Spoilers Lord of the Rings TV series

[The Lensman]

I'm down for a Lord Of The Rings t.v. series as the Jackson films haven't aged well for me.
As far as new fantasy show? I'm not interested in watching a GoT or LotR clone. I'd be down for a show based on Zelazny's "Amber" series, any of Moorock's "Champion Eternal" books, Lieber's "Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser" books or Vances "Dying Earth" stories.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I wouldnt really hold a high opinion of the Tolkien family being hardcore backers of thematically accurate product.

The games Shadow of Mordor, Shadow of War have sold millions of copies and feature a Dunedain Ranger named Talion who is brought back to life by the spirit of the elf Celebrimbor(who crafted the rings of power) merging with his body.

The sequel has Shelob with a female human form...

That's all based off the movie license from Tolkien Enterprises, which, despite the name, has nothing to do with the estate or the family.

 

[Nomad]

I'm down for a Lord Of The Rings t.v. series as the Jackson films haven't aged well for me.
As far as new fantasy show? I'm not interested in watching a GoT or LotR clone. I'd be down for a show based on Zelazny's "Amber" series, any of Moorock's "Champion Eternal" books, Lieber's "Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser" books or Vances "Dying Earth" stories.

I agree with all of those, especially the Dying Earth. Vance was brilliant, and his novels deserve some sort of adaptation. Since the original book was a string of loosely connected stories, it would work well as the basis for a TV series.

 

[Jedman67]

I prefer they make a show about the Magician by Robert Feist.

Raymond E. Feist's works would be a good place to develop a show.

I'm down for a Lord Of The Rings t.v. series as the Jackson films haven't aged well for me.
As far as new fantasy show? I'm not interested in watching a GoT or LotR clone. I'd be down for a show based on Zelazny's "Amber" series, any of Moorock's "Champion Eternal" books, Lieber's "Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser" books or Vances "Dying Earth" stories.

I think done right, the books can be adapted for TV. Probably better to start new with a whole new era.
You can't do anything with Amber without being doped up on acid.

 

[StarCruiser]

Messing too much with the core of the story would be foolish. We are used to seeing that often in this age of short attention span directors (JJ, I'm looking at you) but, LoTR is iconic and so are the characters. Gandalf is, basically, a lower order angel sent to Middle Earth to watch out for Sauron's activities and attempt to interfere with them. So is Saruman, and the rest of the order of Istari (Wizards). This is so central to his character that changing it would be disastrous.

I really recommend reading the original books. You can get them very cheap at any used book stores and they are all wonderful.

As good as the LoTR films are, they are still not as good as JRR Tolkien's original books. Now, I might not recommend reading "The Silmarillion" unless you like reading the Bible since it's a very hard read (I've done it).

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yeah, The Silmarillion is a tough read. I don't think I've actually finished it, instead I just jumped around to various sections of the book that I was most interested at that time and that was a decade and a half ago.

 

[fireproof78]

As good as the LoTR films are, they are still not as good as JRR Tolkien's original books. Now, I might not recommend reading "The Silmarillion" unless you like reading the Bible since it's a very hard read (I've done it).

I enjoy it, but it definitely is very mythological in its scope. As interesting as that is to me, its not for everyone.

 

[The Lensman]

Messing too much with the core of the story would be foolish. We are used to seeing that often in this age of short attention span directors (JJ, I'm looking at you) but, LoTR is iconic and so are the characters. Gandalf is, basically, a lower order angel sent to Middle Earth to watch out for Sauron's activities and attempt to interfere with them. So is Saruman, and the rest of the order of Istari (Wizards). This is so central to his character that changing it would be disastrous.

I really recommend reading the original books. You can get them very cheap at any used book stores and they are all wonderful.

As good as the LoTR films are, they are still not as good as JRR Tolkien's original books. Now, I might not recommend reading "The Silmarillion" unless you like reading the Bible since it's a very hard read (I've done it).

The Silmarillion was an even tougher nut to crack for me than Lord Of The Rings, but it's now my favorite book in the Middle Earth oeuvre. The only "bible like" parts are in the beginning of the book, the rest (especially the parts with Beren, Hurin and Turin) read like something at home in the era of Beowulf and could easily be adapted for t.v. I also like that the Elves are fiery and passionate in The Silmarillion, took some getting used to.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

As good as the LoTR films are, they are still not as good as JRR Tolkien's original books. Now, I might not recommend reading "The Silmarillion" unless you like reading the Bible since it's a very hard read (I've done it).

When I was much younger, I describing reading The Silmarillion as being like reading The Bible, but that's not precisely correct. It's more accurate to say that reading The Silmarillion is like reading a pagan Norse saga, and the reason reading The Silmarillion is difficult is that the pagan Norse epics weren't meant to read. They were meant to be recited and heard, around a bonfire, in a hall, aboard a longship. The Silmarillion is a Nordic oral tradition put on paper, and I always recommend to people when they get "stuck" to read a page or two aloud so they get can a "feel" for the rhythm and cadence of the tale.

 

[N-121973]

When I was much younger, I describing reading The Silmarillion as being like reading The Bible, but that's not precisely correct. It's more accurate to say that reading The Silmarillion is like reading a pagan Norse saga, and the reason reading The Silmarillion is difficult is that the pagan Norse epics weren't meant to read. They were meant to be recited and heard, around a bonfire, in a hall, aboard a longship. The Silmarillion is a Nordic oral tradition put on paper, and I always recommend to people when they get "stuck" to read a page or two aloud so they get can a "feel" for the rhythm and cadence of the tale.

Or get an unabridged audio edition.

 

[StarCruiser]

That's a good way to describe it!

It definitely has a pacing to it that is more like a form of poetry than just a story or passage from the Bible...

 

[Ridcully]

Why not Guy Gavriel Kays The Fionavar tapestry??
That is one interesting Triology, and he has done all kinds of work!

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Yeah, The Silmarillion is a tough read. I don't think I've actually finished it, instead I just jumped around to various sections of the book that I was most interested at that time and that was a decade and a half ago.

I couldn't read The Silmarillion without skipping large chunks. I enjoyed the audiobook read by Martin Shaw a lot more.

ETA: Assuming the rights are available, I'd be prepared to attempt to watch an adaptation of The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin and maybe even The Advenures of Tom Bombadil and other tangentially related Tolkien stories provided they don't mess with too much of the core elements, mythology and characters. I'm just glad I'm not the one ponying up $200+ for a bunch of stories with which hardly anyone is familiar. Dragons but no tits or arse though please. Explicit sexual content would take a complete dump on Tolkien's legacy IMO.

 

[DigificWriter]

Why not Guy Gavriel Kays The Fionavar tapestry??

Yes, please.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I'd like a better adaptation of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy (at the least) than the SyFy channel gave us. The Studio Ghibli anime adaptation was better but still flawed as it was set in too late a time frame to explore the world and Ged's background. Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series would also fulfill the dragon quota and might even allow for some titillation for those that dig that.

 

[JasonJ]

I asume this will be about Gandoff when he was younger and we find out he was kick-ass solider who just dabbled in magic at that age or maybe modern update set in a version of 2017 or maybe Sam has a kid that heads off for adventure.

Jason

No I haven't read the books but then when it comes to bringing books to tv and movies you always can make changes that you think might work better for that medium. Plus while you clearly want the popularity of the movies/books to bring people to the show you also would most likely want to add some new wrinkles to make your show feel more unique and not just like your copying everything from the books or the movies.

Jason

Naw, J... you can't do that here, not with Gandalf. He's essentially a lessor Angel of God (Maiur) in physical form, sent to watch and guide over ME. Changing his backstory would be akin to making Worf a human from Canada and changing it so that first contact occurred with the Breen and not Vulcans. You just can't do that. You had might as well make up new characters set in the same universe.

 

[Jedman67]

I couldn't read The Silmarillion without skipping large chunks. I enjoyed the audiobook read by Martin Shaw a lot more.

ETA: Assuming the rights are available, I'd be prepared to attempt to watch an adaptation of The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin and maybe even The Advenures of Tom Bombadil and other tangentially related Tolkien stories provided they don't mess with too much of the core elements, mythology and characters. I'm just glad I'm not the one ponying up $200+ for a bunch of stories with which hardly anyone is familiar. Dragons but no tits or arse though please. Explicit sexual content would take a complete dump on Tolkien's legacy IMO.

Children of Hurin had quite a bit of sex in it, if you read between the lines just a little.
Also I really didn't care for the novel, it just lacked the verbal 'magic' of JRR Tolkien*

*The novel of Children of Hurin was written by Christopher Tolkien, based on the various story bits and notes written by his father.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Children of Hurin had quite a bit of sex in it, if you read between the lines just a little.
Also I really didn't care for the novel, it just lacked the verbal 'magic' of JRR Tolkien*

*The novel of Children of Hurin was written by Christopher Tolkien, based on the various story bits and notes written by his father.

I prefer what's between the lines remain there - that's just my preference. Christopher Tolkien and Guy Gavriel Kay had significant input when making The Silmarillion suitable for publication - not sure how much is JRRT's original work.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'd like a better adaptation of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy (at the least) than the SyFy channel gave us. The Studio Ghibli anime adaptation was better but still flawed as it was set in too late a time frame to explore the world and Ged's background.

This still pisses me off to this day. I grew up loving the Earthsea series and I was extremely disappointed with what we got. So was le Guin, to the point that she called out the director for failing to understand her material. I haven't seen the Studio Ghibi production, but I hope some day someone will take another crack at this series because it's such a rich universe.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

This still pisses me off to this day. I grew up loving the Earthsea series and I was extremely disappointed with what we got. So was le Guin, to the point that she called out the director for failing to understand her material. I haven't seen the Studio Ghibi production, but I hope some day someone will take another crack at this series because it's such a rich universe.

It still seems much more impressive and immersive to me than even LotR and the Harry Potter series. However, I never ventured past The Farthest Shore to read Tehanu, The Other Wind, or Tales From Earthsea.