War of the Worlds (BBC TV Series)

[M. Robert Gibson]

I've just binge watched it all. It was sort of OK (curate's egg?), but not destined to go down as a classic. For me there was too much "Well that's not in the book" or "Why have they left that out?"
Just once, I'd like to see a TV adaptation (of anything) that remains faithful to the book, and doesn't try to shoehorn in today's morals/pc correctness.

My biggest disappointment was not seeing David Essex digging tunnels

 

[Elckerlyc]

There is, however, an 8-part adaptation of War of the Worlds made by Fox and Canal+ which is set to air in America (and probably the UK) next February. Their version is in a modern-day setting, however, and it sounds like it's an even more "loosely based on" adaptation than the BBC version.

It has been broadcast in the Netherlands the last few weeks. I'm sorry to report it's even worse than the BBC version.
It is so much 'loosely based' that's you might as well consider it just a story about an..... no, not exactly an invasion, but more a mindless attempt at extermination of the human race. No War, no Worlds, no Alien, just people running around in circles. It made no sense (to me, at least) from begin to end. The acting at times was dead, the pace could be outrun by a snail and the story basically boring and leading to nowhere.
It made me start to actually appreciate the BBC version.

 

[Toby Frost]

The idea of an 8-part adaptation is something of a red flag as far as I'm concerned, especially the brevity of the novel. I think my first law of adaptation would be "Everything becomes soap opera if sufficiently extended".

 

[Stephen Palmer]

aka Hobbit Syndrome.

 

[mosaix]

This thread and the TV series have inspired me to read the book again.

 

[Vince W]

This thread and the TV series have inspired me to read the book again.

This may have been my problem with the series. I reread the book just before it was aired and it was all just too fresh in my memory so it came as a shock when I was so disappointed with the first episode. Maybe I'll give it another look in a few months and see how I feel then.

 

[Elckerlyc]

Was anyone of you aware of this?
By chance I came across a video registration of War of the Worlds Theatrical Version 2012.
I just watched the first 10 mins and imho it outclasses the BBC version tenfold. Just by (of course) Jeff Wayne's musical score and the use of a 100-feet wide screen for supporting video. Liam Neeson is doing the narration and sounds much like Richard Burton.

I had no idea this musical had been running in 2012/2014. And will so again, with a modernized version, in 2022 (covid-19 permitting.)

 

[HareBrain]

Was anyone of you aware of this?
By chance I came across a video registration of War of the Worlds Theatrical Version 2012.
I just watched the first 10 mins and imho it outclasses the BBC version tenfold. Just by (of course) Jeff Wayne's musical score and the use of a 100-feet wide screen for supporting video. Liam Neeson is doing the narration and sounds much like Richard Burton.

I had no idea this musical had been running in 2012/2014. And will so again, with a modernized version, in 2022 (covid-19 permitting.)

I saw the stage version around 2010-ish(?), when it used a giant hologram of Richard Burton. I'm not sure why they changed it to a recording of Liam Neeson, since Burton's narration was one of the high points of the original. But yes, it was very good.

 

[Dave]

Yes, my brother-in-law saw that live musical stage show last year (2019), twice, I think! Very popular.

Is any new version of War of the Worlds always going to suffer from a comparison to Jeff Wayne? Surely, there is room to attempt something a little different. I thought this was a good idea; to do it as a period drama. I just didn't think they needed to add all the melodramatic padding. If it wasn't long enough without padding then just make the TV series shorter. Also, there was plot that they missed out that they could have used and didn't.

 

[Toby Frost]

I think the Jeff Wayne thing is generational: it doesn't do much for me, personally. For me, the ideal version hasn't been made. I can say that it would flesh out the novel while keeping its themes, would be set in the Victorian era, would be pretty brutal, and wouldn't involve synth-prog songs.

 

[BAYLOR]

I think the Jeff Wayne thing is generational: it doesn't do much for me, personally. For me, the ideal version hasn't been made. I can say that it would flesh out the novel while keeping its themes, would be set in the Victorian era, would be pretty brutal, and wouldn't involve synth-prog songs.

I loved Jeff Waynes War of Worlds game and I wish he had done a war of the the world feature film or tv series.