Other than Carcer and the name, there’s been no suggestion of a connection to the book. Pretty sure they’re just using the name because it literally is about the night watch and the book has a good reputation.
I’m guessing the first season will have a lot more in common with Guards! Guards! but with Carcer as an antagonist instead of a dragon. If I was really going to take a stab in the dark, I’d further guess that Carcer is going to be shown becoming the ringleader of a particularly heinous group of criminals (possibly including corrupt watchmen). Vimes and crew will realize that the city’s tolerance for “regulated” crime has gone too far and they have to actually do the whole “serve and protect” thing.
The original team to make this is not involved anymore. Not even Rhianna has any input in this version. It’s basically been taken out of their hands and given to a whole new group, so whatever we thought it might have been, it’s gone through a couple of evolutionary changes. I am worried it might be awful, but more likely it will be good in a not-quite-the-books way like the recent Dirk Gently series was. Which may or may not annoy me.
In the novel, Vimes is transported back in time, where he briefly meets a younger version of his wife. Only a couple of paragraphs, IIRC. Perhaps the series is going to expand the role of young Sybil. So they’ve hired a young actress. And with makeup she can also play the older, larger Sybil.
As for myself, I’d prefer the new writers (assuming the show goes it the direction it seemes to be) receive the same treatment as Terry’s old hard drives.
If that is the way they market it, I’m fine-ish with it. But if they put Pterry’s name anywhere on it except as an “Inspired by the vastly superior to our dreck writings of” then may they rot in Hell.
Then he and his estate should have done a Watterson.
But let’s be honest here - much as I love Pterry, he never was above merchandising the everliving fuck out of the Disc. Any frigging knickknack CMOT Briggs and the gang could imagine.
Too late to be precious about your IP *after *you’ve sold it to the highest bidder.
Count me as a troglodyte, because I think the casting is turning into an absolute and utter shitshow. It is like we have been dropped into a universe where The Onion has become reality.
It’s so far away from what I had always hoped for that I admit I’m a little disappointed from what I’ve read about it. I hope my worries will be unfounded.
Ruth Madeley is disabled in real life, so, aside from the gender change and complete character change, that’s another unexpected adjustment on CMOT Dibbler.
