Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - BBC TV series

This clearly requires an immediate look at the BBC America website to see when it is coming here.

_____

And ... I'm back. June 13 is the day in the US. June is going to be a big month, because Poldark starts June 21 on PBS.
 
It was superb. A joyous blend of creepy and the ridiculous, as in a mixture of Dickens type characters crossed with Jane Austin types.

The bit in York Minster was great
 
Thoroughly enjoyed it. My only complaint was that there were several occasions when some of the dialogue was inaudible/unintelligible -- Vinculus was a particular offender. The script/screenplay adapted the book well, the sets and clothes etc were all excellent -- though perhaps the gentleman's hair could have been more thistle-downy! -- and the actors uniformly good.
 
Wonderful, loved it. I agree with TJ about some of the dialogue, but I don't think I missed anything crucial. I've forgotten so much of the book that it seemed very fresh.
 
Thoroughly enjoyed it.

(I must admit to being a bit apprehensive, as adaptations sometimes don't match one's expectations, either in terms of faithfulness** or implementation.)


** - My recollections about the plot of the novel have faded quite a bit, so I'm not sure I'd notice that many deviations. However, it seemed to match what I do recall (such as the convoluted way to Mr Norrell's study, assuming I actually read about that in the book...).
 
I wondered why this book was prominently displayed in Sainsburys - hadn't realised there was a TV adaptation. Will watch it on Sunday. :)

EDIT: Cheers for the Shark recommendation, HB - looks like I need to catch up on some good programmes on iPlayer. :)
 
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Shows how a story can be improved with some editing. I have attempted to read this in the past, and will try again I think.
 
I watched part one on Monday. The production values are wonderful, but the story seems to be plodding along - the first 20 minutes or so were devoted to Secondus, and yet he increasingly looks like he's nothing more than a peripheral character whose purpose was to just introduce us to Mr Norrell. Hopefully he'll prove me wrong and come into the story later.

Norrell's conflict isn't coming through clearly: sometimes he wants to be recognised as a magician, and he puts on a show to prove himself before a bunch of scoffing Yorkshiremen; and yet he won't do anything to demonstrate ability in a private meeting with the Prime Minister of Great Britain. And when he does eventually do something, it's only because he's cajoled into acting - and invokes spirits he said should be avoided? Seems inconsistent so far, but maybe it's not coming through well in the screenplay.

Jonathan Strange has some charisma as a fool, but his girlfriend/finance seems bizarre in that she still refuses to marry him, on the grounds that being a country gentleman isn't enough - he must have a profession. Que?

The Raven King's servant is the only character I'm rooting for at the moment - but he seems to be the most active and most consistent character so far.

The notion of magic used also seems a little confused - none in England for 300 years? John (cough) Dee? And if magic cannot show the future, how can Norrell's butler can plainly read the future for the Raven King's servant? Magic and the occult are not related??

I'm nit-picking, though, and the family seems keen on a second episode - certainly worth watching alone for the sets.
 
After three episodes, I'm still very impressed with the adaptation.

By the way, I read somewhere where the producer (or director) mentioned it had originally been a six-part programme, but they were allowed a seventh as long as the production budget remained the same. I have to say that on the evidence so far, either that budget was quite large or they've spent their money very wisely.


Responding to a couple of Brian's points:
Brian Turner said:
The notion of magic used also seems a little confused - none in England for 300 years? John (cough) Dee?
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I think it's fair to assume that if a John Dee lived in the same universe as the story, he'd have been as big a fraud as he was in ours, and because they had had relatively recent experience of real magic, they'd have known that he was a fraud.
Brian Turner said:
Norrell's conflict isn't coming through clearly: sometimes he wants to be recognised as a magician, and he puts on a show to prove himself before a bunch of scoffing Yorkshiremen; and yet he won't do anything to demonstrate ability in a private meeting with the Prime Minister of Great Britain. And when he does eventually do something, it's only because he's cajoled into acting - and invokes spirits he said should be avoided? Seems inconsistent so far, but maybe it's not coming through well in the screenplay.
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I think Mr Norrell is someone who wants the respect he thinks he deserves, yet wants to do as little as he can to obtain it; however, when he gets frustrated -- and desperate -- at his (total) lack of progress, he can go too far.
 
Ursa major said:
After three episodes, I'm still very impressed with the adaptation.
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I haven't read the books, but it didn't stop me watching all three as well even if I'm avoiding watching BBC like a plague. Thing is, the production of this series is bar with other costume dramas and the way they use CGI and traditional special effect only enhance value of this series.

I love they way they use visuals to convoy the magic. Not only that but they also show that some people, like Mr Norrell requires physical items while others can adapt their inner magician to make an effect. However, what confuses me is lack of other users as there should be plenty of them in that world even if statics are well class of 0.0001 percent of all population being able to use magic. And that speaks to me about the efforts of Secondus building up a school of magic in Raven King's place. Maybe it is that people harbour the ability, just that it isn't coming strongly as it should for people reading and experience spectacular magical effects being perform all over historic Europe. Is that the Gentleman's reason for keeping the magical realm his hostage? He doesn't want it opening up.

Anyways, I will keep watching this series as it has convinced me.
 
I'm still really enjoying this. I love the creaking sound (like the rigging of a rotting, abandoned hulk, I imagine) that accompanies the gentleman's appearance. I'm also intrigued that in the first episode, his coat had leaves incorporated into its design at the shoulders, but these then disappeared. Was that meant to signify something?
 
I never noticed the creaking sound! I hadn't specifically noticed the leaves, but doesn't he keep changing his clothes? I knew we should have recorded the episodes so I could go back over them and look for the details I missed first time around.

I'm still enjoying it, but I'm not so taken with the special effects -- I was a bit disappointed with the scene in York Minster -- and in the second episode:
Re the ship caught on the horsesands -- the sand horses looked good, but how were they meant to right the ship by jumping over it? Despite the cries of alarm, I didn't see any sailors on board, and I can't believe Portsea in the 1810s looked so utterly isolated with only the one ship in sight -- you think they could have stretched to another craft or two nearby. And it's not SFX but I didn't like the dead Neapolitans, who were too zombiefied for my taste. Was that scene different in the book?

Generally, I thought there appeared to be a change of emphasis from what I remembered of the novel, with Arabella being more prominent, and then I read an article about/interview with the actress playing her and apparently that was a deliberate decision by the scriptwriter. I don't know if they thought it would make the show more engaging to women viewers.


Brian Turner said:
Jonathan Strange has some charisma as a fool, but his girlfriend/finance seems bizarre in that she still refuses to marry him, on the grounds that being a country gentleman isn't enough - he must have a profession. Que?
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My understanding of it is she thought he was a bit of a wastrel, and she wanted him to have an aim and a purpose in life, beyond simply spending money and getting drunk.
 
I have NOT read the novel,and have just watched the first episode.Not being a native English speaker,the more softly spoken parts were not totally
intelligible.Splendid effort,in the best Beeb tradition
 
The Judge said:
I never noticed the creaking sound! I hadn't specifically noticed the leaves, but doesn't he keep changing his clothes? I knew we should have recorded the episodes so I could go back over them and look for the details I missed first time around.

I'm still enjoying it, but I'm not so taken with the special effects -- I was a bit disappointed with the scene in York Minster -- and in the second episode:
Click to expand...

I wondered if the leaves were meant to suggest that at the time of his initial summoning, he was still more in the earlier tradition of fairies being more country folk, but he then quickly updated to a society mode of dress after being exposed to it.

I agree with all your queries and reservations about the spoilered bit -- I thought that was the weakest part so far and made almost no sense. (And why would the fort already be ruined?)

I can't remember the book well enough to say how well individual elements match, but the overall tone feels about the same.
 
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