Kevin's Watch

Has anybody seen the BBC production of Neverwhere? Is it any good? I really enjoyed the book, and the DVD set looks pretty cool, but it takes me a while to save up 3000 pennies and I want to make sure I'm trading them for something good.

I have an old VCR-version (but it includes some behind-scenes and an inteview with Gaiman) and I like it very much. Of course it is obviously a low budget production, but I love the general idea and "local mythology of the underground".

I saw Neverwhere when it was on tv a few years back, and I really liked it. I can't compare it to the book because I've only read a little bit of it.

I think the teleplay came first. Gaiman actually based his book upon his script, IIRC.

Really? I was always under the impression the book came first. If nothing else, the phyisical description of Croup in the book is nowhere near his screen incarnation.

Well Duchess, it seems you are quite correct:

Written by Neil Gaiman1 the serial is based on an idea conceived by Gaiman and British comedian Lenny Henry. A book by the same name, also written by Gaiman, is a novelisation of the serial and was published in 1997. A movie is reportably in pre-production.

From www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A471313

Wow, and I thought all novelizations were crap. Thanks, Duchess, Cov--I guess it's time to start collecting pennies!

I watched the first half of Neverwhere this morning. I found it to be pretty enjoyable.

The actors do a good job -- and they look like real people, which is something that I always enjoy about British TV miniseries. Sure, they tend to be on the high end of average, but they're not the plastic super-model/super-star types you'd get in an American production.

You can tell they did not have a high budget for special affects, but they do a reasonable, if low key job with them thus far (though I wish to reserve final judgement until I have had a chance to see the second half...)

I enjoyed the novel, which I have read, and the story certainly seems to work well on the small screen.

My only complaint thus far is that the music really grates on my nerves. I mean the music really irritates me. Nearly to the point of hitting the mute button during the moments when the theme is playing. Maybe I will do that (mute it) when I get a chance to watch the second half. I will have to see if there are English subtitles on the discs.

I finished it up this morning. I have to say that overall I was very pleased by it.

I had been worried in my last post how the special affects in one certain scene

Spoiler

The Great Beast of London

would hold up, and that was why I was reserving judement on the special affects. Well, I wasn't too thrilled with the scene

Spoiler

The Great Beast looked like a friendly farmyard cow more than a huge and savage boar

but other than that, things were handled pretty well.

duchess of malfi wrote:

Spoiler

The Great Beast looked like a friendly farmyard cow more than a huge and savage boar

That's a pretty accurate description!


Low-budget production issues aside, the series is fun to watch. In typical Gaiman fashion, a contemporary setting is the backdrop for ancient myths and religious beliefs that are seamlessly worked into an original story.

I can't wait to read the book.

btw duchess, you're right, the music was a bit off.






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