Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ Set For TV Adaptation With BBC Studios & Narrativia
EXCLUSIVE: Terry Pratchett fans may want to stay close to a television screen over the next couple of years: his comedy fantasy book series Discworld has become his latest work to be snapped up for a small screen adaptation. BBC Studios is developing a six-part series based on the long-running epic novel series.
As a loooong time Pratchett fan, I am thrilled by this news. I was fortunate to get a signed copy of his last ever book right before his passing and I read that slowly knowing we would never see any of his work again. Apparently, his notes and semi-completed manuscripts were destroyed :(
The TV movie adaptations (especially with Jason) were surprisingly well-budgeted for UK productions.
In the age of Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, Game of Thrones ... f you are looking for a lucrative, literary genre-friendly franchise to turn into binge-worthy TV, then this would be a good place to start ...
Simon Allen, who has written series including Strike Back, The Musketeers and Sky’s forthcoming reboot of Das Boot, is writing the series, which has a working title of The Watch. BBC Studios is looking to set up the show as a returnable franchise. No broadcasters are currently attached but the production arm of the British public broadcaster, which is now free to sell to all third-party broadcasters, is eyeing the adaptation as a major international co-production. It is co-producing the series with Narrativia, the production company founded by Pratchett in 2012 and now run with Pratchett’s daughter Rhianna and his former business manager Rob Wilkins. The series is being exec produced by BBC Studios’ Head of Drama London Hilary Salmon, who has worked on series such as Luther and Silent Witness.
I have to think The Watch will make a great TV show. We all know how popular police procedurals are, then mix in the humor, the rich world-making, and on top of that the millions of fans ...!
Really hope this makes it onto our screens. Couldn't ask for a better legacy for the great Pterry himself.
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