# Hogfather (TV)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 26, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814 "2007-11-26T17:35:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/1 "2007-11-26T17:35:14Z")
Did anyone else watch this last night? I groaned when I saw that the Halmi Sr. and Jr. were the executive producers, and it certainly had their taint upon it, but it was nowhere near the crapfest I feared it would be.
It was quite a faithful portrayal of the book. Also, the sets were very much as I’d pictured them in my mind. There were a few notable omissions (I particularly missed the Cheerful Fairy), and other things that were far too undeveloped (e.g., Bilious, also the single worst performance), but they seemed to have worked very hard to get it right. The problem was that they somehow managed to drain all the life out of it. Most of the book’s humor just fell flat, even with many of the lines and situations being lifted directly from the book. Also, Death’s costume could have used improvement, as could his voice.
On the other hand, they didn’t try to subvert the book’s main theme, that being the nature of belief and the fact that what we believe may be a crock, but it makes us human.
So, anyone have any thoughts on this?
---
### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/2 "2007-11-26T17:57:57Z")
I tuned in about 45 minutes into it- I didnt know it was going to be on =(
I rather liked it, though Nobby doesnt look anything like I envisioned. Susan was good, and Death was pretty good without the skullface being too cartoony. I liked the wizards a lot, and thought the computer was good.
Was it my imagination or did Teatime act like he was channeling Depp as Willy Wonka?
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### Author:  [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/3 "2007-11-26T18:09:09Z")
It wasn’t bad, I suppose, although I agree it felt kinda flat in many ways. Some of the characters just didn’t feel right - for example, Death’s speech was way too slow, and his voice sounded way too muffled. His movement didn’t really sell the character very well either, I thought.
I did very much enjoy Mr. Teatime’s performance, though. Delightfully psychotic! 😃
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/4 "2007-11-26T19:52:13Z")
I DVRed it, and watched the first 30 minutes or so last night. So far, I liked it. I’m quite happy they kept Susan dealing with the monster under the bed, and hope they do Death in the toy store right. My biggest negative so far is that they seem to be underplaying the humor. It all seems to be done in such a slow and serious way - even the funny parts. We’ll see.
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### Author:  [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/5 "2007-11-26T22:31:33Z")
[QUOTE=aruvqan]
I tuned in about 45 minutes into it- I didnt know it was going to be on =(
Was it my imagination or did Teatime act like he was channeling Depp as Willy Wonka?
[/QUOTE]
```
Nope, according to Wikipedia:
```
> **[Ankh-Morpork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh-Morpork_Assassins%27_Guild#Mr._Teatime)**
>
> Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state that is the setting for many Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. Pratchett describes Ankh-Morpork as the biggest city in Discworld and its corrupt mercantile capital. The city's motto is Quanti Canicula Illa In Fenestra, Latatian for 'How much is that doggy in the window?' In The Art of Discworld, Pratchett explained that the city is similar to Tallinn and central Prague, but adds that it has elements of 18th-century London, 19th-century Seattle and modern-...
```
Mark Warren based his characterization on Depp's Wonka.
```
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/6 "2007-11-26T22:34:14Z")
I liked it.
The wizards were a trifle shakey, but Death was really quite respectable, & Susan is Grade-A (and a Babe).
---
### Author:  [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/7 "2007-11-27T01:16:10Z")
I’d never heard of it before, so I had no idea what I was in for. _“Sweetheart, does Santa Claus have **fangs**?”_
I … liked it. A lot. Particularly the throw-away lines, like ‘anthropomorphical personification’ [isn’t that tautological, though?].
But something wasn’t quite right, and I thought it had the same failings as the movie ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’.
The production, I think, was too busy respecting a good book (I assume it was a good book?) to concentrate on making a very good movie.
But I was completely enchanted.
---
### Author:  [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/8 "2007-11-27T01:44:04Z")
[QUOTE=j666]
The production, I think, was too busy respecting a good book (I assume it was a good book?) to concentrate on making a very good movie.
But I was completely enchanted.
[/QUOTE]
I’d have to say this captures it exactly for me. I haven’t read this particular book, but I’ve read a half dozen other Pratchett books. I think it captured the nature of his Discworld books very well. My teen daughter who has never read any Pratchett just loved it; she will be getting plenty of new reading material now!
---
### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/9 "2007-11-27T06:12:16Z")
Compared to what was done to “Hitchhiker’s”, this was “GWTW” .
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### Author:  [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/10 "2007-11-27T14:55:49Z")
Anyone know if this will be airing again? I checked my DVR listings but didn’t see it. I got home from the road trip just a little too late to catch it.
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### Author:  [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/11 "2007-11-27T16:31:03Z")
The ion [website](http://www.ionline.tv/) isn’t showing anything, but it only has listings for two weeks in advance. It’d be a shame if they didn’t show it again. But it’ll be available on DVD in the US in April (and is already on DVD in the UK). I’d buy it, and skip the 45 minutes of commercials.
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### Author:  [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/12 "2007-11-27T16:35:45Z")
[QUOTE=kelly5078]
The ion [website](http://www.ionline.tv/) isn’t showing anything, but it only has listings for two weeks in advance. It’d be a shame if they didn’t show it again. But it’ll be available on DVD in the US in April (and is already on DVD in the UK). I’d buy it, and skip the 45 minutes of commercials.
[/QUOTE]
Will this be the deluxe edition? Because a virtually extra free (trailer and Pratchett interview only) version is available now at Borders.
---
### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/13 "2007-11-27T17:33:36Z")
[QUOTE=j666]
I’d never heard of it before, so I had no idea what I was in for. _“Sweetheart, does Santa Claus have **fangs**?”_
I … liked it. A lot. Particularly the throw-away lines, like ‘anthropomorphical personification’ [isn’t that tautological, though?].
But something wasn’t quite right, and I thought it had the same failings as the movie ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’.
The production, I think, was too busy respecting a good book (I assume it was a good book?) to concentrate on making a very good movie.
But I was completely enchanted.
[/QUOTE]
You should get the book, and the others by Pratchett. Hogfather is one in the Death series, others include Reaper Man and Eric. Susan also appears in Soul Music, not really a Death one. There are some things in the movie that I expect would be confusing to people who haven’t read Discworld books, like the Death of Rats.
There are lots of threads giving advice as to which Terry books to read and in which order, but you’re in for a treat.
---
### Author:  [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/14 "2007-11-27T17:38:09Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#):
>
> Will this be the deluxe edition? Because a virtually extra free (trailer and Pratchett interview only) version is available now at Borders.
Dunno, I was just glancing at Google hits as a public service. If Borders has it now, all the better.
---
### Author:  [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/15 "2007-11-27T17:43:42Z")
> [@Voyager](#):
>
> You should get the book, and the others by Pratchett.
Yeah. Look up Discworld on Wikipedia. It has a table with all the books (in order of publication) and which arc they belong too. Very handy.
“The Thief of Time” is another one with Death and Susan, and is as good as “Hogfather,” IMO.
---
### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/16 "2007-11-27T20:24:19Z")
[QUOTE=kelly5078]
Yeah. Look up Discworld on Wikipedia. It has a table with all the books (in order of publication) and which arc they belong too. Very handy.
“The Thief of Time” is another one with Death and Susan, and is as good as “Hogfather,” IMO.
[/QUOTE]
Forgot that one. Hint for those new to Pratchett - don’t read them in order of publication. The first few are very different from the later ones, and mostly considered to not be as good. I’m a Rincewind fan myself, but I’m in the minority.
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/17 "2007-11-27T22:06:27Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager]
Forgot that one. Hint for those new to Pratchett - don’t read them in order of publication. The first few are very different from the later ones, and mostly considered to not be as good. I’m a Rincewind fan myself, but I’m in the minority.
[/QUOTE]
Rincewind made me love his books. It was later that I realized I had earlier read one of his books and hated it.
---
### Author:  [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2007, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/18 "2007-11-27T23:39:19Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager]
You should get the book, and the others by Pratchett. Hogfather is one in the Death series, others include Reaper Man and Eric. Susan also appears in Soul Music, not really a Death one. There are some things in the movie that I expect would be confusing to people who haven’t read Discworld books, like the Death of Rats.
There are lots of threads giving advice as to which Terry books to read and in which order, but you’re in for a treat.
[/QUOTE]
I would have sworn I’d read Pratchett, and that he annoyed the hell out of me, but the only book I recognize on [TerryPratchettBooks.com](http://TerryPratchettBooks.com) is “Good Omens”, which I found delightful. (Is that a complete list?)
But, now that I think, I did find “Good Omens” annoyingly cute in places. Not _quite_ arch, or trite, or excessively self-aware … just a bit cute.
I quite _liked_ that I had to pay attention to keep up with what was going on; I found the movie internally consistent. More than I can say of most blockbusters.
---
### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2007, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/19 "2007-11-28T03:53:54Z")
As I mentioned in the earlier thread announcing the Ion airing, I had seen this before and thought well of it.
I watched the last couple of hours of it the other night. (Simpsons you know.)
Still held up well. Some things of note that I hadn’t mentioned earlier.
1. Hated Albert.
2. Loved Banjo.
3. They didn’t get the (old) wizards right. Wrong costumes. (Did catch the “Born to Rune” patch.) Ponders and Hex were as I imagined them though.
4. The ads. Oh my god, the ads. All old people stuff. Hearing aids, supplemental insurance, etc. Not exactly well matched demographically for Pratchett fans.
---
### Author:  [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2007, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hogfather-tv/427814/20 "2007-11-28T04:25:50Z")
I was a little bored in the first part, but I thought the last half was pretty good. And I’m a HUGE Hogfather fan. That book was my first Pratchett book, and led to my current Pratchett addiction. 🆒
I liked Susan a LOT. Albert was pretty close to the way I imagined him. I thought Death was ok – didn’t really like the way they did his face. I missed seeing Nobby (must have been in the part I wasn’t paying attention to.) And the kids, Twyla and Gawain – jeezopete, they were about as wooden as it’s possible for kid actors to be.
I was totally sick of all the ads. However, I now have the DVD from Borders, so I’ll be able to see it without distractions any day now.
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