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Brian Edwards

Web Developer and Professional Geek Go to www.scifind.com to see more of my projects.

The War Of The Worlds – BBC One

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The Trailer for the BBC One The War Of The Worlds adaptation that is to be screened in Autumn 2019 is now with us, and it is looking good.

This promises to be possibly the most faithful version of HG Well’s classic to date. And looking at the trailer it will be a blast even if it diverts from the original plot a little.
The screen adaptation is on good hands with Peter Harness who has adapted  Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell for TV and written several episodes of Doctor Who.
But this particular version of War Of The Worlds produced by the BBC has an odd little history. The original announcement and snippet in a BBC Drama trailer had it pinned to last years schedules, then it just disapeared.
After spending a year in the wilderness it is back, and those pesky martians are looking good.t
The official blurb so far states: “This is the original alien invasion story. Staring Eleanor Tomlinson, Rafe Spall and Robert Caryle, this tense and thrilling drama follows a young couple’s race for survival against escalating terror of an alien enemy beyond their comprehension. “

 

Glad to see we have the tripods of old and not the flying saucers of the original cinematic version made in the 1950s (Set ‘present day’ America is actually a good film, check it out War of The Worlds 1953 on Amazon.co.uk)

BBC War Of The Worlds Images

When is BBC’s War Of The Worlds adaptation being released?

  • Autumn 2019 in UK
  • Other details coming soon

BBC 2019 War Of The Worlds Cast

So, who stars in this BBC Adaptation

  • Rafe Spall
  • Eleanor Tomlinson
  • Robert Caryle
  • Rupert Graves
  • Jacob.R Molloy.

 

Not The First War Of The Worlds Adaptation But Will It Be The Best?

The big question. H G Well’s source material has had many adaptations, this seems that the setting will leave it as the most loyal to the feel of the original.

But of the other adaptations, which is the best?

This is hard to say, but my personal take on these are as follows.

  1. War Of The Worlds 1953
    • Yes this is my favourite, and will be. I am hoping it will be blown out of the water by the Rafe Spall / BBC version though. It will always have a special place in my heart as this introduced me to the story as a young child, only reading the book at school a few years later.
  2. Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds.
    • “The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one….. But still They come.” Jeff Wayne’s concept album, though uses some prog rock and sometimes dated beats really feels so true a version. Richard Burton‘s voice add so much richness to the part of the narrator, I get goosebumps each time.  Again growing up with this version on audio cassette of all things. I have several versions, with multiple re releases – but not seen the stage play. Will have to do that mean time.
  3. The Tom Cruise / Stephen Spielberg version.
    • Yes I do rate this as not a bad interpretation, though a little too Hollywood for some’s taste.

In conclusion, this much loved text does have a plethora of versions, remakes, sequels (yes there was an early 1990s sequel TV series of the 1953 movie, but that in turn was just a rip off of the 1980s Alien Invasion series V.)

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