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| Scene from His Dark Materials |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
The quest for HBO to find the next Game of Thrones continues not on Sunday night, but with a recent plan to expand their entertainment output to Mondays. It's where they have premiered such recent dramas as Catherine the Great and comedies like Divorce, but there has yet to be a contender for the next big hit. After two seasons, Westworld still remains an unsure bet and Watchmen is becoming dense with mythology likely to divide audiences. That's why there's pressure on His Dark Materials, which is a lot of ways feels like the perfect companion piece to Watchmen. Both are based on beloved literary sources and ostensibly are reboots of failed cinematic adaptations (in this case The Golden Compass). In fact, there's plenty to love in the casting of His Dark Materials, which is Dafne Keen's first major role since the Oscar-nominated Logan and features Lin-Manuel Miranda in a rare supporting role.
The series plans to expand the book series by Phillip Pullman into an exciting series that will out-fantasy Game of Thrones at every turn. For starters, the story follows a girl named Lyra (Keen) as she discovers the return of her uncle (James McAvoy) who has gone on quite a journey. It's a story that is sold to audiences as one, not unlike our own, but maybe different enough. There's a lot of whimsy to explore, and it's already got promise in the lead performance. Keen is the desired mix of precociousness, giving a performance that allows her to slowly take the audience into the world while never talking down. With her adorable pet, the first episode feels like the table setting for something grander, as if the magic that the prologue speaks of will only become more apparent in episodes to come.
It's a perfect set-up for a series that promises adventure, especially given that it promises to have witches and, based on the previews, polar bears in armor. It feels like a grand vision that will feature HBO giving in to one of their more expensive budgets allowing the series to frolic and give fans what they desire. If there's anything to be had from the first episode, it's the sense of relief that the source material is in good hands. Keen is an especially charismatic lead who manages to play into her charming wits as the world unfolds. It only raises questions about what will happen now that she has embraced the mystery and has joined Marisa (Ruth Wilson) on her journey aboard a blimp-like ship. It feels like the start of something curiouser, and that should be fun.
The one conflict that fantasy series tend to have is the ability to rope in audiences who aren't accustomed to more abstract concepts. Given that this has major comparisons to "The Chronicles of Narnia," it's hard not to see the presence of mystical animals as a bit off-putting, though the series does a good job of embracing the oddity while grounding it enough in a whimsy that audiences can get on board with. The cast is also enjoyable and presents a perspective on this story that is never dull. If anything, there's already tons of clues about what to expect, and that could just be what makes the show worthwhile. In a world where everyone has their own fantasy series now (see also: Amazon's Carnival Row), it's hard to know which one is really worth looking at, though HBO has done a promising job of making audiences care about their take by not overdoing the spectacle right off the bat. If anything, the curtain has an attractive sheen on it, and it will only be a matter of time before the razzle-dazzle shows up.
His Dark Materials is going to be an interesting gambit for HBO given its Monday night time slot. It's still fairly new for the premium cable channel, but they have used it wisely to develop another night of quality entertainment. With this instance, they have managed to find something that's likely to appeal to fans of the novels and maybe get beginners on board for the ride. It's an interesting gamble that will hopefully pay off, especially since it already has proven that the cast is exciting and the visuals are popping. It has enough to be a great show and stand out among the competition, so hopefully, that's enough to keep it going and making the series that it desires to achieve in a perfect form.
The series plans to expand the book series by Phillip Pullman into an exciting series that will out-fantasy Game of Thrones at every turn. For starters, the story follows a girl named Lyra (Keen) as she discovers the return of her uncle (James McAvoy) who has gone on quite a journey. It's a story that is sold to audiences as one, not unlike our own, but maybe different enough. There's a lot of whimsy to explore, and it's already got promise in the lead performance. Keen is the desired mix of precociousness, giving a performance that allows her to slowly take the audience into the world while never talking down. With her adorable pet, the first episode feels like the table setting for something grander, as if the magic that the prologue speaks of will only become more apparent in episodes to come.
It's a perfect set-up for a series that promises adventure, especially given that it promises to have witches and, based on the previews, polar bears in armor. It feels like a grand vision that will feature HBO giving in to one of their more expensive budgets allowing the series to frolic and give fans what they desire. If there's anything to be had from the first episode, it's the sense of relief that the source material is in good hands. Keen is an especially charismatic lead who manages to play into her charming wits as the world unfolds. It only raises questions about what will happen now that she has embraced the mystery and has joined Marisa (Ruth Wilson) on her journey aboard a blimp-like ship. It feels like the start of something curiouser, and that should be fun.
The one conflict that fantasy series tend to have is the ability to rope in audiences who aren't accustomed to more abstract concepts. Given that this has major comparisons to "The Chronicles of Narnia," it's hard not to see the presence of mystical animals as a bit off-putting, though the series does a good job of embracing the oddity while grounding it enough in a whimsy that audiences can get on board with. The cast is also enjoyable and presents a perspective on this story that is never dull. If anything, there's already tons of clues about what to expect, and that could just be what makes the show worthwhile. In a world where everyone has their own fantasy series now (see also: Amazon's Carnival Row), it's hard to know which one is really worth looking at, though HBO has done a promising job of making audiences care about their take by not overdoing the spectacle right off the bat. If anything, the curtain has an attractive sheen on it, and it will only be a matter of time before the razzle-dazzle shows up.
His Dark Materials is going to be an interesting gambit for HBO given its Monday night time slot. It's still fairly new for the premium cable channel, but they have used it wisely to develop another night of quality entertainment. With this instance, they have managed to find something that's likely to appeal to fans of the novels and maybe get beginners on board for the ride. It's an interesting gamble that will hopefully pay off, especially since it already has proven that the cast is exciting and the visuals are popping. It has enough to be a great show and stand out among the competition, so hopefully, that's enough to keep it going and making the series that it desires to achieve in a perfect form.
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