BBC America has released the first trailer for its controversially "loose" adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.
BBC America also confirmed some additional casting for the show, with Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme) playing the voice of Death and Matt Berry (The IT Crowd, Toast of London, What We Do in the Shadows) playing a magical talking sword called Wayne. Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones, Chernobyl) is playing the voice of Sergeant Detritus, with Paul Kaye (Game of Thrones, again) as Inigo Skimmer, the Duke of Stab.
The Watch starts airing on BBC America on 3 January 2021.
This looks wacky and vibrant; a series not at all taking itself seriously - in concept a wonderful antithesis to late-stage Discworld where all whimsy and innovation ground to a halt after Night Watch in 2002. In our reverence to Pratchett's excellent mid-stage works, staples of our youth, it's easy to forget how it all ended in self-important soapboxing run-of-the-mill Mary Sue-fests like Making Money, Snuff and Raising Steam.
ReplyDeleteDeep down, Discworld is still a wonderful franchise - but it really needs a new take. More than anything, this trailer reminded me of the fresh fuck-your-conventions eagerness of The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic.
I hope The Watch is good. There's more than a little risk it'll turn out cringey. But it deserves a chance.
This has nothing to do with Terry Pratchet and the Watch.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't they invent their own back story and characters?
Regardless of the show quality or lack thereof, it will always be a failed Discworld adaptation.
It looks like a bunch of dogsick.
ReplyDelete