BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)

Subject: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Aug 18 - 04:39 PM

Mudcatter Little Hawk has gone on the record a number of times,
asking for a film of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds
that is true to the original novel.

If the BBC is to be believed,
Little Hawk's prayers are being answered as we speak.

The upcoming BBC miniseries (three parts) version of War of the Worlds
already has its own little Wikipedia entry.
What that entry does not spell out,
and it has been announced in numerous press dispatches,
is that the distinguishing feature of the BBC miniseries
will be its adherence to the historical era of Wells' novel;
the story will take place in Edwardian England.

Here's another report: New Statesman, July 2018

It may be the end of this calendar year
by the time the show will air on television.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Aug 18 - 06:57 PM

W of the Worlds, I've seen better film on teeth.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 27 Aug 18 - 08:26 PM

There is a version out there that tries to present the war of the worlds as if it took place about the time of World War I, maybe in place of World War I. So the footage is made to appear like footage of that War. I think it is titled: The Great Martian War 1913-1917.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 28 Aug 18 - 03:29 AM

I was passing the time on our very cramped flight back from Vienna yesterday reading AJP Taylor's description of the run up to WW1 - he would have us believe that it was simply a question of which alliances against which other alliances and all were iching for a scrap, and that Grey was against participation!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 28 Aug 18 - 04:00 AM

He was, and UK was intending to keep out of it until Belgium was invaded.

The original WOTW could make excellent drama. I recall that a martian machine was brought down by artillery hidden in woods and another by ironclads.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Aug 18 - 12:29 PM

To be honest, I have not read Wells's novel.
Looking up the online summaries of War of the Worlds as a novel,
it caught my attention that
the book is described as plot-driven with cursory character development.
So much so that the characters who survive the invasion to the end,
do not have names,
although the book tells you how they are related to each other.

Only one character is given a proper name.
Ogilvy is the astronomer/scientist who goes forth with one group
to confront the Martian invaders, and the natives are all slaughtered.

I mention this in regard to the BBC miniseries in production,
because all the characters have names in this adaptation.
And the name Ogilvy has been retained
and a prominent actor cast in the role.

I am wondering if the film, true to the book,
will kill off Ogilvy right away,
or will Ogilvy instead survive long enough to see
what happens to the Martians at the end?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 28 Aug 18 - 02:14 PM

I think they will stick to the script. Rafe Spall and Eleanor Tomlinson are very fine actors, but they do not have the profile, especially the international profile of Robert Carlyle. If he was going to stick around for any length of time then I am sure he would have top billing.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Aug 18 - 05:22 PM

The original story has tremendous atmosphere and drama in it, largely due to the fact that the Martian weapons are *more* advanced than the human weapons of the Victorian era, but not so much more advanced as to make the Martian machines completely invulnerable...and that results in some extraordinary scenes of heroism and self-sacrifice on the part of the less advanced British army and navy that are high points in the story, and tremendously moving. This simply is not possible in the modernized versions of the story, because given how terrible our weapons are now, what with nuclear bombs and jet fighters and missiles, the only way of making the Martian invasion virtually undefeatable is to equip them with invulnerable force fields around their machines....and this effectively means there is no real drama, just a lot of big explosions and destruction. I am delighted that the BBC is setting out to do the story in the original historical era.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 12:16 AM

I read the book at school 40 odd years ago, and have seen the hollywood movie versions...

However, afte a while I forget much about the story and characters...

So I don't appreciate reading spoliers about key events, and characters who get killed off...

Folks who thoughtlessly post such spoilers, show even less consideration
for any mudcatters reading this,
who may not have read the book or seen any movie/TV versions..

not cool...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 12:16 AM

Mod - please can you add "SPOILERS" to the thread title...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: DMcG
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 02:06 AM

It is quite possible that my memory has failed me over the 50-odd years aince I read it and it was a book of the time, but I remember it as having a very parochial flavour. The action takes place in southern England but there is no real sense anywhere else in the world exists. When people are trying to escape by sea - to where, exactly? Is conquering England all it takes to conquer the world? Come to that, there is little or no mention of Scotland, Wales, Ireland or even northern England that I recall.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 03:12 AM

I find it bizarre that anyone can consider discussing a book which has been published for over a century, and speculating as to whether a particular TV adaptation will be faithful or not, as posting spoilers.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 04:54 AM

Wells placed the landings in country he was familiar with. Many writers do that and it does not make them "parochial."
When people are trying to escape by sea - to where, exactly?
Across the Channel.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 07:21 AM

Not posting spoilers has rightfully become a genrally accepted net etiquette,
intended to minimise the risk of literally spoiling
a potential audiences enjoyment...

There are acccpted conventions for alerting the presence of spoliers in a forum thread title.

Nothing bizarre at all...

Unless you are one of those mean spirited folks who gets a spiteful kick
deliberately yelling out surprise character deaths and plot twists
loudly and on as many forums as possible...

Or arrogant shits on a power trip who write reviews for mainstream media...
[One of the worst spoilers I ever read was in the Radio Times..]

The age of War of the Worlds is immaterial,
not everyone has previously read or seen it...

..and on this forum, considering the average age and failing memory condition of membership,
many of us would not recall much about it anyway,
and will be coming to the new series with fresh virgin eyes and ears...

This is actuall one of the plus advantages of my mum's dementia..
She can enjoy the same movie several times over a couple of days,
and still not realise she has already seen it..

So in her extreme case, yeah... fair point.. spoilers don't matter...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 07:32 AM

Belt up or else I'll tell you who shot JR.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 08:09 AM

Steve - my mrs is an Agatha Christie fan and saw The Mouse Trap stage production
..and won't even tell me the end,
even though she knows I have no intention of ever seeing it...

She is very pround to be a member of the Mouse Trap cult,
sworn to secrecy.. for eternity...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 09:03 AM

...though.. I could have just saved the wife 8 hours box-setting a high profile big budget mini series crime thriller,
by announcing "the sister did it - it's revealed in the last minute of the series finale.."

..thank you, the arsehole who leaked and spread that on social media...

Luckily, she han't heard this 'breaking news',
and it gave me 8 hours of peace and quiet while she was sat in the front room glued to the telly...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 09:43 AM

We've just had The Archers on as we scoffed our buttery corn on the cob and a Sainsbury's orange wi' a cup o' char. Mrs Steve had already heard this episode but I hadn't. I asked her if Susan Carter was going to Lynda Snell's house to confess to nicking her llama for Harrison's stag night - but she wouldn't bloody tell me. I was forced to listen to the whole episode! I won't say what happened in case there are people here who wait for the Sunday omnibus, the one that is inexplicably led into by a piano accordion (aka hand-held kazoo) version of the theme tune...

There are no spoiler-merchants in OUR house...

Rumpy pumpy pumpy pump, rumpy pumpy pum pum...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 10:14 AM

Heres a spoiler.. after the nuclear apocaplypse has laid waste to humanity
and most all lifeforms on our planet..

..all that will survive will be cockroaches and The bloody Archers...

A game in my house - wherever you are, upstairs or down,
you must run to switch the radio off before the Archers theme ends and the first word is spoken...
Being sat on the bog at that moment is a terrifying prospect...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 01:42 PM

Titanic was ruined for me by some bastard spoiler.
It was unsinkable! Who saw that coming?
And just a few years more recent than WOTW.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Aug 18 - 07:03 PM

My first thoughts on reading this discussion centre on the original post:
What that entry does not spell out,
and it has been announced in numerous press dispatches,
is that the distinguishing feature of the BBC miniseries
will be its adherence to the historical era of Wells' novel;
the story will take place in Edwardian England.

Surely the 'original' was set in Victorian England:
“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.”

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 30 Aug 18 - 08:44 AM

Cheers Nigel, you've just ruined the beginning for me!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Aug 18 - 02:34 PM

Earlier this year, Variety did a feature article on the upcoming shoot for BBC's War of the Worlds mini-series.

Even without looking at the online comments attached to the webpage,
you can see that the Victorian/Edwardian distinction was broached, or is it blurred, in the interview with director Craig Viveiros, amongst other quotes.

Variety, April 5, 2018.

One comment tells me something I didn't know:
Wells, in the novel, gives 1899 as the year in which the astronomers (Ogilvy?) first observe activity on the surface of the planet Mars; thus the rest of the plot follows on from 1899.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Aug 18 - 02:58 PM

That looks quite hopeful.

Someone above objected to the H.G. Wells story being "parochial" in that the Martian invasion just happens in England, ignoring the whole rest of the world. Well! You must realize that in 1899 the British thought they ran the world.....just like the Americans think they do now...it seems to be an Anglo tradition of sorts. Thus any British story at that time would naturally assume that if the Martians were going to conquer the world they would HAVE to invade England to do it! Why even bother going anywhere else until England was conquered? It's so bloody obvious, mate. Why would anyone question such a notion?

It's just the way the Americans think now...and that's why all their movies about fighting alien invasions are set in the USA. :D

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 30 Aug 18 - 05:00 PM

Looking at all the previous adaptations of The War of the Worlds, it seems that the one which is most faithful to the book is probably Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Aug 18 - 09:29 PM

Yes, that one is very faithful to the book.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: DMcG
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 04:11 AM

That's more or less what I meant by saying it was rather parochial, Little Hawk. (It was more a characterisation than an objection.)

Taking the steamer across the channel, yes, but to where? France? So there is the implication that while England has been attacked France will be safe?

Arguably, I suppose you could assume smaller islands would be safer than large land masses for a while...

At least modern interpretations, which are usually bad in many other ways, often have a 'news flash'of some kind saying this is happening everywhere.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 05:09 AM

Chaucer's books were a bit parochial too. Shakespeare did set some of his plays in Italy, seeing as he had been there. Wells was writing for a domestic audience, would it even have occurred to him to set part of his book anywhere else?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 05:11 AM

It may have been happening everywhere. But how would anyone know it wasn't localised? A 'News Flash' is fine, but not in an era when there was no TV or international Radio,

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: DMcG
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 06:07 AM

We are making more of this than I intended!

If you have a play called 'Timor of Athens' it is reasonable to assume Greece will feature heavily. If you have a play called 'Two Gentlemen of Verona'you would expect Verona to have some significance. So if it is "The war of the Worlds" it is reasonable the world will stretch a few miles beyond Woking.

I would counter the suggestion that it is reasonable to assume it is local by saying it is more reasonable to assume it is not. And the world did have a fairly good communication system. Telegraph, railways, national papers. And rumour has always spread well.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 06:10 AM

..perhaps these aliens were enthusiastic anglophiles...???

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 06:11 AM

and even if the new series is set in the correct era.. will the beeb resist the temptation to go full on fashioable steam punk...???

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 06:30 AM

It's about one man's experience. The Martians are likely to have landed elsewhere but he didn't get to hear about it as society was collapsing about him and news about other places was by word of mouth.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 06:34 AM

I haven't read it since grammar school.. is it actually a good book...???

Bearing in mind up until I lost enthusiasm for reading fiction,
my favourite authors were Conrad and Rider Haggard...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 06:36 AM

oh.. and Vonnegut back when I was a teenager...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 11:04 AM

Actually, it is quite clear in the story that the landings are confined to only 10 locations in England. First of all, the astronomer, Ogilvie, observes a series of 10 very large explosions happening on the planet Mars over a 10 day period. None after that. Those are the launches of 10 spacecraft by the Martians, and these arrive sometime later...I don't recall how many days later or even if it is said, but they arrive in an orderly sequence, all landing in England.

Why did Wells write the story that way? Well, because he was writing for an English audience, that's why. No more to it than that.

But I do find it amusing how much the English thought the world rotated around England at that time in history (the French no doubt thought the same about France)....and so, of course, if the Martians were intending to conquer the Earth they, with quite limited numbers of their machines deployed, would have to start by taking over the British Isles, obviously. It was, after all, the center of Earthly power at the time, and it would also make an excellent initial base of operations, easily defensible once taken over, and then they could branch out from there to take over the rest of the planet, section by section.

Were the Martians Anglophiles? Most certainly! Who could doubt it? They considered good old Anglo-Saxon blood infinitely preferable to other, lesser varieties of Earthly essence, and this was clearly evidenced by their cunning assault upon the British Isles at the very height of British Imperial power.

And a jolly good time was had by all!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 11:06 AM

punkfolkrocker: It is a brilliant piece of writing. I highly recommend almost anything by H.G. Wells. You can find it in PDF here:   

War of the Worlds

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 11:39 AM

Actually, it is quite clear in the story that the landings are confined to only 10 locations in England. First of all, the astronomer, Ogilvie, observes a series of 10 very large explosions happening on the planet Mars over a 10 day period. None after that. Those are the launches of 10 spacecraft by the Martians, and these arrive sometime later...I don't recall how many days later or even if it is said, but they arrive in an orderly sequence, all landing in England.

An interesting, if inconclusive, reading.
English astronomers would only observe rockets launched during their time of viewing the skies (English night time). It is quite possible that many more were launched over the ten day period, but the number seen being launched coincided with the number reported as landing in England.
This would also explain why Orson Welles account sees a similar number launched from Mars and landing in USA. :)

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 01:27 PM

But I do find it amusing how much the English thought the world rotated around England at that time in history (the French no doubt thought the same about France)

Between 1815 and 1914, a period referred to as Britain's "imperial century",[3][4] around 10,000,000 square miles (26,000,000 km2) of territory and roughly 400 million people were added to the British Empire.[5] Victory over Napoleonic France left the British without any serious international rival, other than perhaps Russia in central Asia.[6] When Russia tried expanding its influence in the Balkans, the British and French defeated them in the Crimean War (1854–1856), thereby protecting the feeble Ottoman Empire.
Britain's Royal Navy controlled most of the key maritime trade routes and enjoyed unchallenged sea power. Alongside the formal control exerted over its own colonies, Britain's dominant position in world trade meant that it effectively controlled access to many regions, such as Asia and Latin America. British merchants, shippers and bankers had such an overwhelming advantage over everyone else that in addition to its colonies it had an "informal empire".

The martians may well have singled Britain out for destruction first.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 01:44 PM

They wouldn't any more...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 04:35 PM

When its night in England its also night over almost half the planet. When Mars is visible from England its also visible from almost half the planet. Because Mars is not necessarily in direct opposition to the sun, these halves are not the same exactly. But in principle up to half of all of the rockets launched would be expected to be visible from England.

Except for the English weather. Astronomers know that its very often cloudy in England. Very very often. Which is why the modern day equivalents of Ogilvie put their telescopes in foreign countries. Does anybody who has read the book recently know whether Ogilvie complains about the weather? He would not be much of an astronomer if he did not.

So yes there could be many more rockets. But Ogilvie would be spitting feathers about not being able to see them because it was cloudy.

Wells of course studied biology, but at what is now Imperial College. So he would have been aware of all of this.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 05:03 PM

"Wells of course studied biology, but at what is now Imperial College."

Me too, precisely that! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 05:12 PM

Yes, indeed. I think that he merely simplified the story a bit there, in order to advance the plot, David. What point would be served by having Ogilvie fail to see most of the launches on account of cloudy skies? Suppose he had, due to weather and other factors, failed to see even three quarters of them....would it have made any useful addition to the story or have altered its conclusion in any way? The Earth is a big planet, relatively speaking...although there certainly are bigger ones...but you'd need hundreds of such alien craft landings, maybe thousands, in order to effectively invade all the major powers and nations on Earth.

The French, of course, might have been simultaneously both annoyed and nevertheless rather relieved at not having received the aliens' primary attention...and so too the Germans, the Austrians, the Russians, the Americans, etc...but I do think Wells was wise not to worry about those complications when he wrote his story.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 06:30 PM

From: David Carter (UK) - PM
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 04:35 PM

When its night in England its also night over almost half the planet. When Mars is visible from England its also visible from almost half the planet. Because Mars is not necessarily in direct opposition to the sun, these halves are not the same exactly. But in principle up to half of all of the rockets launched would be expected to be visible from England.

Except for the English weather. Astronomers know that its very often cloudy in England. Very very often. Which is why the modern day equivalents of Ogilvie put their telescopes in foreign countries. Does anybody who has read the book recently know whether Ogilvie complains about the weather? He would not be much of an astronomer if he did not.

Thanks to Little Hawk for providing a link to the text.
It appears that Ogilvy did not see the first launch (Midnight day 1) but viewed the second (midnight day 2) and the third (midnight day 3)
Page 11 of 293 makes clear that Ogilvy saw a launch at midnight, but stopped watching at 1 am (It doesn't say what time he started) so the fact that "Almost half the planet" (at certain times of the year) can view Mars at the same time means nothing if the astronomers are viewing for a very small portion of the hours of darkness.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 11:26 AM

Thanks. I never dreamed of going to bed at 1am if the sky was clear!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Sep 18 - 11:41 AM

I find Wells' description of the Martians and their machines tremendously imaginative and evocative. The interesting thing is, had the Earthlings known the real danger at hand, they could have defeated and destroyed the Martians in the first cylinder at once, as soon as it opened, but instead people were initially just curious and confused, then frightened by the brief glimpse they got of the horrifying occupants of the cylinder, and it took some time to get the military and the government to react in an organized fashion. By the time they did, it was too late. These scenes are described in the book in a very convincing manner. The sense of growing fear and later blind panic is palpable. It's an amazingly effective story, specially considering the time in which it was written.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 02:41 AM

Maybe the Martians have the vote and used it to sign off of the Galactic Common Market. So maybe we can sign up with them singly, thus guaranteeing loads of cheap tourist items suitable for use in low gravity and dim solar activity.

Triffid for your thoughts?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 04:18 AM

The Martians took a risk landing in populated areas.
In a remote spot they could have assembled the heat ray weapon before any armed response could arrive. They probably lacked fine control.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 04:35 AM

Maybe the martians, for all their technological superiority,
weren't that bright as military strategists...???

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: DMcG
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 04:58 AM

That's an interesting question, pfr. There is often an assumption in science fiction of all kinds that military strategy is 'transferrable' species to species. But it isnt obvious that is true. A good comparasion to "War of the Worlds" is John Wyndham's "The Kraken Wakes" which is also an invasion of the Earth from Mars (perhaps.) The "military strategy" is quite different.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 05:35 AM

They adapted their tactics to deal with hidden gun batteries.
They must surely have had wars on Mars to learn strategy.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 05:58 AM

..depends on the quality of their defeated foes...

Or if they were f@scist martians who enjoyed a brutal quick easy sneaky coup over civilian populations...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 12:45 PM

I love this!!

The novel is fiction and here are the devoted readers
discussing whether it's for real or not!

Guess that puts me out
since I can't get all worked up about the manoeuvres/maneuvers or what have you.
The character development would hold my attention longer.

As Sidney Carter sang,
Good literature!
We think a lot of it
Look at our bookshelves
See how much we've got of it
But when it comes to reading
We can only take a spot of it --
We're Waiting For The Film To Come!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Sep 18 - 12:51 PM

"The Martians took a risk landing in populated areas.
In a remote spot they could have assembled the heat ray weapon before any armed response could arrive."

Very good point, Keith! You are quite correct. Their best bet would have been to make their landings in a remote area, as you say, where they'd have time to assemble their fighting machines without human interference.

It would not, however, have made for such a dramatic story line.

The various tactical adjustments the Martians made were interesting. At first they were potentially at a distinct disadvantage, depending on how fast the humans reacted, because the heavier gravity made it difficult for them to move around effectively...until their fighting machines were assembled. That appears to have taken them perhaps 10 or 12 hours of work.

They then discovered that the humans' artillery guns *could* destroy a Martian machine if they scored a hit in the right place (the hood which contained the operator). It wasn't easily done, but it could happen, so hidden artillery guns became a problem for the Martians, and they temporarily retreated back to their base, where they came up with a solution to nullify the hidden guns.

And so on...

Really quite interesting how they adapated quickly to each challenge as it came along. The British Army tried hard to do the same thing, but was simply outclassed by superior Martian technology.

In the long run, however, I suspect the humans could have made things very difficult for the Martian occupiers through guerrilla tactics rather than direct, open warfare. There weren't very many Martians in the landing force...perhaps 100 individuals at the most (if each cylinder contained 10 occupants) and they were vulnerable to weapons, just as we humans are, so I think that the Earthlings would have eventually found ways to make their occupation untenable, killing them off individually one way or another with explosives and all manner of other weapons. The Martians would never have felt safe in a world containing literally millions of people willing to devote themselves to killing just one Martian, any way they could manage it.

Their best bet in such a case would have been to strike a deal with *some* of the humans, getting them to fight the other humans, in return for getting a comfy place in the New Order, Martian style! And that is exactly what colonial powers always do to subdue a Native population. They hire some of the Natives to police and control the others! (Wells even touched on this hypothetical notion briefly at one place in his story...)

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 10:24 AM

The novel is fiction and here are the devoted readers
discussing whether it's for real or not!

Some images here of a Martian tripod in Woking centre.

http://infocult.typepad.com/infocult/2008/08/war-of-the-worlds-hits-woking.html

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 10:30 AM

Anyone who has done O level English Literature has been forced to discuss fiction as if it is real. It really, really frustrated me. What were so and so's feelings about something? "Its a book, its not real!!!" I suppose that was one of the reasons I failed.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Sep 18 - 10:37 AM

..what.... martians didn't invade England, then later the USA...???

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Sep 18 - 04:32 PM

Did I provide this link before? If I didn't, here's another try.

"Filming has begun in Liverpool"

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Sep 18 - 04:48 PM

Caveat Emptor on the next one.
This little (ninety-second?) video is a preview
of the entirety of the new filmed-for-television
programmes from the BBC. They are all short snippets.

I wonder if I don't recognize Robert Carlyle at about 00:08
in the preview, in period dress.
Definitely recognize
Rafe Spell and Eleanor Tomlinson at about 00:22 in the preview.
Also around 1:14 - 1:15.

promotional BBC video

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Sep 18 - 04:51 PM

And then, there's this:

Northwich: The George and Dragon at Great Budworth

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Sep 18 - 12:46 PM

Why not discuss fiction as if it's real, David Carter? Sounds to me like you were suffering from a lack of imagination.

Fiction is written to further illuminate our understanding OF real life. That is its main purpose. And that is what well written fiction does, it deepens our awareness and understanding of life.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 24 Sep 18 - 01:28 PM

Thats not real life. Science and mathematics are real life.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 24 Sep 18 - 01:43 PM

sweat, shit, blood, and semen is real 'real life'...

the stuff of great poetry, songs and literature...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 24 Sep 18 - 04:42 PM

David, you seriously need to get out more!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Sep 18 - 07:05 PM

Everything we directly experience is real life, David, and you cannot get hold of, measure, quantify or experience ALL of it using science. A good deal of it, yes. But not anywhere near all of it. That is the part you are apparently missing about real life.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 04:19 AM

I get out plenty Keith. But I don't have time to speculate on what fictional characters, or even worse fictional representations of real characters, might have thought, felt, said, dreamt or eaten, when the authors of said fiction didn't write it down, and are now too dead to ask.

Little Hawk, therein lies the problem. Stuff in a book of fiction is not experienced, it is made up. It is nothing to do with real life. It may be entertainment, but it isn't real life.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 06:35 AM

So should we stop wasting kids' time by introducing them to drama and literature?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 08:13 AM

Introducing them to it is fine. But as an extracurricular activity, much as sports are. Examining them on it I do think is a waste of time.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 08:57 AM

David Carter (UK) - oh well...

at least men with your kind of attitudes are making sufficient progress
to now accept that it's practicable
to allow women to learn to read and write...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 10:58 AM

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 03:47 PM

What on earth are you on about pfr? Of course its practicable for women to read and write, when have I ever said otherwise. Many great scientists and historians are and were women. And they communicated their discoveries in writing. I honestly havn't a clue what point you think you are making.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 05:06 PM

David Carter (UK) - "I honestly havn't a clue what point you think you are making."

If that's not proof of the need for, and importance of, literary analysis and imaginative creative arts in education...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 05:36 PM

No,its a proof of your need to state clearly, precisely and unambiguously what point you think you are making. The English language should suffice for you to be able to do this. No maths required.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 07:47 PM

David Carter (UK) - you want a sharper point - ok...

You are presenting yourself as an opinionated pompous pedantic philistine
with limited imagination...

The Education system and wider culture of our nation would suffer imensley
if only men like you were in fuller control.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 25 Sep 18 - 07:53 PM

"immensely"...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 02:13 AM

I am not suggesting that people should not be encouraged to read literature, just that the system of examining pupils on things which are not there is flawed. People should be encouraged to read literature as they are encourages to participate in sport and listen to music. But in your post I am worried by the phrase "wider culture of our nation". Culture is universal and people should be encouraged to appreciate it all. Its not a national thing, that kind of thinking has got us in the mess we are in at present.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 06:43 AM

what...!!!???

You also seem to take things too literally...???

again, a byproduct of too narrow a focus in outlook...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 08:10 AM

It is very dangerous to refer to universal values as being "of our nation". This is what some of the paperwork for the Prevent programme does. "British Values" indeed. They are all universal values.

Likewise learning about culture is universal, and should not focus on nationality.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 08:30 AM

David Carter (UK) - What are you going off on one about...!!!???

you are going to bonkers extremes, wildly over-extrapolating from a few words
I scribbled very late at night half asleep...


So on a sci fi theme...

Are you a pod person from Invasion of the Body Snatchers,
absorbing data from the brain of your host human,
as you attempt to assimilate and communicate...???

I'd imagine this might be how we real humans would interact with them,
as we try to detect their presence amongst us...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 12:16 PM

This really is quite entertaining, almost as much so as really good fiction!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 01:51 PM

Were pod people from Invasion of the body snatchers to exist, I would very much like to be one. Though I suspect I would find little to absorb around here. But they don't so I am not. You have taken it too literally.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 02:06 PM

Why would you like to be one of the pod people?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 02:58 PM

Wasn't their nefarious motivation to install order and hive mentality to the chaos of human individuality...???

[y'know.. the reds under the bed scare subtext of the 1950s original version...]

Long time since I watched it, or any of the remakes...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 03:12 PM

"install"...???

I obviously meant to type 'impose'...

..is something, some entity, taking over my mind and making me do it's bidding...!!!???

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 06:08 PM

The pod people totally replaced their targets. Ergo, no more humans. It was a case of extinction not conversion. You might be thinking of "The Puppet Masters."

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 07:13 PM

Actors Rafe Spall and Rupert Graves
play characters who are brothers,
it says in descriptions of the BBC adaptation.

The reports say that some of these characters
were not strictly speaking in H. G. Wells.
Ogilvy is, name and all.

I'll have to go back and look at Wells;
but I believe there are brothers in his plot.
They simply might not have names, in the book.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Sep 18 - 07:30 PM

Yes, they were a very crude metaphor for the threat of a Communist takeover in the USA.

Downright hilarious, seen from that point of view, but those were spectacularly paranoid times. I've been to Cuba, which did experience a Communist takeover, and as far as I'm concerned they are far better off than they'd be now if it had not happened...and have not at all lost their human individuality or their spirit.

It was, however, a darned good movie, regardless.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Sep 18 - 02:31 PM

This gallery of still shots doesn't have the big-name actors.
In fact only one photo has actors at all;
the rest of the photos are on-location shots of the scenes.

Photos from on-location shoots for BBC War of the Worlds

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 28 Sep 18 - 03:10 PM

I ran through a big book of H.G. Wells' short stories when I was in high school or shortly thereafter. I found them to be wonderful excursions of the imagination before there were sharply defined terms such as science fiction and fantasy (which have only become more balkanized and minutely defined since). He was truly a seminal thinker of the early twentieth century, with an effect on those who came after him not only in fiction, but also in science and social thought. As effective if not more so than Robert A. Heinlein or Philip K. Dick.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Sep 18 - 03:46 PM

Agreed. To me, he is the most influential of all of them by far.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Oct 18 - 06:34 PM

Back in April of this year, it was already disclosed that
Liverpool was one of the shoot locations for the
BBC three-episode mini-series version of
War of the Worlds.

The latest peek to appear on the world wide web shows
is an interior from this Liverpool location:
Sefton Park Palm House. This interior was used for
Ogilvy's observatory, telescope and all.

Ogilvy in his conservatory

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 13 Oct 18 - 02:58 PM

This still photo in Variety magazine features
no aliens, all period atmosphere.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Dec 18 - 08:42 PM

An Australian website made this announcement:
Australia's Foxtel / Fox Showcase
will present BBC One's War of the Worlds sometime in January 2019.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Thompson
Date: 10 Dec 18 - 06:30 AM

Is Little Hawk looking for this splendid 2005 film of War of the Worlds?

Of course the story is parochial. As Patrick Kavanagh wrote:

I have lived in important places, times
When great events were decided : who owned
That half a rood of rock, a no-man's land
Surrounded by our pitchfork-armed claims.

I heard the Duffys shouting "Damn your soul"
And old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen
Step the plot defying blue cast-steel -
"Here is the march along these iron stones."

That was the year of the Munich bother. Which
Was most important ? I inclined
To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.
He said : I made the Iliad from such
A local row. Gods make their own importance.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Dec 18 - 08:00 PM

For what it is worth,

my vigilance continues for news or updates about
BBC One's version of "War of the Worlds."

And in other places -- like YouTube video comment areas --
others are posting online about their impatience
to see the latest version,
and disclosing what they want included from the original book.

"The Thunderchild! They better have the Thunderchild!"

"Why are the soldiers in khaki? Shouldn't they have red coats?"

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Dec 18 - 11:46 PM

I think Khaki is probably correct for the period in which the story is set.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Dec 18 - 06:44 PM

That's good, Little Hawk/George,
since the photographs and footage I am seeing
is all about the khaki.

There's a behind-the-scenes video at YouTube
of the filming of an action scene, strictly amateur --
should I provide a link?
Or would you rather wait for the real deal?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 17 Dec 18 - 02:45 PM

If you don't want to see amateur footage of
behind-the-scenes-whilst-shooting,
then don't click on the following links.

Liverpool

Great Budworth, Northwich, Cheshire

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 17 Dec 18 - 10:55 PM

This is from a few years back but I missed it entirely.
Have any of you heard of this?

War Of The Worlds The True Story [fictional docu-drama?]

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Dec 18 - 04:25 PM

Reminiscent of some sci-fi I have enjoyed: A short story in which Watson narrates how Sherlock Holmes solves an out-of-this-world problem: "The Affair of the Extra-Terresrial" and a book from the 70s "The High Crusade" in which a group of medieval knights commandeer a spaceship and go out to literally conquer new worlds. Might have been by Fritz Lieber. (Going solely on neurons, here).

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Jan 19 - 01:42 PM

BBC One continue to tease re: their three-part miniseries version
of "The War of the Worlds."

There is not yet a trailer solely for this series.
BBC now has a one-minute-plus video trailer
for their entire 2019 season, including "War of the Worlds."

What little is teased in the trailer
includes three enormous legs
with a Martian ship teetering at the top of them.

"Get Obsessed"

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Jan 19 - 06:27 PM

...
and what's even more neat-o about that teaser with the Tripod,
is watching it rise behind
the steeple of a big old stone church
in the English countryside.
Wheee!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Jan 19 - 08:43 PM

Oh, come --
has no one else looked at the BBC video
to see what their Tripods look like?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 19 Jan 19 - 05:46 PM

The Internet Movie Data Base webpages have now got a pageholder for
the BBC1 three-part miniseries.

The official title is
THE War of the Worlds, which some of the sci-fi geeks out there
are very insistent about. I mean to say, about the definite article.

Nobody is telling, even now, WHEN the broadcast will be.
What the IMDB page does tell is how many episodes the named actors appear in.


The scientist Ogilvie, played by Robert Carlyle:
Only one episode -- the first one.

"Frederick," whoever that is, played by Rupert Graves:
Only one episode -- the first one.

Eleanor Tomlinson and Rafe Spall, the two romantic leads so to speak:
all three episodes.
She's "Amy,"
he's "George."

For what it's worth,
the character of "George Jr." is played by Woody Norman,
in the third and final episode only.

There are a quantity of actors I never heard of
who appear only in the first episode.

Someone else who shows up only in the third and final episode,
"Red Planet Survivor," is one Michelle Donockley.

Jonathan Aris, the son of actor Ben Aris,
is absent from the first episode;
in episodes two and three,
he plays a "priest," no character name given.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 11:35 AM

There is now a listing for the BBC1 production
in something called TVTimes, online.

The date of the broadcast is not to be found.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Jan 19 - 02:40 PM

Late 2019.

That's the latest broadcast estimate, from
a website called Anglophiles and Anglotopia or some such.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Apr 19 - 11:47 AM

NOT a feature film nor a mini-series,
but a newly released
audible audiobook.
Each H. G. Wells title gets a different narrator;
David Tennant is narrator for 'The War of the Worlds.'

H. G. Wells: The Science Fiction Collection

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 12 Apr 19 - 12:33 PM

I recently read somewhere something like sci fi channel,
or maybe a more mainstream USA channel
is in production of a modern day setting War of the worlds series...???

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Apr 19 - 12:35 PM

So did I, pfr.
An eight-part series, if it's the same one I read about.

Has something to do with
public domain, I suppose --
there are multiple WOTWs going on.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 13 Apr 19 - 09:52 PM

Where is Delamere Forest?
By one journalist report,
the residents of the area have been distracted
by nighttime filming in the forest,
with extremely bright lighting.
One of a number of series filming in that forest
is said to be the BBC One three-part series
of The War of the Worlds.

Still no broadcast date announcement.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Apr 19 - 12:00 PM

Okay, so I looked up Delamere Forest.
An American like me is readily impressed by things like

"the hunting forest of the Norman Earls of Chester."

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Apr 19 - 12:16 AM

Good to see that you're keeping an eye on this. I await further news.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Apr 19 - 04:22 AM

Delamere forest is a delightful area to explore. If you can get out of the many pubs... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Jun 19 - 06:33 PM

Well, nobody still will tell us about
release or broadcast dates.

However, the UK site for Amazon is
accepting pre-orders,

caution though:
probably PAL format
and you can't, if you're in the USA,
playback that format on a USA player, can you?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 23 Jun 19 - 06:38 PM

Stay on top of this. I'm still trying to get the bitter taste of that Spielberg attempt out of my head, and the other one with Gene Barry was fun but is so Space Family Robinson.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Jun 19 - 06:48 PM

The Spielberg started off alright..
but then rapidly became stupid when tiny Tom needed to start doing his ludicrous heroics......

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Jul 19 - 04:10 PM

Still no evidence of
a publicly stated broadcast date for this thing.
However, the story ABOUT this version
has not gone away completely.

You have to scroll through this journalist article,
but "The War of the Worlds" from BBC1
is one of several television series
in which budgeting and expensive visual effects
are discussed. No [new] photos.

Drama Quarterly, May 2019

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Jul 19 - 10:53 PM

Meanwhile if you want to watch something science-y that'll scare the pants off ya, check out "Chernobyl" on HBO.
Several times I've felt like vomiting out of sympathy with the radiation exposed characters.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 06 Aug 19 - 02:20 PM

Yes, well, the thread title says "2018"
and that's when the broadcast was promised.

However, it's 2019 and we still haven't seen this adaptation.
Here's an update.

"still coming to TV"

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Sep 19 - 11:11 AM

CANADA! The latest from CANADA!   

The Canadian channel (cable??)    "T & E"
will broadcast the BBC film version in one month's time.

The War of the Worlds
Starting October 6 [2019]
Three consecutive Sunday evenings
at 10 PM (ET/PT)
[T & E]

"This long-awaited three-part drama has been generating massive buzz since the BBC first announced its commission. Based on H. G. Wells' seminal tale, and set in Edwardian England, the story follows a terrifying alien invasion where people must fight for their lives against an enemy beyond their comprehension. Directed by the award-winning Craig Viveiros, the series stars Rafe Spell, Eleanor Tomlinson, Rupert Graves and Robert Carlyle."

here's the online report
TV, eh? What's up in Canadian Television

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 29 Sep 19 - 05:17 PM

With the Canadian TV premier of this three-part adaptation
starting a week from tonight,
6 October 2019 for three consecutive Sundays
the channel is called "T & E" I believe …


now the BBC has released the official trailer for the series,
and mass media on both sides of the Atlantic
are showing off the trailer.

"a right proper little War of the Worlds"

Robert Carlyle is the fellow with the spectacles.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 01 Oct 19 - 02:09 PM

Two ongoing questions for which
I cannot find answers.

No, I don't know if the United States
has negotiated a deal to broadcast this series.

No, I don't know when England plans to air the series.

The articles linked to, in earlier posts on this thread,
report on deals around the world,
Europe, Africa, Australia, Canada ...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Oct 19 - 02:30 PM

Link to an interview with the actor, Robert Carlyle,
who plays astronomer Ogilvy in the BBC three-part series
The War of the Worlds

"This version is not Independence Day"

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 08 Oct 19 - 02:57 PM

Oh, dear, I'm unhappy about the quality of the information
that I'm culling from my online searches.

There was the Canadian cable network that was said to start
October 6 with the first episode.
And I can find no evidence whatever that this happened,
so I think the information was wrong.

There is however another website that says:

Episode 1         13th Oct '19 8:00 PM
Episode 2         20th Oct '19 8:00 PM
Episode 3         27th Oct '19 8:00 PM

not the Canada network,
but BBC One itself in the UK.

we will see...

(well, I won't see, as I'm in the US)

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Rain Dog
Date: 09 Oct 19 - 09:25 AM

Not scheduled yet on BBC. According to the Radio Times it is due to be shown sometime between now and Christmas

Radio Times - War of the Worlds

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Oct 19 - 08:20 PM

Before I forget:
I have searched, or tried to search,
the website for BBC America
which is actually affiliated somehow with the AMC cable channel.

And I could not find much of anything about
this BBC One adaptation of The War of the Worlds.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 10 Oct 19 - 06:01 PM

New Zealand television watchers:

the 13 - 20 - 27 October dates
may apply to broadcasts on
TVNZ1.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 11 Oct 19 - 01:26 AM

Australia television watchers:

November 2019 is your month.
The War of the Worlds is to seen on
Fox One or Foxtel,
starting 7 November.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 16 Oct 19 - 01:36 AM

Saw the first episode:

They try to be honest with the period Wells lived through. Unfortunately whoever they entrusted to do the screenplay put in a tiresome love affair that might -MIGHT- have been endurable on Downton Abbey, but simply slows down the overall story and reduces the level of interest by this incursion of banality into the sci-fi of Wells' imagination.

So I am disappointed with the lack of vitality. The screenwriter appears to be Peter Harness who has writing credits for some Doctor Who, Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell, which would appear to be good background, but I am unfortunately not familiar with how his particular work turned out on the screen. But I am not impressed with what I've seen so far. And it's a pity.

Oh, well, we've still got Gene Barry or the musical.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Oct 19 - 10:38 AM

I could not watch, myself.
Forewarned is forearmed.
Reading all the blurbs and advance publicity, linked to on this thread,
toughened me to the intrusion of the romantic angle.

The reason the romance has any bearing whatever on H. G. Wells,
is because -- slight spoiler here --
at the very end / denouement of the novel of origin,
there is an extremely emotional reunion staged.
True, Wells focussed exclusively on the man
who is included in the reunion,
as he is the protagonist/narrator throughout Wells' novel.

So, fleshing out the young mother
who is part of the reunion
goes beyond Wells's intentions, and that is a fact.

What did you think of Ogilvy the scientist, robomatic?
Was Ogilvy killed during the invasion,
as happens in the book?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 16 Oct 19 - 01:25 PM

Interesting question in that for all intents and purposes there can be no spoiler as to the H G Wells original, since it's 100 years old. But there can be a spoiler as to the adaptation. So I'm going to hold off on that one for now if you don't mind. In fact, I'm going to re-read the book if I can, because I haven't read H.G. since I was a lot thinner than I am today!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 16 Oct 19 - 01:30 PM

I've not read the book since the early 1970s.

So.. yes spoilers can still apply to the book readers with lousy memories...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 16 Oct 19 - 01:36 PM

So do you want to know if we are currently under Martian occupation?


Opinions differ!


But most of us think real Martians are smarter than that!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 16 Oct 19 - 08:52 PM

well... errrr.. I have seen movies where when in private
powerful politicians and corporate leaders
remove their lifelike human masks
to reveal....

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 17 Oct 19 - 01:28 PM

... but no response to my question about
the character of Ogilvy ...

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 17 Oct 19 - 02:03 PM

As far as I can make out:
in November, the show is broadcast in Australia.

Right now it is being broadcast in New Zealand.

I'm not clear where else it can be viewed in the month of October.   


Here is a New Zealand review.
Before providing the link, here is the takeaway sentence/quote:

"The War of the Worlds succeeds because of the quality of the acting,
the impressive Ben Hur cast,
and a narrative that delves into
the deceitful fabric of late 19th-century society."

Martians resemble manure in The War of the Worlds remake

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 17 Oct 19 - 03:10 PM

Yikes.... Okay Keb, I've only seen the first episode. Ogilvy is played by a nice character actor Robert Carlyle. He's got the good natured pumpkin face of the guy who thinks the girl is his until she meets the protagonist. Anyway, I didn't see that he got 'deaded' (to use Bluebottle's phrase). The writers/ directors brought in another non-Wells character named Stent to act all huffy and get burned up limb by limb as the Martians' true nature reveals itself. On the other hand imdb only lists Robert Carlyle for one episode, therefore for all intents and purposes, he's toast.

The show has good coloration, good CGI quality but bad effects, and does this irritating time shift between the events of the invasion and the after-effects of a destroyed landscape with people mucking uselessly about. It's a sort of "Downton Abbey meets Independence Day which settles into Years and Years".

(SHOW SPOILER ALERT:
Among the many irritancies the first Martian 'meteorite' is a great sphere (instead of H.G. Wells' cylinder) and all the human characters are for some reason shoveling dirt aimlessly in front of it- WTF? And then the effect with the sphere is anti-gravitational and rather stupid, it evaporates into confetti.
END OF SHOW SPOILER ALERT)

Thumbing through imdb came up with a new entry for WOTW (without THE definite article) which is supposed to come out soon be 8 episodes and take a European-like view of the theme only with Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey!)

I'm gonna include the blurb:
In January 2019 Hollywood Reporter announced that Hereditary star Gabriel Byrne and Downton Abbey actress Elizabeth McGovern will head the ensemble cast of War of the Worlds, a new television re-imagining of the H.G. Wells sci-fi classic, created by veteran British writer Howard Overman (Misfits, Atlantis). Lea Drucker (Le Bureau des legendes), Natasha Little (Silent Witness), Daisy Edgar Jones (Cold Feet), Stephane Caillard (Genius), Adel Bencherif (The Prophet) and Guillaume Gouix (The Returned) have also signed on to star in the eight-part series, which Urban Myth Films is producing. Shooting on the series has already begun in the U.K. and France. Gilles Coulier (De Dag) and Richard Clark (Versailles) are directing.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 17 Oct 19 - 05:23 PM

It remains to be seen in the two later episodes, I suppose,
whether or not the
THUNDERCHILD
makes an appearance courtesy of the BBC.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 17 Oct 19 - 07:06 PM

Ah, Keb, hanging on to hope like a drunk hangs to his near empty bottle.

I'll try to catch the next episode. Either it'll be better or there will be more to hate on. Win, win, really.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Oct 19 - 03:46 PM

A Canadian reviewer online has reviewed
two episodes, the third not having been broadcast yet.

Episode Two makes much of an English beach.
The reviewer made no mention of the Thunderchild,
although that perhaps was intended to keep the review spoiler-free.

And it does seem that
we have not seen the last of Ogilvy the scientist.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Oct 19 - 04:11 PM

Australia:
I see an announcement that the
streaming version of this show
will be presented on 7-8 November.

BBC One:
mutterings about
29 October for the first episode broadcast;
don't know about IPlayer or whatever it is.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 Oct 19 - 01:25 PM

Courtesy of the Canadian online reviewer,
all three episodes are now well and thoroughly spoiled on the Internet.

There are even some pages that have
stolen the episodes themselves for dodgy downloading,
which I don't know how to do even if I wanted to.


Now, I haven't watched anything beyond the BBC trailer.
So my opinions are based on the reviews and remarks of others.

HERE WE GO WITH THE SPOILERS   

There is no emotional reunion at the end of the series!
The reunion is definite in H. G. Wells's denouement,
and they decided to do WITHOUT it.

The astronomer/scientist Ogilvy is kept alive, although injured,
in order to keep the other survivors company,
and largely -- when the government is blasted to pieces,
and the survivors are turning to the church ministers and religion --
to debate science versus religion with the leaders of the survivors.

Nobody, but nobody, will confirm
that H. G. Wells's HMS Thunderchild
appears in the BBC adaptation.
That said, I have seen no statement that positively denies it either.

One of the lead characters in the adaptation --
not saying which one --
fights with a Martian
and gets eaten for lunch.


Someday something may be presented to the public
that really is faithful to H. G. Wells's original,
but the BBC version is NOT it.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 23 Oct 19 - 01:39 PM

I've now seen the second episode in the series and I am a bit less bloody minded than I was after the first.

It has tried to use TWOTW as a sounding board for issues of today. Which is what H.G. Wells did with his stories and novels. So the writers took liberties for their own ends.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

But I do not find it terribly well put together. It goes back and fortch between the 'battles' themselves and a post-Martian future where the main characters are eking out their survival with food and clean water hard to find.

It makes the end of the Martians a debate between government claiming the Martians were defeated and the dawning of a more evidence based claim that 'nature' did them on. Despite the fact that the Martians introduced their own natural plants, red of course, to displace earth's life.

The going back and forth is confusing except for the redness of the afterwards and the change in Amy's hair. And it gives away the tension yet left in the hundred year old story.

Possibly the writers figured if they played with the tale it would become more PC-of-the-moment and introduce surprise if not tension. Indeed, Ogilvy cropped up in Part 2, face marred by a pretty crappy looking makeup job to indicate burn injury.

At the end of the second episode most of this is clear, so I'm wondering what the third one has in store. I can only think it will go to restoration of a better world order post-Martians. Or a Martian second landing?

Because of the messaging and extra plot introduced, the story is longer, but I found it rather tedious and I do not think it will live on. It reminds me of the recent 3-D reimagining of DUMBO which looked expensive, barely comprehensible, and klutzy.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Oct 19 - 02:08 PM

Another review, this time by a New Zealand critic.

"part period-romance, part Armageddon, and wholly British"

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: robomatic
Date: 30 Oct 19 - 11:59 PM

Yeah, I was wondering. The version I watched was the two part version. IMDB has it as a three parter.

I can't give it high marks for the reason I stated above. The acting was okay, the period backgrounds were like Downton Abbey. But the story and the dialogue were sub-par. I've already gone into it above.

Meanwhile there is about to be another miniseries "War of the Worlds" which I think is done in French. It is going to be released in November I think. I'll try to get to see it.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Rain Dog
Date: 04 Nov 19 - 04:22 AM

Looks like it will be shown on BBC 1 UK in November. No date announced yet as far as I can see

War of the Worlds BBC 1 UK

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Rain Dog
Date: 08 Nov 19 - 09:12 AM

Episode 1 - 21.00 Sunday 17.11.19 on BBC 1

War of the Worlds

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Nov 19 - 02:41 PM

I cannot link to it, being in the USA and
not a subscriber.

But The Times [London]
published a feature story on the
BBC adaptation of The War of the Worlds.

The little I can make out, or have seen comments elsewhere on the story:
the journalist writing for The Times
considers the life, career, and reputation of
author H. G. Wells,
and how these are brought to bear in altering the storyline.

In particular there is the subject of Wells' relationships.
In real life, Wells went from one marriage to another, and
in one instance at least,
he left one marriage and moved in with his next intended
BEFORE the divorce;
it seems that said intended was named Amy.

And that, it seems, is why the BBC film's female protagonist,
living with a married man (the book's narrator),
is named Amy.


Anybody look at this published story first-hand?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Nov 19 - 01:10 PM

Is anybody watching the series in the UK?

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Nov 19 - 04:38 PM

I've watched the first two parts. I don't know if I'll bother with the third one. It could have been great, but I think theyblew it with the way they"developed" HG Wells pared down story, and the totallyconfusing narrative structure they adopted.

H G Weels knew how to tell a story. They should have followed his lead.

A terrible disappointment.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 26 Nov 19 - 10:36 PM

Mrs Backwoodsperson loves it. I think it’s not so good (apart from the delicious Eleanor Tomlinson, for whom I would forsake my pension if she asked it of me!).

There seems to be far more - and far too much - ‘going on’ in the BBC production, when compared with the book, although that could simply be my old brain mis-remembering. And I always feel uncomfortable when movie-images clash with my own mental images derived from reading the book.

Or maybe I’m just becoming an old curmudgeon.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Nov 19 - 07:20 AM

Where is the theme that the greater the adversity the more there is a unifying empathy? There is the tradjedy of self pity and the bravery of others. Spoiler alert: The smallest and meekest not only inherits the Earth it ...ta da...saves Earth.

btw in the movie Titanic, it sinks in the end.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Nov 19 - 07:38 AM

Superbly acted and filmed but I am not too sure about the choping and changing of both the timeline and the plot. I will certainly watch it through to see what they do with it. HG Wells it isn't!

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Nov 19 - 12:00 PM

Haiku time:

Martians came to earth
In merc'ry powered rockets
Fuelled from Hg wells.



(my response to a haiku competition from the BSFA back in the 80s)

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Nov 19 - 05:11 PM

The semiphore version of your haiku is even more powerful.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 02 Dec 19 - 11:53 PM

Well, I will not spoil the BBC version further, in this post.
I will just say that (unable to watch, in the USA)
I looked online for reviews of the show,
the third and final episode just aired last night in the UK.

So I read the spoiler review elsewhere for the conclusion.
And WHOA!    Changes left, right, and center!
It sounds dreadfully confusing.

Now it comes out, in one soundbite in the news,
that one of the writer/editor/producer/adaptors
had suffered a bereavement at about the time
that this person was working on the H G Wells assignment;
and -- not naming the person, but the soundbite names them --
this person decided that
the bereavement would be a better way to end the film
than the actual ending that H. G. Wells wrote.

That kind of makes me ... feel ...
well, just as well I couldn't watch the show after all.

Subject: RE: BS: War of the Worlds film by the BBC (2018)
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Feb 20 - 12:05 PM

AMC Premiere, which is the AMC cable network's
commercial-free streaming service,
has made a deal to distribute
BBC's The War Of The Worlds.

announced 11 February 2020