BBC The War of the Worlds

BBC The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds written in 1897 is a novel by HG Wells, it’s one of the earliest books to tell the story of a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race. In the book the aliens are Martians who fight in three legged walking fighting machines.

Back in January 2018 I blogged about the forthcoming BBC production of The War of the Worlds.

The BBC’s interpretation of the HG Wells 1897 classic will begin filming in spring 2018 and air later on BBC One.

Unlike more recent interpretations this will be set in the period it was published, so faithful to the Victorian era.

We do know that it will be three sixty minute episodes.

BBC One have announced the show will be arriving on our screens Autumn 2019 – not during the Christmas period as many expected.

BBC The War of the Worlds

Director Craig Viveiros said. “This is the first version to be set in London and [its environs] during the Edwardian period.”

BBC The War of the Worlds

This version stars Eleanor Tomlinson and Rafe Spall. Robert Carlyle and Rupert Graves are also set to star alongside them.

The trailer arrives on Sunday!

One of my favourite Osprey books is about the War of the Worlds. This is a historical record of the Anglo-Martian war of 1895.

War of the Worlds (Dark Osprey)

On one terrible night in August 1895, the world changed forever. Grey metal cylinders, launched from Mars and hurtled through space, came crashing down in southern England. The next 15 days were marked by courage and despair, hope and shock, defeat and fleeting victory as Queen Victoria’s army struggled to contain the terrible alien threat. The war, man against machines from space, was fought without mercy on both sides. And the outcome would be decided by the smallest of things. This book covers the whole of the Anglo-Martian conflict, beginning with a look at the relative strengths and weakness of the two armies, both English and alien, and comparing the different strategies employed. It then takes a detailed look at the actual military struggle, covering all of the major engagements between the tripods and Victoria’s army.

I have been thinking about since purchasing the book gaming scenarios pitting Edwardian Brits against the Martian invaders.




BBC Production of War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds
The BBC’s interpretation of the HG Wells 1897 classic will begin filming in spring 2018 and air later on BBC One.

Unlike more recent interpretations this will be set in the period it was published, so faithful to the Victorian era.

Since the news was announced last summer we’ve heard very little about the production. We do know that it will be three sixty minute episodes.

It’s being made by the same production company, Mammoth Screen, which made Victoria for ITV. Now I’ve watched a few episodes of that series and there are some great production values there, I was especially impressed with the CGI recreation of Victorian London.

We know now that pre-production is now underway with filming set to take place in Liverpool and Cheshire. There is also going to be filming in Surrey which is where the invasion starts in the book.

Personally I think it’s a great idea and I am really looking forward to the series when it is transmitted later in 2018.

SS-GB

SS-GB

Adapted from Len Deighton’s 1978 alternate history novel, and starring Sam Riley and Kate Bosworth, SS-GB premieres on BBC One on the 19th February 2017.

Produced by Sid Gentle Films Ltd and written by Bafta Award-winners Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, SS-GB is a complex thriller focusing on British Detective Douglas Archer.

Forced to work under the brutal SS in occupied London, Archer is determined to continue to do his job in the service of his country, but against impossible odds.

We first meet Archer in 1941, with the vast majority of England and Wales are under Nazi occupation after losing the Battle of Britain. Pockets of resistance continue to show their defiance against the occupying German forces, but after a German pilot is murdered by a British Resistance fighter, tensions in London could not be higher.

When investigating what appears to be a simple black market murder, Archer is dragged into a much darker and more treacherous world where the stakes are as high as the ultimate outcome of the war. The elusive American journalist Barbara Barga may hold the key – but can he trust her? And when his lover Sylvia endangers her life by bravely making a stand against the oppressive regime, Archer is forced to confront a deeper dilemma. Can he carry out his duty to defend law and order when he is working for the wrong side? What is he willing to risk in the fight against fascism?

The trailer and the images released so far, show a disturbing image of London under Nazi occupation. What may have happened if the proposed Operation Sealion was successful and Britain had lost the Battle of Britain in 1940.

Though most experts agree that there was little or no chance of Operation Sealion ever succeeding, many people have wondered and extrapolated what could have happened if it had indeed taken place and the Germans were victorious.

The background of SS-GB offers a range of gaming scenarios across different kinds of actions and scales. I may explore these in a later post once I have viewed the first few episodes.

Outcasts

Outcasts is a new SF drama from the BBC which premieres on the 7th February.

The story follows a group of individuals who, after the destruction of the earth, try to live a new life on an alien planet. The new planet Carpathia has had human colonists creating a new colony for ten years. The series starts as they await the final ship from earth.

Settled in the town of Forthaven on Carpathia, the Outcasts are passionate about their jobs, confident of their ideals and optimistic about the future. They work hard to preserve what they’ve built on this planet they now call home, having embraced all the challenges that come with forging a new beginning.

They are led by President Tate and his core team of Stella, Cass and Fleur – they took charge and settled here first alongside Expeditionaries Mitchell and Jack.

They are a diverse group of individuals who left their old lives behind in extraordinary circumstances; promised a second chance at life they created a society, far away from their home, friends, family… and their pasts.

The planet offers the possibility for both corruption and redemption; while they try to avoid the mistakes made on Earth, inevitably our heroes cannot escape the human pitfalls of love, greed, lust, loss, and a longing for those they’ve left behind.

As they continue to work and live together they come to realise this is no ordinary planet… is there a bigger purpose at work? Mystery lurks around them and threatens to risk the fragile peace of Forthaven.

Set in 2040 this is a series that won’t have lots of tech and technobabble.
This is more of a drama set on an alien world, rather than a sci-fi series with dramatic scenes. It’s about human relationships rather than dealing with aliens, alien technology or invasive species.

It sounds an interesting premise and I will certainly be watching the first episode.

Find out more on Outcasts.

The First Men In The Moon

moon

Coming to the BBC in 2010 will be a new adaptation of HG Wells’ The First Men In The Moon.

Mark Gatiss is to star in his own adaptation of HG Wells’ thrilling scientific romance The First Men In The Moon alongside Rory Kinnear, in a one-off 90-minute drama for BBC Four.

It’s July 1969 and, as the world waits with baited breath for news of the Apollo 11 astronauts, a young boy meets 90-year-old Julius Bedford (Rory Kinnear) who tells an extraordinary story of two men’s journey to the Moon, way back in 1909.

As a young man, Bedford chances to meet Professor Cavor (Mark Gatiss), a somewhat unworldly scientist with an amazing invention: Cavorite – anything to which it is applied becomes opaque to the force of gravity. Knowing a miracle when he sees one, and with a keen eye on profit, Bedford encourages Cavor to think big. And so the two men construct a copper and cast-iron sphere which will fly them to the Moon. But what terrors await them in the lunar interior? And will they ever succeed in returning to Earth?

Sounds good and hopefully with modern effects will look good too. Having said that I have always enjoyed the 1964 version of First Men In The Moon with Lionel Jeffries and Edward Judd.

moon2

The Triffids are back…

Tonight (and part two tomorrow night) sees the new interpretation of The Day of the Triffids. I mentioned this back in November 2008 and quoted the BBC back then saying:

The drama, about menacing plants taking over the world, will be shown in two feature-length episodes next year.

Well, here we are in the final week of “next year” and the drama is on this week!

I think that there is quite a bit of gaming potential with The Day Of The Triffids, small groups of survivors trying to get past hordes of triffids. Even groups of survivors fighting each other over food caches.

Might try and think of some rules and look for models.

Survivors returns in January

Yay, the BBC’s Survivors is coming back in January 2010 for a second season.

Survivors by Adrian Hodges returns to BBC One for a second series in January 2010 picking up moments after the thrilling cliff-hanger to season one.

Abby (Julie Graham) and her mismatched family of Survivors are in disarray, now struggling not just with the difficulties of day-to-day life amidst the ruins of the post-virus apocalypse, but also with the threat of other emerging communities and the machinations of the sinister Lab.

Update: Get Survivors on Amazon Video

Day of the Triffids

Triffids

I have been enjoying the The Day Of The Triffids on BBC Four. This is the original 1981 BBC version, though a new BBC version is coming soon.

I think that there is quite a bit of gaming potential with The Day Of The Triffids, small groups of survivors trying to get past hordes of triffids. Even groups of survivors fighting each other over food caches.

Might try and think of some rules and look for models.

Merlin on DVD

I really enjoyed BBC’s Merlin, but I can now get it on DVD.

Merlin Vol.1 [2008]

Merlin Vol.2 [2008]

Well Volume 1 is available now, Volume 2 in the next few weeks.

I know some think it was a bit “silly” and not very true to the legends of Arthur and Merlin, however my view was that the series wasn’t trying to do that it was much more about being an enjoyable TV series rather than an accurate version of the mythical legends of Arthur.