TV

The Reviews Are In: It’s Time To Get Excited About The New ‘His Dark Materials’ TV Show

"Proof that TV is now the best medium for bringing epic literary fantasy to the screen"

by Patrick Lenton  5 November 2019
His Dark Materials HBO reviews

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If there’s one show we should all be excited about, it’s HBO’s adaptation of His Dark Materials.

It’s being touted as the next HBO show to replace Game of Thrones, but to be honest, that comparison is already extremely tired. The highly anticipated show is an adaptation of the extremely beloved Philip Pullman books, and is a joint venture between the BBC and HBO.

The series sits slightly within the shadow of the 2007 film adaptation, The Golden Compass, which was a critical and commercial flop. All of this means that people have been excited.. but nervous.

And it’s understandable to be nervous — the books aren’t just loved, they’re also brilliant and ambitious. They follow the adventures of a young girl named Lyra, who uncovers the corruption of the theocratic organisation that runs her world. But it doesn’t there — it deals with notions of alternate realities, the philosophy of innocence, and a surprisingly deep and bitter vein of atheism.

The is apparently fairly faithful to all that — so it’s a little more than simply swinging swords and riding horses. Although, tbf, there’s a lot of magic and wonder too. Armoured bears! Daemons!

ANYWAY. The first reviews are in, and people are mostly cautiously optimistic. There’s a lot of criticism going on — but the general consensus is you should watch and we should all find out how this will end.

Meant For Television

Slate points out that TV has the scope for this story that film was always going to lack, saying that His Dark Materials is “Proof that TV is now the best medium for bringing epic literary fantasy to the screen”

The Times UK said: “Even the most anal nitpicker would struggle to pick a fight with the inspired casting and lavish production values, especially Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter and Dafne Keen as Lyra, who put in the standout performances.”

In fact, a lot of the praise is reserved for the casting, specifically for Dafne Keen’s Lyra. Keen had an absolute stellar role in Logan, and continues in much the same vein. Ruth Wilson’s Mrs Coulter is also supremely noteworthy.

Daemons and Bears

“The connection between human and daemon is central to the success of the series and for the most part, His Dark Materials makes it work.” Explains Indiewire. ” The use of puppets during filming allowed the actors to form real connections with creatures typically inserted after the fact. It’s necessary and it works to great effect.”

The New York Times says: “HBO’s Philip Pullman adaptation loses some of the books’ edge, but gains stunning imagery (think armored polar bears).”

The Writing Though?

Kathryn VanArendonk from Vulture gives an extremely measured review, but this this sting in the tail:

“His Dark Materials first episodes are a mixture of unabashedly gorgeous visuals, several strong performances, and writing that demonstrates time and again that it has no confidence in either of those things.”

Anyway — His Dark Materials first episode drops tonight on Foxtel Now for Aussies! Make up your own dang mind.