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

Entry: 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe' - the BBC Television Series - A87895282
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

What better way is there to celebrate 1st December than with this Christmassy classic that has snow and in.

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No better way indeed I really loved this series in 1988 and the Entry contains fascinating details about it.

"Of the titular characters of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan's is successful" - I'm not sure what this means...

" retains an affectionate place in the hearts of many who saw it on first broadcast, and it continues to captivate children today."

Excellent!

"Of the titular characters of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan's is successful" - I'm not sure what this means...

Ah – I had planned to say that of all the titular characters in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' the lion is the cuddliest, the 's performance is pure pantomime, and the wardrobe was a little wooden…

Anyway, I've tweaked the entry.

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Oh – and I did try hard to find out whether the two wolves that appear in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' are actually wolves and not wolf-like , and if they were Quentin and Queenie, the wolves that had appeared in 'The Box of Delights', but to no avail. I'm afraid I'm not very good at recognising and wolf breeds.

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Yes, that would be a challenge to work out if the wolf was actually Quentin and/or Queenie...

Just reading this again, I wonder if the Novel section is as clear as it could be... You have the first paragraph mentioning influences on the story, then inspiration for a character followed by more story inspiration. The next paragraph is story inspiration, character inspiration, story inspiration too...

Footnote 7 is tantalising, as it only mentions one of the two adaptations. Perhaps mention both there, and then you can tweak the end of Footnote 8 to just say 'The Church was involved in making the 1979 animated film.'

The mention of Aslan walking in a real forest is a bit of a non sequitur, as the quote doesn't mention it...

Do you say what Cair Paravel is?

Yes, the Aslan cuddly scenes were irresistible - very memorable

Changes made.

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I'm having another quick read of this

Edmund Spenser still seems a bit out of place in that paragraph, but that's a minor point.

"However getting Aslan to walk realistically in real forests with uneven surfaces and tree roots to negotiate was much more challenging than acting on a perfectly flat studio floor."

I'm not clear what the 'However' is saying here. Was the location footage not very good compared to the studio footage because of the challenges?

I still think your concluding paragraph is superb

Thanks for the read-through. I've rearranged the inspiration paragraphs and the Aslan sentence so they should flow better now.

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Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Congratulations!

For the subeditor (Hi SashaQ!)

You could link to A526682 Dunluce Castle.

A few minor tweaks that I would have spotted if I'd seen this in Peer Review:

Difference with the Novel -->
Differences from the Novel

picked up by an eagles -->
picked up by an eagle

made the actors' shoes and look like -->
made the actors' shoes look like

the heroes castle -->
the heroes' castle

I see you're doing read-throughs of Narnia entries before they get to Peer Review, once they're in Peer Review and now even after they've left Peer Review Any chance you could give a read-through of my Narnia entries before I've written them? I'm considering writing one in about 2021 or 2022 on 'The Silver Chair' (assuming it gets made) .

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I think the choice of Graham Norton in the role of Puddleglum in the future film will be particularly inspired.

True, though I don't want to come across as ageist, I must admit I had expected Eustace to be played by someone younger than David Jason.
As for the twist that the Lady of the Green Kirtle was Susan all along – as she had been seduced by the insidious glamour of lipstick – well, I for one did not see that coming.

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Hi Gnomon

Thanks for the readthrough - much appreciated

Bluebottle musn't forget to subscribe to the new version A87910310

I had a few questions during subbing:

"it was successful enough to lead to three more Narnia adaptations over the following two years."

What were the three adaptations?

"Even after Edmund enters Narnia and meets the White Witch he denies Narnia's existence, though he has secretly been bribed by the witch with promises of Turkish Delight if he brings his family to her. He also inadvertently reveals that Mr Tumnus aided Lucy before."

Did the White Witch bribe Edmund to deny Narnia's existence? Who does he reveal the information to?

" he instructed BBC Enterprises to pre-sell the series internationally in co-production with WonderWorks, an American television company co-produced by PBS and Walt Disney."

What does it mean the company was co-produced, or is it that the TV series was a co-production with WonderWorks, PBS and Walt Disney?

A plaster cast of the clay sculpture of Aslan's head was taken, but what was used to make the head itself?

"It was much harder for Aslan to walk realistically in real forests with uneven surfaces and tree roots to negotiate than crossing a perfectly flat studio floor."

Sorry I'm still not sure what you're trying to say with that - was his walking noticeably poor outside the studio, or was it overall good enough?

You could change the sentence:
"it was successful enough to lead to three more Narnia adaptations over the following two years."
To:
"it was successful enough to lead to the adaptation of three more Narnia novels over the following two years."
You could add Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair in a footnote.

"Even after Edmund enters Narnia and meets the White Witch he denies Narnia's existence, though he has secretly been bribed by the witch with promises of Turkish Delight if he brings his family to her. He also inadvertently reveals that Mr Tumnus aided Lucy before."
Change to:
"When Edmund follows Lucy into Narnia he inadvertently reveals to the White Witch that Mr Tumnus aided Lucy before and is tempted by promises of Turkish Delight if he brings his family to her. Yet even after he has been there, Edmund still denies Narnia's existence to his family."

Change to:
WonderWorks, an American television production company co-owned by PBS and Walt Disney

Change:
Aslan also appeared in scenes filmed on location. It was much harder for Aslan to walk realistically in real forests with uneven surfaces and tree roots to negotiate than crossing a perfectly flat studio floor.
To:
Aslan also appeared in scenes filmed on location, however in these he is predominantly stationary. Although Aslan could walk convincingly when crossing a perfectly flat studio floor, it was much harder for Aslan to walk realistically in real forests with uneven surfaces and tree roots to negotiate.

What was used to make the head itself?
Good question – they don't actually specify in the extras. It could be rubber, something rubbery and flexible. Although it would be nice to know it is only a minor matter, so you could paper over it by tweaking the sentences to read:
The head began as a clay sculpture, then a plaster cast was taken and used as a mould. The finished head was covered in foam.

Hope this helps

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Excellent updates, thanks

If you're happy with it now, I'll send it on its way

Press the button!

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