I don't venture 'below the line' much but here's my twopennorth.

I remember going to see "Fellowship" on its first release and I sat there, all the way through, thinking: "this didn't happen in the book"; "where's Bombadil"; "this is wrong" . . . . I came away thinking it was OK but nothing like the book.

A couple of weeks later I went again with a friend and made a firm decision not to compare it with the book and it turned out to be a very good movie.

The same with subsequent LotR films and the Hobbit. Forget the books and treat the movies as a completely different telling of the history of the Ring . . . it worked for me.

My only complaints about the Hobbit were that some of the scenes were way too 'cartoonish' and Billy Connolly.

The BBC Radio broadcast in the 80s was superb. I remember waiting eagerly for it every Sunday lunchtime.

I also remember Jackanory doing the Hobbit with four actors telling the story: Bernard Cribbins, Maurice Denham and Jan Francis (who I had a huge crush one). I can't remember the name of the fourth.

The BBC also did a radio version of the Hobbit with Nicol Williamson as Gandalf. Unfortunately, Williamson chose to use a Lancashire accent which made it sound like either the Hobbits or the dwarves were from Burnley . . . . . "Bilbo Baggins, burrrrglurrr" :0)