Anybody else watching The Watch on BBC America?

Anybody else watching, who is also a huge Terry Pratchett fan?

Thoughts?

I am sure many people are spending their entertainment time screaming at the TV as the storyline is definitely something not to be found in the many, many Discworld novels.

And while I would delight in seeing a true-to-the-written word depiction of Pratchett’s novels, I am still enjoying the hell out of this show.  The main characters are all there; and while the story has little to do with any of Pratchett’s books, the way the story is being told has lots of the flavor of Sir Terry Pratchett. 

One thing I am truly appreciative of is the gender fluidity of some of the characters.  Cheery the dwarf is no surprise, the dwarves in Discworld are known for the lack of physical distinction between the female and males; but Lord Vetinari is also fluid in appearance and demeanor, leaving the audience to make up their own minds about the character.  I am sure Terry Pratchett would love it.

But both Pratchett’s daughter, Rhianna Pratchett and Neil Gaiman have voiced objections to the production; and that the current series has nothing in common with the series that Pratchett was developing before his death. 

But the Pratchett production doesn’t exist and this one does; and I like it.  I like the reimagining. 

I was surprised to see (in the Wikipedia page about the series) that some critics complained The Watch had strayed too far from the medieval origins of Discworld.  I beg to differ.  The Discworld books are not medieval – they are, imho, steam punk with magic mixed in. 

But then, I’m not the kind of person who feels a change in who is playing Batman is going to ruin my childhood. 

It’s either entertaining or it’s not.  And I find this series highly entertaining, and I hope it gets picked up for many more seasons to come.