# Lord of the Ring TV series being discussed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** middle-earth\ **Created:** [November 13, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547 "2017-11-13T19:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/1 "2017-11-13T19:42:49Z")
Here is a link to one of many articles on the subject [http://deadline.com/2017/11/amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-multi-season-commitment-1202207065/](http://deadline.com/2017/11/amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-multi-season-commitment-1202207065/) I don’t think this has been discussed here - I searched & didn’t find anything. So what do you guys think? Could TV do it justice? Would you want a prequel including material leading up to FOTR? Could they figure out a way to include Bombadil? Would it have epic scope as the films, or wind up looking like it was copying Game of Thrones? I would hope if this acutally happens (I’m thinking it won’t) that Frodo would be cast older. Elijah Wood did a marvelous job, but he just comes across as too young too me. As flawed as the films were, I think it may be too soon for a re-do. The music and the costumes, sets and many performances were so excellent I just can’t picture a new version yet. Than again, we might get the Scouring. What do you all think? ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/2 "2017-11-13T19:47:18Z")
I think it will be split, half will love it, half will hate it. Personally I think it’s a bad idea. I get the feeling the directors of the show are not going to make as much money as they think and the die hard Tolkien fans (even one’s that liked the movies a little bit, they exist) will not like the bastardization of it. Sort of in the same vein as a Star Wars TV show. Think of it that way. Doesn’t seem right… and extra movies (prequels) ruined some of that. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/3 "2017-11-13T19:51:39Z")
Reading around it seems to be focussing on pre-LotR stuff. With the Tolkien estate involved, could that mean Silmarillion stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/4 "2017-11-13T19:57:47Z")
To be a big seller as a TV show you need to have romance, sex, and a healthy dollop of shiftiness and backstabbing. Tolkein might provide some room for violence, which is also good (but generally too expensive to really do well on TV, when you’re talking war and battles), but he doesn’t give you any of the rest. Even if they solve the problem of the source material being pretty vague for everything outside of the Trilogy and The Hobbit, it’s still not ideal for TV unless you’re a die hard fan. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/5 "2017-11-13T20:28:11Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > To be a big seller as a TV show you need to have romance, sex, and a healthy dollop of shiftiness and backstabbing. > > Tolkein might provide some room for violence, which is also good (but generally too expensive to really do well on TV, when you’re talking war and battles), but he doesn’t give you any of the rest. You could start with the Aragorn Arwen romance, and add some other characters around that, if needed. If this were network TV, I’d laugh, but I wouldn’t put anything past Bezos these days. I’d give it a try! ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/6 "2017-11-13T20:44:51Z")
The Adventures of Young Strider might have potential. Just have to make sure it’s all set pre-LOTR. That way, you could have him and his ranger posse roaming around Middle Earth fighting orcs, trolls, and other baddies and still have him coming home to Rivendell and Arwen on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/7 "2017-11-13T21:00:21Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > The Adventures of Young Strider might have potential. Just have to make sure it’s all set pre-LOTR. That way, you could have him and his ranger posse roaming around Middle Earth fighting orcs, trolls, and other baddies and still have him coming home to Rivendell and Arwen on occasion. This, plus it gives them the opportunity to explore other areas and peoples of Middle Earth that we haven’t actually seen in the books or movies so far. We can find out why the Haradrim are so willing to serve Sauron (it has to be some other reason than just that they are from further south); the adventures of the two Blue wizards in the East could be covered; perhaps some of the ordinary citizens in Gondor could have interesting stories; or Tales of the Old Forest from before it got to be threatening. There are lots of opportunities for stories within the world of Middle Earth that were never included in a Tolkien book. Since this series appears to cover the 60 years between The Hobbit and LotR, it doesn’t seem likely that The Silmarillion would enter into it, however. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/8 "2017-11-13T21:07:38Z")
Maybe they could reboot the story to 1980s Los Angeles _Noir_ and develop the protagonists into superheroes. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/9 "2017-11-13T22:04:13Z")
Read the book a few times and love the movies, which I have seen countless times. I will watch, but really don’t have high interest in another version. I still say Dune would be a better TV show than movie and instead of making another Dune movie, they should have focused on creating a Dune-universe TV show. I’d even watch a brave attempt at filming the Book of the New Sun as a 4-5 season TV show. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/10 "2017-11-13T22:59:31Z")
I want The Adventures of Belladonna Took. > [@](#): > > […] the mother of this hobbit—Bilbo Baggins, that is—was the famous Belladonna Took, one of the three remarkable daughters of the Old Took […] once in a while members of the Took clan would go and have adventures. They discreetly disappeared, and the family hushed it up […] Not that Belladonna Took ever had any adventures after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins. Apparently she lived T.A. 2852-2934, and had Bilbo in 2890 when she was 38. So there’s probably a decade or so in the 2875-2885 range when she could have been off somewhere being remarkable. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/11 "2017-11-13T23:32:17Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > To be a big seller as a TV show you **need to have romance, sex, and a healthy dollop of shiftiness and backstabbing.** > > Tolkein might provide some room for violence, which is also good (but generally too expensive to really do well on TV, when you’re talking war and battles), but he doesn’t give you any of the rest. > > Even if they solve the problem of the source material being pretty vague for everything outside of the Trilogy and The Hobbit, it’s still not ideal for TV unless you’re a die hard fan. Bolding mine. Have a look at the story of Turin - plenty of all of those, as written, and easily expanded in a reasonable way. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/12 "2017-11-14T00:27:49Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > To be a big seller as a TV show you need to have romance, sex, and a healthy dollop of shiftiness and backstabbing. Well, I certainly wouldn’t look to The Silmarillion for any of _those_ things! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/13 "2017-11-14T01:03:23Z")
I am interested in what it’s about, hopefully Silmarillion and not young Aragorn. The Children of Húrin or the sons of Fëanor would be good to earn an R rating. Mostly I’m curious about how the Tolkien estate gave their go-ahead. Christopher has been historically very protective, is he doing okay? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/14 "2017-11-14T05:42:10Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I am interested in what it’s about, hopefully Silmarillion and not young Aragorn. The Children of Húrin or the sons of Fëanor would be good to earn an R rating. > > Mostly I’m curious about how the Tolkien estate gave their go-ahead. Christopher has been historically very protective, is he doing okay? He’s 92 years old - how okay can he be? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/15 "2017-11-14T08:25:45Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > He’s 92 years old - how okay can he be? Able to give legal consent. I don’t expect him to be around for the centennial. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/16 "2017-11-14T08:37:32Z")
Who’ve they got lined up to write it, Terry Brooks? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/17 "2017-11-14T13:45:48Z")
The Tolkien Estate, judging by the debacle of the Hobbit movies, has decided to turn the works into a cash cow when it comes to TV/Movies. I find the sell-out very disturbing; I feel quite certain the Professor is spinning in the grave. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/18 "2017-11-14T13:57:11Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > The Tolkien Estate, judging by the debacle of the Hobbit movies, has decided to turn the works into a cash cow when it comes to TV/Movies. I find the sell-out very disturbing; I feel quite certain the Professor is spinning in the grave. I don’t think so - J.R.R. said he’d be in favor of a [naked cash grab](http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2013/06/03/72359-what-would-the-professor-have-thought-of-peter-jacksons-version-of-the-lord-of-the-rings/): > [@](#): > > In regards to selling the film rights, Tolkien and his publishers came up with a “cash or kudos” policy, according to Carpenter. Tolkien put it this way: “Either very profitable terms indeed; or absolute author’s veto on objectionable features or alterations.” (Letter No. 202) They wound up selling the film rights for $100k back in the 60s, I think the $250 million they’re getting for this would fit his “very profitable terms indeed” requirement. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/19 "2017-11-14T14:10:29Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Well, I certainly wouldn’t look to The Silmarillion for any of _those_ things! Story of Turin has slavery, betrayal, love, incest, treachery, and a protagonist with poor impulse control. Couple that with the Tuor’s story with shining Gondolin’s fall, a Balrog battle and refugees flight to the mouth of Sirion and you could do ok. I mean I doubt it would be done well, but the potential is there. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547/20 "2017-11-14T15:42:58Z")
NPR has [some ideas.](https://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2017/11/14/563909344/10-great-perfect-solid-mithril-ideas-for-lord-of-the-rings-tv-spin-offs) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-ring-tv-series-being-discussed/801547.md?page=2)