In June 2017, we picked the top 7 things that we wanted Bad Wolf to nail in the adaptation of our favourite books. Now that the first season has been completed and aired in the UK, Canada and the US, we would like to take a look back and see how our wish list did.
We can safely report that while we are no seers, we did see one wish fully come true (there’s hope for us, aspiring seers). And there are so many lovely details in the TV adaptation that are not in our wish list, which we are extremely pleased with. Rather than go number by number, let’s look at what we got, and what we have to wait for.
l take a look back and see how our wish list did.
We can safely report that while we are no seers, we did see one wish fully came true (there’s hope for us, aspiring seers). And there are so many lovely details in the TV adaptation that were not in our wish list, which we are extremely pleased with. Rather than go number by number, let’s look at what we got, and what we have to wait for.
What we got:
1. The Bishop House—The House in the TV series is spectacular (bless you, James North). You’ll want to pack your bags and move in … assuming the House (and Tabitha) will like you! The porch with all the whimsy wind chimes (can we buy them, please?), all the details in Sarah’s still room, the dining room, the brown-looking kitchen. Glorious! While, the personality and quirks of the house were not on display to the full extent that we had hoped (we missed the ghosts), there are a couple more season where this can be expanded … here’s to Fleetwood Mac.
You may not know that “magic” was used to build part the house. The set designers built the first floor of the front of the house, but the second story is computer generated, so we applaud the team involved.
2. The Castles—Once again, our location scouts—Elisa Frasinetti, and Gareth Skelding, and set designer—James North—earn the gold stars! Sept-Tours was breathtaking, inside and out and felt just like you would expect a 1500-year-old castle to feel—a bit dark, a bit run down at the edges, and so many stories just waiting to be told.
If you’d like to see the castle you saw in the TV adaptation, you’ll need to visit two places: the castle of Monselice near Venice, Italy, and Aberglasney Gardens in Wales, which stand in for the Sept-Tours gardens. CG images also added a few touches.
4. Two crucial scenes at the Bodleian Library (another character just like the Bishop House)—NAILED IT!! (At least the first one). Matthew and Diana’s meeting in the Bodleian was everything that we could have hoped for and more (Matthew’s business card with his email. Wink). The tension between them, the setting—just all of it seemed to have been lifted right off of Deborah’s page and fulfilled every desire that we had. Definitely desire made real.
7. The quintessential book epigraph—It begins with absence and desire, it begins with blood and fear, it begins with a discovery of witches. This could not have been done any better if they tried … starting each episode with it, the colour, the music (cue the music, please), EPIC!!
What we have to wait for:
3. Jennifer Ikeda—Ok, Jennifer (the award-winning daemonic narrator of the audiobooks) didn’t make it into Season 1 … kind of expected, but we are hoping to see her in Chris’s Lab, which doesn’t appear until Season 3 or The Book Of Life, so it is not out of the question yet! Pretty please, Bad Wolf.
5. The Temple dedicated to Diana near Sept Tours—This something to look forward to in the next two seasons … fingers (and knots) crossed for now.
6. The two Loberos and the relationship with Jack in both Shadow Of Night and The Book Of Life—This is another Seasons 2 and 3 thing … more finger crossing happening here!
Those are our thoughts. What are yours? What are you waiting with bated breath to see from Shadow Of Night and The Book Of Life?
