Wheel of Time TV show pilot

Joined
Dec 17, 2002
Messages
48
Location
Berlin/Germany | Linköping/Sweden
Honestly?

I liked it.

No no, don't get me wrong. Doing this without authorization was heinous and wrong. The pronounciation of the names and other things made me cringe, but like others before have said...it's wheel of time in visual form - a series. Something i hoped to see but had given up on. I'd have taken an Augsburger Puppenkisten-sort of doll theatre, but this...frankly, it's a lot better.

I like how the madness was portrayed. I like the sets. Cheap special effects? I mean, sure. The same wouldn't have been said 15-20 years ago, but we are where we are with most shows pulling more computer-powered special effects than all the computing power available in the world three decades back. I like the actors playing both Ishamael and Lews Therin - suitable cast, i think. It might have done well as a sort of fan-based production.

But, i'm admittedly one of those people who like seeing books and content converted into visual/movie form, even if the result is crap. Hell, i enjoyed even the first Dungeons and Dragons movie when i saw it the day it came out. I think that just because WoT would be hard to convert into a movie or series, that shouldn't mean someone shouldn't give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen? Disappoint a few fans? Some fans will never be pleased, and trying to make a production to please the "fans" of a certain property is not a goal a producer should have. Look at Game of Thrones - i love the show, so do a lot of others, but many of the fans loathe it. Nah. I think the solution to be happy with an adaption is to simply lower your expectations. Something off the big-screen will never meet the fantastic, amazing stories and visuals we've built up in our heads over the past decades. That's simple fact.

Still, doesn't mean they shouldn't try. And i'm happy i watched this attempt.

I'm sorry that RRE pulled such a blatant cock-move, disrespecting RJ, his widow and his memory in the process, but i'm not about to blame the product for it.


Oh, and i have to watch this "Flight from Shadow" business. Thanks for the tip!
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2015
Messages
186
Location
North Wales
I saw it :indifferent: and to be honest seeing it made me throw up a little bit in my mouth and could not stomach to watch the whole thing through
 

Inanna Landred

Aes Sedai
Joined
May 1, 2003
Messages
2,885
Location
Blackburn, UK
apart from anything else, the timing is wrong.
People will just be drawing comparisons to Game of Thrones, which, although it started with a small budget, now has so much money to throw at special effects and cast, that it would be hard to compete.
That being said.. I watched it, and *ducks incoming objects* didn't hate it as much is I thought I would? I'm with Ecarion, I think finally finally finally seeing something like this for the series I have loved for so many years is better than nothing. Holding out for perfection could prove a long wait.
But of course the underlying principle that it has to be done within the copyright.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
637
Age
33
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
I agree Inanna Sedai. Timing is wrong for anything WoT related. We got LoTR (Hobbit) just wrapping up. Game of Thrones owns the long form fantasy. Shannara is on its way. No matter what WOT would not get the attention and the reviews it deserves. It will jus tbe stacked against everything else and judged that way.

Comparisons area always good. We all do it. Im doing it with books currently. Always will. Always have. But a WoT show deserves to stand out when it comes. Otherwise it wont get the traction it needs to last until the end.
 

Catt Heckathorne

Previously known as Cattrin al'Modrah
Aes Sedai
Joined
Jan 21, 2008
Messages
15,286
Age
37
Pronouns
  1. None - Use Name
Yes, I agree with the folks who say timing is wrong. I also did sort of like it *throws up shield to block the rotten veggies*. However, the very good points have been made with LOTR and Game of Thrones.

On the other hand, this might be a very good time for a popular series to turn to the small screen. Harry Potter and LOTR are both beloved book series that have been very successful on the big screen; Game of Thrones is super popular; there is of course Sherlock; and Outlander just came out. If anything, a small screen version of WoT actually WOULD fit in with what's popular right now. The big problem, though, is the copyright issue.

:cheeseeni:
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
637
Age
33
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
You may be correct Narysse Sedai. However, I would make the point that WoT should not even bother starting until Game of Thrones is fully wrapped up. Because once that ends there will almost be a vacuum of great fantasy series on TV. I honestly don't think Shannara will hold up too well.

You also have a great point with the copyright. Nothing will ever ever be done the way things currently are.
 

Alyccea Nymaessene

Aes Sedai
Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
4,038
Location
Brisbane, Australia
What makes you think Shannara will not hold up? Personally I agree with Narysse Sedai, right now (well-made) fantasy series are very popular so this would be the perfect time for a WoT series to start. It may overlap with GoT for the first couple of seasons, but that only means that GoT will wrap up right when WoT is starting to get really good.
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
637
Age
33
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
I personally have only read a few of the Shannara books. Here and there whenever I see one that looks interesting. I enjoyed them, but didn't love them.

But I digress, the reason I don't think it would hold up is a personal feeling really. I think its too lighthearted compared to what people like in media right now. Game of Thrones, Sherlock, even Lord of the Rings gets pretty dark in there, along with some silliness. But I think it no coincidence that the darkest hobbit movie also got the highest ratings. And the happiest got the lowest. I just think Shannara is not that type of fantasy world people would go for at the moment. But again, that's just me.

I know that series has a gigantic fan base. It may just explode onto the scene as much as GoT did years ago.
 

Alyccea Nymaessene

Aes Sedai
Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
4,038
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Could you be confusing correlation with causation? I don't think it's the darkness aspect that got BotFA its high ratings, but maybe that's just me. :cheeseeni: Anyway, I've only read the first two Shannara books, but they seemed dark enough to me.

Regardless, WoT can be pretty dark at times, so it still fits with the "popular right now" group.
 

Dnae Ila

Gaidin
Joined
Jun 12, 2014
Messages
12,210
Age
37
Location
New York
Pronouns
  1. Any - All
You know what I would like to see right now? An illustrated audio book. Take the existing audio book and pair it with still artwork depicting what's going on in each scene, maybe with some zooming and panning effects, like the books on Reading Rainbow. Maybe it wouldn't be mainstream like a movie or TV show would be, but I would enjoy it.
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
637
Age
33
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
You know what I would like to see right now? An illustrated audio book. Take the existing audio book and pair it with still artwork depicting what's going on in each scene, maybe with some zooming and panning effects, like the books on Reading Rainbow. Maybe it wouldn't be mainstream like a movie or TV show would be, but I would enjoy it.

The audiobooks are so well done. This would be amazing. I would spend moneys.
 

Dnae Ila

Gaidin
Joined
Jun 12, 2014
Messages
12,210
Age
37
Location
New York
Pronouns
  1. Any - All
Oooh I should do that.
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2016
Messages
142
personally I loved seeing woT being adapted at all, but was disappointed at the missing sections (dragonmount kind of slipped by..)
 

Marivea al'Corriyi

Aes Sedai
Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
12,291
Location
Montana
Pronouns
  1. They - Them
Monstrosity is right.
 
Top