Starz "The Pillars Of The Earth" mini series

Richard Dower

This could be interesting: http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/03/02/starz-and-tandem-communications-set-to-unveil-eight-hour-event-series-based-on-ken-folletts-global-bestseller-the-pillars-of-the-earth/43524

JP Liz V1

Promo Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSa6AhEWebA

JohnK

looks interesting, I'll put it on my to-watch list

Skerries

the english bloke from Raw is in there

Richard Dower

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/18/reviews-may-be-better-than-ratings-for-starz-miniseries-the-pillars-of-the-earth/57448

Mackman

Ive read the book, reading the sequel at the moment, and im hugely looking forward to this. i really hope they do a good job, because the book was fantastic.

Richard Dower

First two episodes to preview early: http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/19/starz-sets-a-free-early-preview-for-the-first-two-episodes-of-the-pillars-of-the-earth/57573

Livvie

Is there only a date for the US?

Richard Dower

Yup, also note this show was made and financed in Canada, Starz just bought the rights...it's not an original Starz product, it's gonna be broadcast on Canadian tv as well.

expectationlost

kings 2 yay!

Richard Dower

Reviews are out, starts tomorrow on Starz: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Roush-Review-Pillars-1020812.aspx?rss=keywords&partnerid=X17&profileid=celebs

Richard Dower

Pillars is now out...720p baby!

Richard Dower

Come on lads!...opinions?, just finished watching ep. 1/2....slow first haf of ep. 1 but really picked up from there, some interesting story arcs developing. It's pretty enagaging once you give it a chance.

Livvie

Richard Dower wrote: »

Come on lads!...opinions?, just finished watching ep. 1/2....slow first haf of ep. 1 but really picked up from there, some interesting story arcs developing. It's pretty enagaging once you give it a chance.

It's not been shown in the UK yet...has it been shown in Ireland?

Richard Dower

^ ofgs...epic fail!

Livvie

Richard Dower wrote: »

^ ofgs...epic fail!

In what way?

Did you watch online, or is it on Irish tv?

Richard Dower

Some language is being introduced as well, and brief nudity + a pretty epic scene with the

wannabe witch on the table, squatting and pissing on the bible then stabing the bishop

It's very heavy on religious politics, which is quite interesting...the church was all powerful back then, with the clergy power hungry, poisoning people and such...all the backroom deals etc., quite engaging.

RolandIRL

i'm waiting til the rest of it comes out. besides 720p is too large for me to download atm

Livvie wrote: »

In what way?

Did you watch online, or is it on Irish tv?

it's online. it's prob never going to be shown on irish tv

Livvie

whiteman19 wrote: »

i'm waiting til the rest of it comes out. besides 720p is too large for me to download atm



it's online. it's prob never going to be shown on irish tv

I thought the BBC would be showing it.

So assuming it's not, who will screen it in the UK?

Let's hope the dvd is available then.

Richard Dower

Ratings, did a bit better then i expected.....i think Starz will be happy with these numbers, very wise showing two episodes as the first one wasn't great for the first half.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/26/starz-the-pillars-of-the-earth-draws-690000-for-premiere-between-starz-encore/58223

Livvie

whiteman19 wrote: »

it's online. it's prob never going to be shown on irish tv

According to Ken Follett's website, it's going to be on C4. Eventually!

expectationlost

boooorrring watch first half of show, it sets up so much stuff in the first ep, the first ten minutes its so convulted, some annoying actors in it, monk guy and cold feet man

Richard Dower

Ep. 3 now out...why has this show not gotten more page views and hype?, do people not like shows such as this?, it's gotten postive critical reaction, i would have thought more of you would be watching and posting comments......

Livvie

Richard Dower wrote: »

Ep. 3 now out...why has this show not gotten more page views and hype?, do people not like shows such as this?, it's gotten postive critical reaction, i would have thought more of you would be watching and posting comments......

How many people is it available to?

Nodin

Richard Dower wrote: »

Ep. 3 now out...why has this show not gotten more page views and hype?, do people not like shows such as this?, it's gotten postive critical reaction, i would have thought more of you would be watching and posting comments......

Its only out a wee while and theres been no massive hype...maybe a slow burner.

don ramo

personally im waiting to hear good reason to watch it here,

Simon201

Richard Dower wrote: »

Some language is being introduced

Yeah, great when the Bishop says 'Monks may be celibate but they can still smell c**t!

Found the first 3 episodes quite entertaining anyhow.

Richard Dower

Saw ep. 3 - not as good as the second, but ticking along nicely. Needs more boobs.

ejmaztec

Richard Dower wrote: »

Saw ep. 3 - not as good as the second, but ticking along nicely. Needs more boobs.

A remake of The Borgias would be good.

Richard Dower

^ that's being made by HBO...due next year.

iguana

Richard Dower wrote: »

^ that's being made by HBO...due next year.

It's being made by Showtime, not HBO.

Pillars is really, really disappointing me. The book was certainly enjoyable. Especially as so much historical fiction is based on real people (who were rich as there isn't much documentation on the lives of individual poor or ordinary people) so it was great to read about just how tough life was for people and how utterly their lives could change at some powerful person's whim. I've read a lot on the Plantagenets and other nobles of the era like William Marshal but getting to read about ordinary people who would quite happily have lived in Eleanor's tower at Salisbury for 16 years if it meant being guaranteed dinner was intriguing.

My biggest problem with the book, apart from some of the clunky narrative, was the episodic feeling it had. "We're building, now we're foiled by baddies but we've outsmarted them. Shít they've a new nefarious plan, oh good we've outsmarted them again, oh-oh there they go, plotting again," It got sort of tiresome after a while. But I thought that if it was a story told as a series rather than 1 book it would work better.

Unfortunately this series has taken everything bad about the book and expanded it. The motives of characters are either unclear or too damn in your face for no explained reason. And many are much more 2-dimensional on screen than on paper, Remigus is a prime example. The Regan/William sexual tension is weird and unnecessary, Stephen's prophesy is stupid and did anyone else here the music from Amok Time when Jack and Walter had their completely pointless fight?

ejmaztec

Historical dramas like "The Pillars" doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, but each to his own. However, when there's more non-fiction than fiction, gimme the Borgias and some of that old-time religion. It's been a long time since a pope had a troubled relationship with his kids.

JP Liz V1

TV3 are advertising this so they must be showing it soon also

Richard Dower

Ep. 4 out - be watching it soon....needs more boobs!

Thargor

This is pointless if you've read the book, not watching any more of this.

Richard Dower

Ep. 4 ws much better, it had some nice big battle scenes and the plot has moved on a fair bit. I quite enjoyed that ep., it think it's starting to build up now.

Mackman

I got my hands on the forst 4 episodes at the weekend. watche 2 last night. the first was a bit all over the place, tring to introduce all the characters. But the second was a huge improvement. Loooking forward to the next few

Yeah, its not the best made show, but i enjoy it. I always enjoy watching movies/programs from books that ive read, its interesting to see other people interpetations of it

Dman001

This will be on TV3 this Saturday.

I enjoyed Spartacus so might give this a go.

Richard Dower

^ it's nothing like Sparty....don't go in thinking this or you'll be very disapointed.

RolandIRL

Dman001 wrote: »

This will be on TV3 this Saturday.

I enjoyed Spartacus so might give this a go.

i don't see it listed on the tv guide. you sure it's on tv3 this saturday?

Dman001

whiteman19 wrote: »

i don't see it listed on the tv guide. you sure it's on tv3 this saturday?

Sorry Sunday at 9.

Richard Dower

In depth look at the ratings, interesting: http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/08/11/a-more-in-depth-look-at-viewing-for-starz-the-pillars-of-the-earth-than-most-sane-people-would-bother-with/59667

In the comments section it appears episode 7 and 8 will be broadcast on one night. So three weeks left of Pillars.

RolandIRL

Dman001 wrote: »

Sorry Sunday at 9.

i must say that's really quick. i wouldn't expect tv3 to get something american so soon after it's aired, and even before a british channel airs it :eek:









haven't checked the tv guide but i hope no british channel is airing it before sunday so i won't be wrong

iguana

whiteman19 wrote: »

i must say that's really quick. i wouldn't expect tv3 to get something american so soon after it's aired, and even before a british channel airs it :eek:

They had The Tudors within about 4 weeks after the US airdate and several months ahead of the BBC.

Actually it's extremely common for Irish television to have US shows ahead of the UK. Off the top of my head, Star Trek TNG, Friends and The OC were all on Irish tv ahead of British. There were plenty of others too. It's one of the main reasons that Irish channels won't allow themselves to be broadcast into the UK despite calls to by the very large ex-pat community. As if they were they would have to pay much, much higher rates to US channels as they'd have a larger audience share and could never afford shows so quickly.

Richard Dower

Ep. 5 - bit slow for half of the ep. then kicked up a notch, see...i was hoping MEGA boobed Haley Atwell would get the big guns out, she teased us....then a bloody body double, meh!

It was ok, the end was pretty good and

Tom Builder got the chop

, so next week one ep. and the following week the final two eps.

Ludo

Richard Dower wrote: »

Ep. 5 - bit slow for half of the ep. then kicked up a notch, see...i was hoping MEGA boobed Haley Atwell would get the big guns out, she teased us....then a bloody body double, meh!

It was ok, the end was pretty good and BLAH BLAH BLAH, so next week one ep. and the following week the final two eps.

FFS...spoiler tags dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gandalf

Saw this on TV3 the other night and found it a very good piece of entertainment. The missus enjoyed it so much that I was ordered to find the other episodes that have aired in the US.

Ian McShane is excellent in this as the scheming bishop and Rufus Sewell is a good choice for the character of Tom Builder.

Looking forward to Episode 6 now.

Richard Dower

Ep. 6 promo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYcezUQ7vXI

Ludo

Richard Dower wrote: »

Ep. 6 promo .....SNIP...

Seriously dude...the title of this thread does not state US pace or spoilers...why tempt people like that.

Was going to get this show but then I saw it was starting on tv3 so I watched it there. Really enjoyed the first one and looking forward to the rest.

Poochie05

gandalf wrote: »

Saw this on TV3 the other night and found it a very good piece of entertainment. The missus enjoyed it so much that I was ordered to find the other episodes that have aired in the US.

Ian McShane is excellent in this as the scheming bishop and Rufus Sewell is a good choice for the character of Tom Builder.

Looking forward to Episode 6 now.

I have to disagree, I think Rufus Sewell doesn't fit the picture at all, he's too polished for a believable stonemason. Maybe it's just me but I would imagine a stone mason to be a little more rough and ready.

previous user

Makes a change from watching Johathan Rhys Meyer's rasping through
his Worsel Gummage impression of Henry Vlll of England in The Tudors on TV3,
- utter soap opera tat.