Shardlake on Disney+

miamee

Based on the first book of the Matthew Shardlake series by CJ Sansom, Dissolution, this is a Tudor-age whodunnit. From Disney+:

Drenched in mystery, suspense and deception, Shardlake is a compelling whodunnit based on the internationally popular Tudor murder mystery novels by C.J. Sansom. The year is 1536. Matthew Shardlake, a brilliant lawyer with an acute sense of justice, finds his life turned upside down when Thomas Cromwell, Henry Vlll’s right-hand man, sends him to the remote monastery of Scarnsea to investigate a murder, and to ultimately claim its wealth for the King. Accompanied by the arrogant and ambitious Jack Barak, it becomes clear that the death they are investigating is not the first. Facing hostility and suspicion at every turn and unsure of Barak’s true intentions, Shardlake is drawn into a web of lies, deceit and corruption that threatens not only his integrity but his life.

I've read and loved this entire series of books and really looked forward to the series being made. When I saw the trailer I thought it fell a bit flat but actually having watched the whole series (it's only 4 episodes long), I really enjoyed it once I abandoned the admittedly small things that 'were different in the book'. They actually stayed very true to the book and I am hoping now that this one is successful enough for them to make some more. There are 7 books in the series. Trailer below, I'd be interested to hear what others have thought of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u04lYCo9xQ

TheIrishGrover

Well, from that snapshot, SOMEONE'S a gonner…

The Continental Op

Thats a con, Sean Bean is hardly in it. It get what it deserves on IMDB - 6.9 which for a series isn't really that good.

I've the last episode to watch tonight so I'll finish it but tbh not much better than a good (some are awful) Midsomer Murders.

Far to much very obvious CGI.

setanta1000

I read the books and loved them but I agree with the comment above 6.9 is about right for the series - it felt flat, like something as missing….I think it was missing any real jeopardy for any of the characters which is the opposite of the books. I always felt that one of the key hooks in the books was Shardlake's own sense of jeopardy and his uncertainty of his "political" standing because of relationship with Cromwell and his "societal" standing because of his disability.

8mv

I was glad that they were able to insert a dedication to CJ Samsom at the end of the first episode - he died just a few days before it premiered on Disney+. I'd give it a more generous score - I didn't care much for the trailer but when I watched the series I was quite impressed. The CGI was a little obvious but the storyline and acting were very good - I thought Arthur Hughes portrayed Matthew Shardlake very well, especially the conflict between his conscience and his desire to serve his political masters, which will come more to the fore if, as I hope, we get to see more seasons. I like how, in the books and this series, people underestimate Matthew because of his disability and he is canny enough to take advantage of that. A bit like Columbo used his dishevelled and absent-minded look to put suspects off their guard.

Bobson Dugnutt

The books are fantastic historical fiction. This show was poor though. Opportunity missed.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122169391#Comment_122169391

Is the ending in the show the same as the book?

I heard a BBC radio adaptation of it and the ending was very different.

8mv

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122169771#Comment_122169771

Long time since I read the book but as far as I can recall the ending is the same. One of the differences is that Jack Barak appears in this adaptation of the first story whereas in the books he is introduced only in the second story…

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122170495#Comment_122170495

Thanks. Ok, so the radio adaptation matched the book but there's some changes who accompanies Shardlake and their arc for the TV series.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/shardlake-book-change-jack-barak-exclusive-newsupdate/

Charlo30

I'm a big fan of the books so watched this with some trepidation. Thankfully it was a largely faithful adaptation. Probably the biggest chance was to Shardlake. At the start of the 1st novel he is already becoming disillusioned with the Reform movement. You don't get the same sense of that in the show.

Someone mentioned above that it felt a bit flat and I agree with that. Personally I think the writing focused on the 2 main characters and failed to develop the secondary ones. Some of them felt a bit cliched. And could have also done with more Sean Bean.

However all that aside I'd give it a solid 7/10. And hope we have a second series. That would be based on Dark Fire which is a rollicking good read. And faster paced then the first novel