# Terry Pratchett OKs Night Watch TV Series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [March 19, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280 "2011-03-19T20:40:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![DerNils](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerNils](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerNils)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/181 "2019-11-20T13:44:23Z")
Honestly, the only choice I do not understand is Sibyl, as her being older and not conventionally attractive was very much part of her character and role. All the others? Vetinari has to be a stone cold bitch, independent from gender. CMOT Dibbler can sell his sausages from a Wheel chair as well as from anywhere else, don’t care. Doctor Cruces I honestly don’t remember, but I will take a wild guess and say their gender doesn’t matter either. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/182 "2019-11-20T13:56:38Z")
It reminds me of everyone that got upset over the changes for the Hitchhiker’s movie, in most cases not realizing every version of the story was changed as the media change and Adams approved the Arthur & Trillian angle. I’ll wait an see if they made an interesting show or not and not worry about it being close to the books. Hell if they ever make The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, I expect massive changes at this point. But can they capture the essence of the story and the pacing? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/183 "2019-11-20T15:42:27Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Horseshit. > > There is nothing troglodyte about thinking that the casting of this is a load of utter bollocks. It would only be horseshit if I’d said something like “only troglodytes could possibly object”. I’m sure you have what you consider your non-troglodyte reasons. That doesn’t have any bearing on the cranium-altering effects on actual troglodytes. Although I am curious - what, exactly, are those perfectly non-troglodyte reasons? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/184 "2019-11-20T16:54:23Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I am sad that CMOT is being rewritten to be some sort of thief-adjacent character rather than a merchant, but I’ll live. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Yes, folks, [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=Ruth+Madeley&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj5kYLpx_jlAhWChJ4KHfeNCtsQ_AUoAXoECBEQAw&biw=1408&bih=703) is Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler. I have never in my life wanted something that went woke to go broke so bad. From the article: _"Ruth Madeley (Years and Years) will portray the wiry Throat, the city’s best snitch, with a gang of freelance henchmen at her beck and call "_ I’m not at all sure this is Dibbler at all. And a snitch named Throat is presumably a parody of Watergate. I think it’s a completely separate character. I don’t know if it’s from one of the books. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/185 "2019-11-20T17:20:56Z")
> [@](#): > > I think it’s a completely separate character. I don’t know if it’s from one of the books. Absolutely not. CMOT was commonly referred to as “Throat” both in the descriptions and the dialogue in the books. For example, this passage from Moving Pictures: > [@](#): > > “Where’d Victor go?” said Throat. He pulled a bag out of his pocket. It jingled. Fruntkin’s eyes swiveled toward it as though they were ball bearings and it was a powerful magnet. > “Dunno, Mr. Throat,” he said. “He just went out again when she wasn’t here.” > “Right,” said Throat. “Well, if you see him again, tell him I’m looking for him and I’m going to make him a star, right?” > “Star. Right,” said the dwarf. > Throat reached into his moneybag and produced a ten-dollar piece. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/186 "2019-11-20T17:23:54Z")
Another example (same book): > [@](#): > > Sgt. Colon handed the soggy dog-end back to his companion.“Was that old Throat Dibbler?” he said after a while. > “Yeah,” said Nobby. > “He looked happy, didn’t he?” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/187 "2019-11-20T17:59:15Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I think it’s a completely separate character. I don’t know if it’s from one of the books. The actress specifically mentions: The character of Throat was male in the original books That indicates CMOT. The Discworld did have a Deep Throat parody - Gaspode as Deep Bone in \*The Truth \* ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/188 "2019-11-20T22:02:10Z")
Actually, I can totally see Anna Chancellor as Vetinari, and I don’t have any problem with the gender-flip. Having female wizards is a bit more startling (Bianca Simone Mannie as Wonse), but hell, why not…?! ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/189 "2019-11-20T23:22:25Z")
Well the casting is a real head scratcher. I’m gonna miss Charles Dance as Vetinari, but I’m pretty happy about Richard Dormer as Vimes. That makes me very confused when they cast Hakeem Kae-Kazim as John Keel though. I see John Eaton-Kent is playing Cheery, who I thought was the dwarf female who popularized chainmail lace underwear and I thought that the feminine dwarf aspect was a pretty big part of that character’s ark so I dunno where they are going with that. James Fleet seems pretty cool as the Archchancellor. I was kinda hoping for Nick Frost for CMOT Dibbler, but it seems they’re going in a different direction. I dunno. About now I’m mostly confused where they’re going with this, but I don’t feel super good about it. Then again, the more on-point casting in the other Pratchett productions didn’t salvage them from being more than merely OK so might as well try something new yeah? ---
**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 20, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/190 "2019-11-20T23:48:29Z")
Are any of these people funny? I mean, is this show even a comedy? Based on the press releases, I’m not entirely sure. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/191 "2019-11-20T23:54:11Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > Well the casting is a real head scratcher. I’m gonna miss Charles Dance as Vetinari, but I’m pretty happy about Richard Dormer as Vimes. That makes me very confused when they cast Hakeem Kae-Kazim as John Keel though. > > I see John Eaton-Kent is playing Cheery, who I thought was the dwarf female who popularized chainmail lace underwear and I thought that the feminine dwarf aspect was a pretty big part of that character’s ark so I dunno where they are going with that. > > … > > I dunno. About now I’m mostly confused where they’re going with this, but I don’t feel super good about it. Then again, the more on-point casting in the other Pratchett productions didn’t salvage them from being more than merely OK so might as well try something new yeah? Yeah, all the gender flipping just doesnt make sense. And bringing in a skinny and lovely person to play a heavyset plain person is wrong. Give a plus size actor a chance, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/192 "2019-11-20T23:58:12Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > I see John Eaton-Kent is playing Cheery, who I thought was the dwarf female who popularized chainmail lace underwear and I thought that the feminine dwarf aspect was a pretty big part of that character’s ark As is the fact that Humans can’t easily tell female from male Dwarfs. They all have beards and the all look male, to Human eyes. Having her played by a male actor is at least reasonable. I’d be more concerned if they had picked a female to play her. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/193 "2019-11-21T00:30:30Z")
In Discworld, even dwarves can’t easily tell female from male dwarves. But this looks to me like they were trying to be “woke by checklist”. You can imagine them saying “We have to have some genderflips, and we have to have a disabled person, and we have to have this many minorities”, and so on. Which is entirely the wrong way to go about it. The right way is to decide what’s essential to a character, and then cast the best person for those essentials, regardless of their nonessential traits. And sometimes that best person will be an albino Pygmy woman when the original was tall, dark and male… and sometimes the best actor will also be tall, dark and male. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/194 "2019-11-21T05:50:58Z")
This kind of casting is very much in keeping with such other BBC stuff as _Dr Who_ and _Good Omens_. Both of which are excellent, and not remotely “woke by checklist”. Jesus, what would you people make of _The Last Leg_ (C4, I know, not BBC)… ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/195 "2019-11-21T06:11:18Z")
Here’s the thing, I love Discworld. I’ve read every single book more than once, and Guards! Guards! may be my most re-read book ever. I’ve also watched the Sky One adaptations. Completely loyal to the plot, the visuals and the feeling of the books. And, Om, were they boring and lifeless. Pratchett’s fun was always in the delivery not in the events happening. So, yeah, I’m glad BBC is not trying to be faithful. Let them do their own thing. I’ll judge the result for the entertainment I get from it. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/196 "2019-11-21T07:36:32Z")
given his condition these days… are we sure hes actually aware enough to say yes and it’s not just someone "managing"the rights to his IP? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/197 "2019-11-21T08:40:47Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Here’s the thing, I love Discworld. I’ve read every single book more than once, and Guards! Guards! may be my most re-read book ever. > I’ve also watched the Sky One adaptations. Completely loyal to the plot, the visuals and the feeling of the books. > And, Om, were they boring and lifeless. Pratchett’s fun was always in the delivery not in the events happening. > So, yeah, I’m glad BBC is not trying to be faithful. Let them do their own thing. I’ll judge the result for the entertainment I get from it. This is exactly how I feel, combined with a healthy dose of “I’m sure Pterry would have loved it, he was one of the great iconoclasts” > [@nightshadea](#): > > given his condition these days… are we sure hes actually aware enough to say yes and it’s not just someone "managing"the rights to his IP? I hate to be the one to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure he’s not in a condition to say anything. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/198 "2019-11-21T08:47:54Z")
Did he pass on? Last i heard was when he announced he was in the middle to late stages of dementia ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/199 "2019-11-21T08:56:18Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > Did he pass on? In 2015. > [@](#): > > Last i heard was when he announced he was in the middle to late stages of dementia He had posterior cortical atrophy, where the symptoms are mostly physical to start, and only affect cognition right before the end. _The Watch_ was optioned well before that happened. At which point, it’s out of the author’s hands, usually. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280/200 "2019-11-21T11:14:33Z")
I think we’re well past the point of pretending this has anything but the loosest connection to the books, although this then poses the issue of whether they are worldbuilding from scratch (in which case why bother with Discworld at all) or they’re borrowing bits and pieces from the books but doing other new stuff (in which case they will need to be clear on what’s old and what’s new). I think Chancellor is fine Vetinari choice; Charles Dance is a bit typecast in this sort of thing. The rest of the choices…we’ll see (although nice to see Ingrid Oliver in the mix). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terry-pratchett-oks-night-watch-tv-series/575280.md?page=11)