[Closed] The Watch.... WHY?

Holy shit mate get a grip.
Why does anyone watch any programme? Cause they hope they will like it.

Many party invites ?

Holy shit mate get a grip.

If you can't deal with folk having a different opinion than you, then why are you offering an opinion?

Opinion ?
Your not offering an opinion and I’m not questioning one?
If I offer one it’s because I’m entitled to ?
You’re offended because I’m daring to watch a programme I don’t like ?

I’m out.
I’ll report back if I grow to like it.

I always thought Discworld had a medieval / industrial revolution vibe to it with some bat shit crazy / random stuff.

I've always thought the Circumfence should have been adopted by flat earthers.

I watched it. I've never read any of Terry Pratchett's books. I enjoyed it. For those moaning about how it's not 'faithful' to the books etc; don't ever watch a James Bond film. Your heads will explode.

Always been medieval in my head.

The earliest books maybe but especially towards the end of the series its starting to industrialise (the railways, clacks and even the changes to the banks). Not quite Victorian but definitely leaning that way more than medieval.

It’s easy to forget but Vimes used to be an alcoholic crackpot loser

Not really, it's mentioned about 700 times on this thread alone.

But as a non Pratchett fan, (tried and failed a few times to get anywhere with the books when I was a youngster) is it worth watching, accepting its not going to be anything like the discworld I spent weeks being infuriated by until I discovered custard and octopus belong in loos.

And to kind of prove the point, where did you get Victorian era from? Always been medieval in my head.

Photography is as early as the first or second book. Over the course of the run we get libraries, universities, the police, philosophy, steam engines, a postal service, basic telegraphy, football, banks... Discworld is basically teetering on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution.

What’s the age-rating on this? BBC describe it as “G – Contains language which may offend” on iplayer. Asking for an 11-year old who loved “His Dark Materials” 🙂

It's a bit sweary, is all. If you're happy for him to hear words like 'shit' and 'bollocks' - and I guarantee he hears them every six minutes at school - then you're good.

I’m out.

Thank christ for that.

But as a non Pratchett fan, (tried and failed a few times to get anywhere with the books when I was a youngster) is it worth watching

I'd say you're the perfect target audience TBH. It's the fanboys who are all butthurt about it.

And to kind of prove the point, where did you get Victorian era from? Always been medieval in my head.

(tried and failed a few times to get anywhere with the books when I was a youngster)

Speaking of this,

The first couple of books are hard work, TP got much better as a writer as he went on. There's an argument for skipping ahead slightly to Mort or Guards Guards (or arguably Equal Rites even) and coming back for TCOM / TLF later. Mort is perhaps the first good Pratchett outing.

is it worth watching, accepting its not going to be anything like the discworld I spent weeks being infuriated by

I thought it was entertaining. You'll need to try it yourself and see. It reminds me slightly of The Witcher - preposterously stupid but enjoyable.

Always been medieval in my head.

The earliest books maybe but especially towards the end of the series its starting to industrialise (the railways, clacks and even the changes to the banks). Not quite Victorian but definitely leaning that way more than medieval.

I think Pratchett drew from all sorts of time periods and geographies for Ankh Morpork Certainly medieval elements, strong Elizabethan vibe, renaissance elements, Italian city states, 17tn century rural Britain (especially all the witches stuff) etc etc. What I never really got was Victorian, but maybe just me.

This is another reason why I think The Watch is more consistent with the spirit of Discworld if not the word of the books than previous TV adaptions

It’s the fanboys who are all butthurt about it.

I shall give it a go then.

The only time I wish I'd listened to fanboiz was phantom menace, even that didn't convince me it was a sensible course of action in general.

For those moaning about how it’s not ‘faithful’ to the books etc; don’t ever watch a James Bond film. Your heads will explode.

A fair point.

I didn't get Pratchett when the books first came out, despite being heavily into fantasy novels at the time.

Returned to them 3-4 years ago and suddenly the incredible way he wove modern societal issues into the stories finally clicked. Going to start my daughter on Equal Rites, I think.

Small Gods is a brilliant dismantling of religion. Genius.

I always felt it was more in the renaissance era with Leonard de quirm etc.

But its fantasy so could be set last Wednesday afternoon.

I'm half enjoying it but I'm having to make a conscious effort to not think of it as discworld

A fair point.

Is it though?

The primary source for Discworld is the books. The primary source of Bond for the vast majority of people today is Connery and Moore with a side order of Craig. The novels date back to, what, the 1950s? The films may have been controversial at the time for being different, I have no idea as I wasn't even born then, but the number of people today going "well, the films are shit because they're unfaithful to the books" surely must be vanishingly small?

What I never really got was Victorian, but maybe just me.

Well, the Watch is clearly an early organised police force like the Peelers which were Victorian. And there's that one about the post service experimenting with telegraphs, that's Victorian. And there's a rock-and-roll one, that's 1950s. Witch burning though - as said, late mediaeval. Twoflower as the Discworld's first tourist, that's clearly inspired by the Grand Tour phenomenon (or more directly and a bit racistly Japanese 20th century tourists) which is early 19th century; although what he actually gets up to is more Marco Polo. So yeah it's not specific. Fantasy worlds rarely are - after all, why would another world follow the same development sequence that we did?

Small Gods is a brilliant dismantling of religion.

If only it was original 🙂

the Grand Tour phenomenon which is early 19th century;

Very early 19th, well over 100 years early really 😉

Took a crack at the first episode tonight and don't think I'll bother with any more. It's not the disconnect between it and the books, as I was expecting that - it's just not very good!

Its actually shit...

I'm 7 in and its shit

Er, not very STW, but I've changed my mind.

A couple in and it's getting to me.

It'll be dropper posts, Netflix and lawn sausages next.
Tbf, I'll miss shitting down chimneys, but it's hard on the knees at my age......

I'm on episode 4 & quite enjoying it

Its got nothing to do with discworld, it's more mighty boosh!

Yeah, better than my first impression suggested, just finished episode 6.