BBC's new adaptation of 'The Day of the Triffids'

[Lonesome Crow]

Just watched the BBC's new adaptation of John Wyndhan’s classic ‘The Day of the Triffids’ and although they didn’t stick strictly to the book they made a pretty good job of it.
Comedian, Eddie Izzard did an excellent job as the sinister bad guy Torrence and Brian Cox who is always a great actor played the father of the main character Bill Mason. Vanessa Redgrave’s character strayed far from the original in the book but that’s not her fault and as it turned out added an extra twist to the story.
Special effects were very good as were the Triffids themselves, not the slow moving rubber plants we’ve all seen in other productions, these had root like tendrils that snaked across the ground to restrain their victims. They were shown mostly in silhouette in the mist and looked particularly sinister because the flower part at the top of the stem made them look like hoodies.
I normal disapprove when someone messes around with the script of a great classic like this but I have to say Patrick Harbinson’s adaptation for the BBC has not spoilt wyndham’s original in the least.
I was a little surprised the BBC had not advertised this production more, I only saw one advert for it and that was on the day prior to it being aired.

[Scifishocks]

I agree LC, 'twas overall a good adaption.
For such a great story I think the problem down the years filming adaptions has been making the Trifs themselves scary. I seem to remember the ones in the last adaption (in the 80's or whenever) looked like giant rubber Daffodils with the DTs.
The new CGI versions were better...but I still sometimes had trouble believeing the 'scary factor' of these plants. The tendrils all over the shop helped, of course.
Eddie Izzard made a pretty odd (in a good way) villain and I've always had a soft spot for Joely Richardson. No idea why.
Pretty good show.

[Commandingtripod]

Sounds like something I must see.

[Lonesome Crow]

Dec 30, 2009 10:19:03 GMT 1 Commandingtripod said:

Sounds like something I must see.

I don't know where you are in the world - Location: Hidden Dalek Saucer - doesn't give us much of a clue. ;D

But if your in jolly old England, I'm sure the BBC will be repeating it on BBC3 or BBC4 or even BBC5000 any time soon so watch the TV guide.

[Commandingtripod]

Sadly I'm on the other side of the world in the land of Oz LC.

Regardless, there is a little thing in life we like to call people-putting-it-up-for-others-to-download-off-the-internet!

Change of plan, we downloaded it and watched it. Only one real way to describe the show: epic. There were some deviations from the book, however it took nothing away from the experience if you ask me. Although having read the book I know who lives and dies, it was still an on-the-edge-of-the-seat sort of show. The triffids themselves were in my view, picture perfect. Sinister and deadily, much better than the older versions. Eddy Izzard's character to was a strange manic evil, but it all worked out well.

[richardburton]

I thought it was very good too. As well as the cast already mentioned (Eddie Izzard was brilliantly twisted), I thought Dougray Scott did a fine job as the main protagonist. A good actor who didn't seem to get much work after MI2.

[mrgrotey]

I saw this other day after sky+ing it, and thought it was really really well done. Even my gf enjoyed it!! I've never read or seen the original story so I didnt no what to expect other than man eating plants. I was very impressed. The idea was both scary and ridiculous at the same time.

I was however a little disappointed that you never got to see how the plant actually ate us. You saw copious amounts of whips to the eyes and tons of people being dragged off into the darkness but you never saw the main course being eaten

Anyway I thought it was great

[Lonesome Crow]

In the book the Triffid would sting someone and then they just stood over the body until it decayed enough so they could tear lumps of flesh off.
before the mass blinding from the meteor shower the Triffids in the wild mostly feed on small creatures like rats and mice, dropping the small carcases into the cup-like flower at the top of the stem, pretty much like a pitcher plant feeds off insects.
That is one part of the story that did differ from the TV adaptation, in the book Triffids were not a secret they were kept as curiosities by anyone who wanted one, but the whip would be docked every three years (it would take 3/4 years for the Triffid to regrow a new whip and become dangerous again).
As good as the TV version was it's still not as good as the book.