic site for previews - we'll see.

Next Sunday at 9!!! Just seen the trailer!

Ignore the link I posted in post 20 - this is the proper one, with info and preview clips:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02mrqzv

I'll repost this again to keep the links together:
http://jonathanstrangeofficial.tumblr.com/

I'm really looking forward to it!

I must admit it looks good and I am tempted to be excited by it... But I confess I have doubts - my heart's been by television series so many times before...

<BB<

" my heart's been by television series so many times before..." [Bluebottle]

Going into these things will high expectations raises your risk of disappointment. Not that movies are free from disillusionment, by comparison. AS studio can spend two hundred dollars on a movie and still end up with an unwatchable piece of junk.

Whenever I hear people wondering why a talented, astute actor would sign on for such a waste of money, I want to point out that it's hard to know beforehand how it will turn out, unless the project is a low-budget genre-filler. High-prestige productions are a roll of the dice.

Just a reminder that Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell starts tonight on BBC One at 21:00 (UK time)

Well that was better than expected

Disappointed.

Too much wobblycam, looked cheap and would have been more at home at 5pm on Sunday afternoon on CBBC.

PP.

Yes see your point there it might improve, how was the content compared to the original

So far as can remember, pretty much on song. Rushing through it of course - I had a look at the book yestrday and my copy is 1,000+ pages long. That's quite a job for a 7 part series.

I don't think I had an issue with many of the performances, but don't think that Vinculus needed to be falling all over the place and the whole scene showing his first encounter with JS was a bit 'am dram' I thought.

PP.

I had the usual problem with many TV dramas of finding the dialogue hard to distinguish - and I don't have a hearing problem. Thought there were some very good moments in it & some a bit too comedic.

Hard to hear dialogue? Surely not - the BBC must have learnt its lesson from last year's Jamumble Inn...?

<BB<

No I thought it was a slow opener but could see myself getting excited about this to

It's probably the awful speakers in my TV.

Hmmm... More atmospheric than I remember the book being, but less funny, although it had its moments. The tarot scene had a touch of class.
I'm sure I remember there being rather more Norrell before the appearance of Jonathan Strange in the book, though.

It was pretty much a whoosh through the start of the book, but to get it down to 7 hours of TV that was inevitable. I "read" it on audiobook and that's almost 33 hours. The York Minster scene didn't have quite the impact I'd hoped for, but overall I think it was well done and I'm looking forward to next week.

These days it's not enough just to watch a programme as a stand alone, I guess you're meant to do your homework and fill in gaps with the online content at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02mrqzv too.

Paul Kaye has always been underrated in my opinion and seems perfect as Vinculus, as is Enzo Cilenti as Childermass. But I still stand by my dream casting of Billy Connolly as the Gentleman, Marc Warren just seems too controlled at the moment.

The dialogue is crisp and clear, can I suggest some playing about with the menu settings for sound on either your TV or the receiver, or both.

I guess that Paul Kaye divides opinion then. Catweazle came to mind.

PP.