For the first time in nearly a decade, there was no Game of Thrones to be represented at the Emmys this year. However, that didn’t prevent HBO from doing two things it’s very accustomed to: taking home a ton of awards and answering questions about Game of Thrones.
A year after GoT won for its eighth and final season, the network’s familial Succession took home Best Drama during Sunday’s virtual, COVID-pandemic altered event. That significant win, along with others for Watchmen and I Know This Much is True, proved that HBO isn’t struggling with the genre in a post-Thrones world — but as the network known for the global phenomenon, naturally there were questions about GoT and its spinoff in the works, House of the Dragon.
HBO President Casey Bloys confirmed to Deadline after the awards that casting for HoTD (*immature giggle here*) is ongoing, and that “the drama is still on track for a 2022 launch.”
It’s not much to go on, but it’s nice to know that despite a global pandemic and a shutdown to many, many TV and film productions, HBO is forging ahead on the highly-anticipated spinoff that will focus on House Targaryen and their civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Add this tidbit to the list of what we know about it, including the recent news that casting may be underway for Daemon Targaryen. And stay tuned for more — as soon as we know, you’ll know!
This is nice news! I’m pretty curious about who will be cast as Daemon 🙂
”It’s not much to go on, but it’s nice to know that despite a global pandemic and a shutdown to many, many TV and film productions, HBO is forging ahead on the highly-anticipated spinoff that will focus on House Targaryen and their civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons…”
Much like the NBA (basketball) playoffs have been successfully staged in a sealed “bubble” in Orlando for the past several months, I would expect that TV and film productions should adopt the same concept:
– Seal off the cast and a scaled-down crew in a secure location, with frequent testing and strict prohibitions against contact with “outsiders.”
– Anybody entering the “bubble” must first quarantine for 14 days.
– Limit presence on the set to cast members in the scene, the director, and essential crew only. No onlookers, caterers, gophers, interns, or “production assistants.”
– Creative screenwriting, CGI and special effects to “populate” scenes in post-production.
– Daily, rapid testing for everyone, i.e., tests administered in the morning with results that day or the next morning.
– Provide walled-off areas e.g., control booths and remote monitoring facilities for other production staff. (The NBA playoffs scheme allows owners and other staff to watch the games from sealed-off areas of the arena, eg suites and skyboxes, with independent ventilation systems.)
Ironically, (I think) the NBA was the first sport to shut down as soon as the virus began spreading here in the U.S., and in my mind, it’s the only sport that recommenced its season intelligently.
The question is whether actors bristle against restrictions like being away from their families and not having any contact with the outside world for months at a time; and living in a (luxurious) hotel room.
Though it’s not for me to say, such inconveniences and deprivations seem like a small price to pay for being able to work again.
So why not forge ahead – full speed – on the HotD spinoff? Why wait? Plus, the producers could select a filming location and facilities in a country that has embraced science and gotten a handle on the pandemic.
Am I wrong in assuming that there will be plenty of talented actors willing to live in a sealed-off environment for four or five months?
Do we have any idea what other main characters will be cast? I’m not up on Targaryen lore, or the players in “their civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.”
I wish they’d just re-hire Naomi Watts and cast her as a lead, even if they have to tweak the “canon” a bit.
* P.S. Adrianacandle (re: my ASNAWP Alert in the other comment section.) Thank you for your kind offer. I’m okay for now. However, let me know your thoughts if and when you get a chance to see the series.
As for how to (safely) film a show during the Pandemic, I came across this column written by Maitland Ward among The Daily Beast’s coronavirus and politics coverage.
I do not know who Maitland Ward is. I don’t think I’ve ever watched the TV show she once starred in, “Boy Meets World.” Setting aside the salaciousness of the subject matter and the apparent novelty of a former TV sitcom actress deciding to pursue a career in adult films, she describes the safety protocols that she and her female director implemented that enabled them to film a movie during the Covid era.
What she wrote about made a lot of sense. It’s hard to disagree that what they did “was unprecedented and should be the standard-bearer for not only the porn industry, but how mainstream goes forward with production in the future.”
__________
Maitland Ward in The Daily Beast, 9/19/20
https://www.thedailybeast.com/maitland-ward-on-how-she-made-the-netflix-of-porn-movies-during-the-covid-era
“Maitland Ward: How We Made the First Big Porn Movie of the COVID Era”
The former “Boy Meets World” actress turned adult star writes about how she and director Kayden Kross overcame the obstacles to create an innovative porn movie amid the pandemic.
– The Daily Beast, Sept. 19, 2020
By Maitland Ward
Updated Sep. 19, 2020 2:29AM ET
Published Sep. 19, 2020 12:06AM ET
Maitland Ward on How She Made the Netflix of Porn Movies During the COVID Era
————
Ten Bears,
You’re welcome! And I will! Let me know if you change your mind 🙂
Some of those suggestions offered in the article are good! In playing devil’s advocate a bit, I’d offer that living in a sealed environment, though, for that length of time might come with a lot of challenge and risk… On paper, I think this sounds more minor than it is, especially having to live this way for four to five months.
I think this would be a big challenge for many people in practice and I’m not sure how many would be willing to do this for the sake of a new series that is as yet untested (perhaps more unknown actors might be willing to do this than established actors). New series already have a certain amount of risk factor, there’s no guarantee if they’ll be picked up or be successful. It also comes with potential consequences: having to be sealed off for four to five months in a limited environment with people you don’t really know (and people you’re not sure if you’ll get along with) may be a huge challenge and could lead to fractious relationships. Heightened levels of tension/irritation between cast and crew starting out of the gate.
I don’t know if it’d be the best foot to start on. In my view, I think it’d be best to wait until things
Just my speculations though based on my own experiences! I’m not an expert 🙂
Adrianacandle,
(Ah! I forgot to finish my thought!)
*I don’t know if it’d be the best foot to start on. In my view, I think it’d be best to wait until things settle a bit and the situation gets more underhand. But I know that’s also a big risk unto itself because we don’t know when, if ever, that will be.
Perhaps after a certain amount of time (and if the covid situation is showing no improvement), Ward’s suggestions may be necessary. I’d suggest considering cutting down the window of sealed off time to a month or two though and do filming in smaller chunks? 🙂
(Also, I’m sorry for being a bit of a Debbie Downer about this!)
Based on what I heard, not yet! But I’m certain Viserys I Targaryen, Rhaenyra Targaryen, and Alicent Hightower would be major characters in this. I think your suggestion of Naomi Watts would be a good choice for Alicent Hightower though!
I believe it was Pigeon who suggested Ian Somerhalder for Daemon Targaryen! I think he’d have the right look! 🙂
Adrianacandle,
You’re not being a Debbie Downer.
Your suggestion to consider “cutting down the window of sealed off time to a month or two though and do filming in smaller chunks” makes a lot of sense.
My estimate of 4-5 months was probably based on S8 of GoT, which included the grueling, lengthy filming of “The Long Night.”
I’m not sure how long filming of S1 of the prequel is expected to take. (Don’t the studios have bean counters to monitor the progress of filming and outlays of money? Wouldn’t the producers have to gauge the filming time and resources budgeted? I know I am making uneducated assumptions about the entertainment business…)
I like your suggestion in that (depending on the various characters and subplots), filming could be arranged so that one group of actors for a particular storyline could do all of their S1 filming in a two-month window, and then the next group could come in and do theirs.
Again, I’m patterning this proposal after the far flung plots of GoT’s early seasons. For example, if S5 and S6 were being filmed during the present day hellscape, a unit could film all of Arya’s Braavos scenes straight through; then shift to Dany & co. in Mereen; and then move to John, Stannis and the wildlings.
Filming all of the storylines simultaneously would probably not work these days, for the reason you cited (and most of the cast would be filming for close to the entire 4-5 month time span).
Another consideration, I suppose, is that actors with young children would not be so anxious about leaving them for several months at a time.
(That, by the way, has been a huge imposition on the NBA players whose teams are still in the playoffs: the downside of winning and moving on to the next round is that their reunions with their kids have to wait. I think the league let players on the final four playoff teams have one family member join them in the “bubble” – after a 14- day quarantine – but once they’re in the bubble they can’t leave…)
You know what? It may be more difficult than I envisioned to apply the “bubble” concept to filming a series, unless your suggestion is incorporated. I’m not so sure there will be a pool of talented actors to choose from if cast members can’t see spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, and children for months on end. No weekend junkets or romantic getaways. No visits by loved ones. No parties or socializing with the locals.
Ten Bears,
Yeah, I have no experience in the filming industry to make informed guesses either. I’m not sure how long they’d be expected to film but I think you’re right on how filming time would be gauged, predicted, and planned for before going ahead since I think that’s required already for practical reasons (including the reasons you’ve said: budgeting, resource allocation, those involved having to arrangements for filming, etc.)
You brought up more challenges that I failed to think of with your NBA references (family and friends, if they come to visit, having to stay in the bubble) and how being the guardian of minors can present increased challenges to bubble-filming.
I’d even suggest cutting filming a specific plot into smaller chunks to decrease the toll on mental health (perhaps to one month at most? Still, I’m not educated in that guess there since I’m no mental health or filming professional). This probably would cost more to do (having to stop and start in chunks) and take more time to do because it’d be a less efficient way of filming and require putting up sets/taking down sets/more prep and take-down time… but I think it’d be necessary for the sake of the cast/crew’s mental health to limit their bubble time.
Perhaps sets can’t be as elaborate for this reason? Or maybe they’d have to strike deals with locations for longer filming times?
These are really interesting things to consider so thanks for bringing them up! I would never have considered many of these factors prior to your posts! It’s only now I’m realizing what a vast reach covid measures would have on filming, even the sets themselves…
Perhaps this will become a solid area of exploration and research in the near future.
Could be an interesting topic for an article here too maybe? 🙂
Since there are no “books” to go by, ie just Targ lore and “history,” I wonder if the writers are going to create new characters for narrative purposes, e.g., so a main player will have a “sounding board” for exposition, or the audience will have a stand-in. (Am I making sense?)
One of the very best book-to-film adaptations I’ve ever seen, Clint Eastwood’s “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” was faithful to the source material, with one exception: the screenwriter introduced a new character, to kind of “monitor” the protagonist, track his progress, and serve as a sort of in-universe narrator. I’d have to think more about that character’s function, but the point was, it worked. (It didn’t hurt that this movie-only creation was played by the great Canadian character actor John Vernon – who most people would recognize as Dean Wormer in “Animal House” and the Mayor in “Dirty Harry.”)
So yeah: why not cast Naomi Watts as Alicent Hightower – or create an entirely new character for her?
P.S. Olly on GoT was a show-only creation, wasn’t he?
#F*ckOlly
Ten Bears,
It’s true that some of this story is detailed in the lore like ASOIAF history books such as The World of Ice & Fire and Fire & Blood but I believe some of the story is told in novelettes such as The Rogue Prince and The Princess and the Queen.
Still, I imagine there will have to be some expansion to the narrative to really flesh out the narrative since it’s not on the same level as the stories told in ASOIAF.
I think it’s very possible to create a new character for Naomi Watts! The only issue is that I think it’d need to be a main character if Watts would be playing her? What do you think there? If so, I’m not sure how well that would work — to have a show-only main character who does not exist in the source material. I’ve still yet to see ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales” (from which I believe you said your username comes from, right? :D) and you’re right that Olly was a show-only character but… Olly still wasn’t a main character. I’d characterize him more as a catalyst to account for the changes between the book and the show’s version of Jon’s storyline. If that makes sense?
But perhaps a show-only main character would be more possible in this story since it’s not as fleshed out as ASOIAF.
Adrianacandle,
“…Perhaps this will become a solid area of exploration and research in the near future.
Could be an interesting topic for an article here too maybe? 🙂”
At this juncture, it’s either adapt or give up, isn’t it?
I don’t think many people (here in the U.S. at least) ever envisioned that this nightmare would keep getting worse after the 2-3 month lockdown
that was supposed to give the government an opportunity to tackle the problem head-on. (Instead, President Orson Lannister trumpeted
“It’ll go away – like magic!” and didn’t do squat. He’s still doing nothing – and worse. 😡)
Call me Mr. Buzzkill. I think we’re looking at another year, at a minimum, before we can even begin making headway. Anti-vaxxers, Anti-maskers and Science-deniers are going to continue making life miserable for everyone.
Waiting indefinitely isn’t really an option for TV and film productions, is it?
There are enough creative minds in the entertainment industry to come up with novel ways to produce quality shows and movies while keeping people safe.
That’s my two cents.
Ten Bears,
A few years into this pandemic, I would agree with you but I don’t think we’re at that point quite yet. I think studios are still looking at delaying rather than redesigning the filming process for pandemic conditions.
But I think such redesigns would be wise to start considering now. If worst comes to worst in that we still have no vaccine by perhaps mid-2021, I think creatives and other industry professionals should start thinking of alternatives and bringing those to discussion. Perhaps such discussions are already occurring?
I think you’re right. And I think we’re likely looking at another lockdown (I think covid cases are spiking again since restrictions were relaxed), one that will be less accepted because the “novelty” and “newness” of the first lockdown has definitely worn off and people are sick and tired of the measures.
I think it’s likely to get worse before it gets better. I could go on about how while the internet does many good things, it also allows for people like anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers, and science-deniers to more easily find each other, communicate with each other, and reinforce/expand their ideas (which already have harmful impacts on others — like opting not to wear a mask or sanitize hands, worsening the spread). And that’s not good. It’s like concrete reinforcement for their echo chambers.
Even I, without looking for them, have run into a few of these individuals -_- I mentioned in the other thread about seeing the fake “exemption” anti-mask passes being circulated on Twitter for people to print.
But I think it’s probably wise studios start thinking about how to adapt to pandemic conditions now if this isn’t resolved by mid next year.
I’d love Naomi Watts as well, sigh. Honestly, I’d be happy if they brought in Harry Lloyd again – sure he’s recognizable as Viserys, but a little change of style here and there…and he’s a great actor.
Me too! And with Harry Lloyd, I think it’s possible to do a situation in which the ancestor looks very similar to or identical to their descendent (which they did on Outlander — Black Jack Randall was Frank Randall’s physically identical ancestor. On that note, Tobias Menzies is incredible in Outlander and did such a great job portraying the two very different characters! I think Lloyd could as well!)
Pigeon,
Adrianacandle,
Yes! Harry LLoyd playing a Targ’ with real power could be intensely frightening. Imagine Viserys III with actual ability to punish anyone who displeases him!
Tensor the Mage, Still Loving the Ending,
I’m liking the idea of Harry Lloyd being involved with HotD more and more! 🙂
Adrianacandle,
”And with Harry Lloyd, I think it’s possible to do a situation in which the ancestor looks very similar to or identical to their descendent (which they did on Outlander — Black Jack Randall was Frank Randall’s physically identical ancestor…”
Though I’m not familiar with Old Valyria history or Targaryen lore, wasn’t there a tale of some Targaryen princess or sister [I think her name begins with an “F”) who took a ship and went exploring, only to never be heard from again? As if she’d disappeared into a wormhole or something…
(You can see where I’m going with this… 👸🏻)
You’re so close! Elissa Farman! She wasn’t a Targaryen but she was a close friend of Princess Rhaena Targaryen! She wanted to discover what was west of Westeros and set out on a voyage to discover these lands but neither she or her ship were ever seen again.
However, Elissa’s relationship with Rhaena hit a rough spot when Rhaena denied her funds to build a ship that would sail the Sunset Sea. Rhaena eventually consents (and not happily) but without funds, Elissa steals dragon eggs to sell for gold and pay for her voyage. This would set King Jaehaerys to pursue Elissa but, obviously, they never manage to capture her since Elissa seemingly disappears into that wormhole.
Here’s the full wiki article if you’re interested!
(PS: I sent you an email last night to your WotW account but totally forgot to let you know about it until I remembered just now!)
Random Arya/Alice in Wonderland GOT connection movie.
I just watched Enola Holmes in Netflix. It’s the best new movie I’ve seen in quite some time. The lead character definitely plays an Arya type role. She won’t learn her needlepoint. She is a good fighter and definitely doesn’t want to be a lady. Her brother is the famous Sherlock Holmes
It has a great cast. You will spot Burn Gorman from GOT. He plays a nasty character (and has a knife again) who has several run ins (And fights) with Enola.
Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things fame plays Enola. I thought she did a great job. This would have been a great role for Maisie when she was younger but she could definitely play Enola in her 20’s.
Anyway this is the kind of story that really works for me. For Harry Potter fans you have Fiona Shaw (Petunia Dursley) who plays the head of a degrading finishing school but she does own one of the first little cool motor carts that looks
Like a cart without a horse.
Helena Bonham Carter is Enola’s mom
She was in lots of things including Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland as the queen. She had a smaller part in the movie but she was very memorable.
It was a clever story with clever characters and it you like British things it has great scenery. It also has clever credit titles. I really liked it if you can’t tell.
Tron79,
Hey, Tron! 😀 GRRM recently made a post on his (not a) blog that made me think of you — he binged His Dark Materials!
___
I just saw the previews for this on Netflix and am wanting to give it a try. I really enjoy all the actors and actresses you mention! Thanks for the write up!
Adrianacandle,
Thanks for sharing GRRM’s post!
I think the artist in you will enjoy the credits of Enola Holmes.
Tron79,
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m looking forward to it! I’m working on painting several teeny miniature weirwood trees so it sounds like Enola Holmes will be good company for that 🙂
Adrianacandle,
Although GRRM should be writing instead of binging. Oy.
That thought may have crossed my mind too… 😅😅😅
The teeny weirwoods sound cool.
It’s definitely still in the experimental phase — each one takes about 6 hours to paint to achieve the precision I want (and I’m still not 100% happy — three coats of thinned acrylic to improve flow and get into the tiny crevices. Helped by a 000 brush! But painting with a 000 brush extends work by decades ;D).
I can send you a photo when I’m all done! 🙂
I would love to see them. Sounds very challenging, but you could make your own mini opening credits world of GOT… (starting with the weirwoods)
Awesome! Once I photograph them, I’ll send you a photo!
And I’ll have the credits ready in 20 years, right in time for TWOW 😉
Adrianacandle,
”You’re so close! Elissa Farman! She wasn’t a Targaryen but she was a close friend of Princess Rhaena Targaryen! She wanted to discover what was west of Westeros and set out on a voyage to discover these lands but neither she or her ship were ever seen again.”
Well, then. As you noted, Tobias Menzies was able to play two different characters in two different eras in “Outlander”:
”I think it’s possible to do a situation in which the ancestor looks very similar to or identical to their descendent (which they did on Outlander — Black Jack Randall was Frank Randall’s physically identical ancestor…)”
I only saw one or two episodes of Outlander, in which Tobias Menzies played the cuckolded husband in the present while his wife was getting knocked up in the past. And then he agreed to raise her paramour’s baby as his own, and she reluctantly agreed to remain faithful and refrain from time-traveling. Or something like that. (I assume her new-found monogamy didn’t last: otherwise would be no show.)
I read about evil Black Jack in EW, but never saw any episodes with that past version of Tobias Menzies’s present-day cheated-upon husband.
Anyway, since Elissa Farman “wanted to discover what was west of Westeros and set out on a voyage to discover these lands but neither she or her ship were ever seen again,” why not have an actress portray her who also portrayed a future doppelgänger? It’s not as if some form of time travel is completely foreign to the world of GoT, at least in show canon.
(I’ll have to consult that Wiki article you were kind enough to link to see if Elissa was a contemporary of Daemon T.)
Tron79,
Thanks for that Enola Holmes review and recommendation. I’ll definitely put it on my “To Watch” list. I was a big fan of “Elementary” with Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Natalie Dormer as Irene Adler, though I’ve yet to catch up on the final two seasons of that show on my DVR.
So Burn Gorman aka Karl “Fooking Legend of Gin Alley” Tanner is in Enola Holmes? Sounds interesting. I also liked Burn Gorman as the goofy scientist or mathematician in “Pacific Rim.”
Helena Bonham Carter as Enola’s mom: another enticement. I loved, loved HBC in “Fight Club.”
——
Edit: I see others have weighed in on your recommendation. I hope my comments aren’t redundant.
Adrianacandle,
Hey! My 7:52 pm reply to you (about Elissa F) is stuck in Moderation Purgatory. I don’t know what I did to offend the Lord of Light. There were no embedded links in my reply. Maybe I included certain triggering proper nouns?
Yes, I really enjoyed the movie. Karl “Fooking Legend of Gin Alley” Tanner is definitely in the movie. He pops up several times, and he is quite nasty. Enola is a decent fighter. She might not be quite up to Arya’s standards, but she holds her own. Fighting (in various styles) was part of her mom’s home schooling regimen. She’s not a ninja, but she’s no slouch. The cast is excellent.
Ten Bears,
I think the Lord of Light released your reply!
(Looks like my reply is now in moderation too…)
Well, that isn’t quite what happened… 🙂
In agreeing to raise Claire’s child with Jamie, Frank’s condition was that Claire promise to leave Jamie in the past — stop her search for information on what happened to Jamie after the battle of Culloden (if he died or not). They try to make their relationship work but it’s heavily strained as Claire, while she never talks about Jamie and stops her search for information about him, can no longer return the type of love she once had for Frank. She and Frank eventually have an agreement that Frank can see other people, as long as he’s discreet. However, Claire has no additional relationships with anyone else during this time period, which is about 20 years, until Frank’s death. A year or so after Frank’s death, Claire is given information Jamie survived the Battle of Culloden. She eventually returns to the 1700s (about 1770, I believe).
Black Jack Randall was… yeah, he was a piece of work!
Do you mean Maisie Williams? If so, unless they tweak Elissa’s appearance, I don’t know if MW would fit unless they made her blonde-haired and blue-eyed? Unless I’m misunderstanding you!
Elissa’s story also occurred a few decades before the time period HotD is set in so I don’t think she’ll be included…
I just replied to your Elissa post but it’s currently stuck in purgatory as well! However, to be fair, I’ve been negligent in my sacrifices to our Lord of Light.
Ahhh I am glad to hear your positive review! I have been a fan of Henry Cavill for about 15 years (wait…..can that possibly be accurate….holy crap 😬), but I admit he can be hit or miss. How was he in this? I know Burn from Torchwood and GoT, and hopefully no one blasts me for this, but I have never watched Stranger Things 😱. I have seen MBB in a couple of things, and she absolutely reminds me of Natalie Portman. And Sam Claflin is a favourite. I got tired of HBC’s “crazy lady with wild hair” shtick after the 50th time, but i loved her in the King’s Speech and some earlier roles.
I’ve heard that they’re making a series at some point of one of my favourite book characters of modern times, Flavia de Luce, and if that comes to be i really hope they get the casting right. She’s a mischievous 12 year old with a talent for chemistry and solving crime from her family’s crumbling estate in 1950ish England.
Henry Cavill played the famous Sherlock Holmes. He was excellent. I thought he had a good connection onscreen with sister MBB. Sam Claflin played the not so gifted brother. He had the money but didn’t have his brother’s looks or smarts. Enola was much more of a kindred spirit with Sherlock, since she was also very clever, and she was talented at solving puzzles. She didn’t give him an easy time though, since Sherlock abandoned his family (including his sister) to pursue his own life. Somehow Cavill had an amicable relationship with brother Claflin even though Claflin played the character you loved to hate. The brothers were total opposites.
Well, I can’t wait to see it now, thank you! There’ve been a lot of disappointing movies lately, I’m looking forward to a good one! 😊
I’m a big Sherlock Holmes fan, particularly Jeremy Brett, but like to see the focus here on the sister’s character and her own story.
Pigeon,
Time to play a little Six Degrees of Game of Thrones with “Enola Holmes”?
• As noted above, Burn Gorman (GoT’s Karl “Fooking Legend of Gin Alley” Tanner) is in Enola Holmes.
• Sam Claflin (as Enola’s brother Mycroft Holmes) co-starred in “Me Before You” with Emilia Clarke.
• The 9/23/20 Washington Post column (excerpts below) describes “Enola Holmes” as “a new film from Harry Bradbeer, known for directing all but one episode of “Fleabag” …
Sian Clifford co-starred in “Fleabag” as Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s sister.
Sian Clifford also co-starred in the recently released six-part Sky TV series “Two Weeks to Live” starring Maisie Williams.
Which yet again proves the ancient Roman adage that: “All Roads Lead to Arya.”
——————-
(Excerpts from) 9/23/20 Washington Post column about “Enola Holmes”:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/09/23/enola-holmes-sherlock-adaptations/
Put your sleuthing cap on with ‘Enola Holmes’ and these 8 other Sherlock adaptations
By Sonia Rae, Reporter
September 23, 2020 at 6:00 AM EDT
The game is afoot, ol’ chap! Netflix has released “Enola Holmes” and before we get any further, let us assure you that was the first and last attempt at British parlance you’ll read here today. It’s just hard not to get swept up in the tweed suits of it all (or the restrictive Victorian-era dresses in which Miss Enola manages to sleuth).
The new film from Harry Bradbeer, known for directing all but one episode of “Fleabag,” stars Millie Bobby Brown as the spunky kid sister of famous brothers Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes (Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin, respectively)…
… “Enola Holmes,” based on Nancy Springer’s book series, is the latest in a long line of Sherlock Holmes stories and spinoffs to wind up on screen….
———-
Tron79,
• ”Enola is a decent fighter. She might not be quite up to Arya’s standards…”
Who is?
• ”Fighting (in various styles) was part of her mom’s home schooling regimen.”
That reminds me:
Have you seen Maisie Williams in “Two Weeks to Live” yet? Her character was also home-schooled by her mom in various fighting styles. 👸🏻
Ten Bears,
and Adriana,
I started watching the first series of ‘Outlander’. It was well acted but I chickened out because I read that there was something about a rape so I never finished it. I know there was rape in both GoT and the ASOIAF books but somehow I was able to distance myself. I made a quip about Clare travelling back in time and meeting a laird and people who travel back in time in fantasy/science-fiction never seeming to have a significant other who does a menial job when they go back through the centuries. A Scots lady pointed out that ‘Outlander’ had been beneficial for Scots tourism.
I have never seen ‘Beautiful Girls’. I’ve heard of Natalie Portman of course but I’m not that familiar with her work. If people like Sherlock type stories there is a (still short at the moment) series of detective novels by M S S Kasasian set in late 19th century London featuring March Middleton and her uncle Sidney Grice (a private detective). ‘The Mangle Street Murders’ is (I think) the first one. The same writer has written a few books set in the early 20th century (well just post World War I) featuring a police woman called Betty Church. The books have a touch of humour also. Of course, I can’t guarantee those books would be to other peoples’ tastes. The library in my hometown re-opened recently and I was able to get some REAL books out on loan. I have an Elonex reader (sort of poor relation of a Kindle) but I haven’t worked out how to download online books to it.
Ten Bears, I don’t know if the humour from this clip from British TV programme ‘The Impressions Show’ will cross the Atlantic but here goes – it’s a skit on the homelife of Tim Burton and HBC (I know they’re no longer together) with John Culshaw and Debra Stephenson. Debra Stephenson has also worked as a serious actress (‘Bad Girls’, ‘Coronation Street’) https://youtu.be/071LMhYM8nE Johnny Depp – not the real one – makes an appearance towards the end of the clip
If there are any people who like vintage detective fiction during the lockdown I came across a YouTube channel MJam – from London, where the YouTuber reads vintage stories. There are some Agatha Christie stories and Sherlock Holmes ones – the YouTuber has to use out of print books to avoid copyright strikes. It may not be for everyone – not everyone likes audio but I sometimes like something on in the background while I devote myself to a task (obviously if that task was vacuuming it wouldn’t work!!!!). https://www.youtube.com/user/spiliph123
Can’t think of a potential Daemon offhand. I think I once before suggested the actor who played King Arthur in ‘Merlin’ though I’m not sure if he’s 40 yet. (Just googled his name – it’s Bradley James but the article didn’t give his birth date).
I was trying to watch the YouTube link you sent me but it zooms in too close every few seconds and it was too annoying to watch cuz I couldn’t really see what was happening. I have a vpn that makes the world think I’m in the UK. I was going to signup for NowTV so I could get sky one, but it won’t take my USA credit card. It works with PayPal but it only lets me use my business checking account(and not my personal credit card) and it would be tough to write off as a business expense so I am stuck at the moment in a catch22. I haven’t found a safe download site. I don’t really want to get malware. I would love to see it somehow but the YouTube link really wasn’t watchable for me.
Yeah, there is a rape that happens toward the end of the first season and it’s pretty graphic. I know a few people who weren’t able to continue the series because of it and they are scenes I need to skip over on rewatch. In the following seasons, there are multiple rapes that happen (books and show). None quite so graphic as that one in the first season but this has been a point of debate (sometimes contention) among the viewership. When I put on the series for rewatch if I’m doing a project and can’t devote a lot of eye time to the screen (so putting on things I’ve already watched and am familiar with is helpful for that), I have to skip over the rape scenes (I think there are fives rapes, one per season so far).
You’re not wrong about Claire meeting somebody who does (or only does) menial jobs or is on a lower-rung in that society 🙂 While Jamie isn’t a laird at the time Claire meets him, he’s the nephew of the laird of a pretty big clan
So you’re not wrong! 😉
I didn’t know that about Outlander improving tourism for Scotland! I’ve always wanted to visit there myself because of its dramatic landscapes and how great they’d look in near infrared-red! 🙂
I have to fast forward during the Theon torture porn scene in Season 3 episode 7 though apparently that was written by GRRM. It happens off page in the books (as you no doubt know as you are a book reader).
I never got round to watching season 3 of ‘Versailles’ although the first two series were well acted but they started to diverge from what happened historically too much by the end of season two so that I lost interest.
Dame of Mercia,
I find myself having to skip or avoid rape scenes (as well as scenes associated with these rapes) — just for personal reasons. Consequently, I find it difficult to assess these stories and plots with neutrality :/
I’ve never watched Versailles! I did watch The Tudors when it was airing and I’ve seen more than one accuracy criticism levied at that series 😉
Adrianacandle,
I came close to an unpleasant experience when I was about 9 – but some people were walking their dog and scared off the person (who was only a teenager but a stranger to me). I can’t remember whether I told my parents – at that age I was a bit – well the danger has passed so I was okay but in retrospect it could have been nasty if that random couple hadn’t come along, so I don’t glory in stories about rape. If something like that happens in a televised story I prefer if the event is implied without actually showing it – even if it’s only an enactment. I found the Jeyne Poole/Ramsay marriage night in ADWD hard going. By the way, are you an early riser – your earliest posts from today must have been made early because the other side of the Atlantic (to the UK) is at least 5 hours behind UK time?
Dame of Mercia,
Yeah, I feel the same way you do. And what a horrible memory to have… I’m sorry.
As to being an early riser, I’d love to say yes but the real answer is — not really 🙂 I have extremely erratic sleep patterns and can only sleep for about one to three hours at a time (this is in part due to my OCD and severe anxiety, resulting in nightmares). Not healthy 🙂 I also have a sun sensitivity so I avoid daylight whenever I can (which isn’t always possible) and my most productive hours are at night. The final reason is that when I’m working on projects, I sometimes work for stretches of 24 hrs to 48 hrs in one go, which messes things up even further.
I basically have no sleep/wake clock T_T
I’m in Alberta so I’d be about 8 hours behind you! At this time, it is 8:15 AM, two hours behind the time zone on this site (10:15 AM)!
So I’ve finally finished Fire & Blood and I am now quite excited about this new show. Based upon the book alone there must be four or five seasons worth of good TV.
I am thinking something like S1 (Aegons Conquest), S2 (Aegons Rule), S2/S3 (the period of his sons including Maegor the cruel), the reign of Jaeharys (S3) and S4/S5 (the dance of dragons and immediate aftermath). My only concern is they will need a big budget for the latter seasons!
I finally got my nowtv free trial to work, so I’m watching Two Weeks to Live… Episode 2 has a funny easter egg when Maisie is in a fight..she’s being held by the neck and she does a replay of the Night King knife drop with a bottle instead of knife! I’m quite enjoying this series…
I find my excitement for this new series to be growing and I’m pretty happy when there’s any news about it 🙂
Tron79,
I was able to watch Enola Holmes yesterday! Really, really liked it!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!! I’m hoping she has some more adventures.
just like Arya she….
Tron79,
I did like that final shot of Enola in the crowded street on a bicycle! 🙂
Yep, I did see some similarities with Anne with an E. Speaking of opening credits, I loved Anne with an E’s artwork for the opening credits. Although I liked Anne with an E, it was still a bit too much Little House on the Prairie for me. I did love Anne’s character though, and I can see what you are saying about…
Tron79,
Oh! I should have clarified! I didn’t mean Anne With an E but Anne of Green Gables. While Anne With an E is an adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (well, the premise), it’s comprised of 90% original materials and stories. The original story is quite different.
If you’d like to know the original story written by L.M. Montgomery, look for the novel or the 1985-87 CBC Sullivan series 🙂
Here is the proposal scene I was thinking about with Anne/Gilbert in Anne of Green Gables!
I agree with you about Enola and the distinction you made!
Tron79,
Re: Enola on the bicycle:
You’re right, she did make a point she’s not great on a bicycle. I wonder if her riding a bike through the streets, no restrictions, is emblematic of her not letting anything hold her back as she forges her path?
The movie made a big point in that each Holmes is forging their own path and forging it on their own. And now, Enola is trying things totally on her own, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city, even if they’re things she couldn’t master before.
I think that kind of thing says quite a bit about her character (and anyone who does this). It’s easier to do things you’re already good at, you don’t need to overcome failure and frustration to persist — the risk is that you may get bored with it though. It’s harder to persist at learning something you’re not so good at as it requires you to fall, pick yourself up, and try and try again and overcome that frustration and sense of failure.
But I don’t know… I’m just rambling 🙂
That’s not rambling. I think you are right on with your analysis of the bicycle. I like what you said about her trying things they aren’t always comfortable or things she may not be good at yet. You said it better than me 🙂
I’m glad these thoughts made some sense!
Also, if you ever had the inclination, I’d recommend the original Anne of Green Gables series! What I find pretty notable about the series is that it was written by a woman in the time it was set in (early 1900s) rather than by somebody trying to recreate the feeling of this time — in that this was L.M. Montgomery’s time and it was happening to her now.
If you’re interested, Margaret Atwood an essay on Anne of Green Gables (and on the Anne phenomenon) in 2008! 🙂
Adrianacandle,
*Margaret Atwood *wrote an essay[…]
Sounds like I have some reading to do. I did quite enjoy your recommendation of the Feldman GOT essays to help me get even more from the books.
Tron79,
Oh good!!
And re: the Anne of Green Gables novels, if you do want to try them, they’re not big books — easy to get through, not forever long 🙂
And what’s more, they are a Canadian classic!
If you’re interested in the 1980s movie series, email me! It can be hard to find now but I can point you in the right direction 🙂
Megan Follows, for me, is the definitive Anne.
Going through the “Haunted Woods” near Green Gables is still one of the highlights of my life. 😄 I was in PEI for 10 days and that was enough to make me realize 20 years later that I will live there someday. 100%. ❤
Did you read the Emily of New Moon series? I liked that as much if not more than Anne!
Pigeon,
Oh! The Haunted Woods! Where Anne faints from her own story that she’s telling herself about those woods because she’s scared herself so badly XD
I went to PEI for only three days when I was 16 but I didn’t go through the Haunted Woods! 10 days…. that’d be amazing! I only saw the Anne house… but I went to the musical that night 🙂 I remember in the convenience stores, even those were filled with Anne merch 🙂
Oh, isn’t PEI really the most beautiful place? The red soil, the dramatic cliffs, the lighthouses, the colour everywhere (how their leaves turn all the shades of colour from bright green to deep red in the fall)… 🙂
And then to go back to the prairies after all that -_-
I did!! I even have the porcelain doll! (That I got after seeing the musical at the gift store! Emily and Diana! :D)
I have a question – is the recent trailer of “Dance of Dragons” a total spoiler for the whole series, explaining the whole story in advance?
Dire Guineapig,
Yeah, that seems to cover some of the story — mostly the war and battle parts of the era I think HotD will be covering. However, it doesn’t really cover everything about these characters’ lives (Alicent, Rhaenyra, Daemon). There’s more story to tell about them 🙂
I had understood that House of the Dragon will cover the core themes of the Fire & Blood book rather than just the Dance of Dragons. If I am right then the Dance is only about 20-30% of the story and there is a lot of other good stuff too.