neverwhere bbc style - reposted

reposting...with the whole text. somehow, my palm entry didn't make the cut...

I've always hated watching pretty much anything produced by the BBC-the production quality is shite, it all looks the same. I learned why all because I watch bonus features. First off, we're talking about Neverwhere as filmed by the BBC. I just read the Neil Gaiman novel but no where did it state that this was the actual screenplay, doctored, for the series. The series came first-as they start filming, day one, he decided he needed to convert this to prose in order to get the whole story across. It was filmed 95 percent on location, meaning in the literal underground and tube tunnels in London. I watched all the commentaries because Gaiman is my autuer du jour-you never know what you're going to learn about how that brilliant (entirely fuckable) brain works.

Before I really run with this-the BBC agreed to this project with the caviet that it must be filmed on video then converted to film. It was lit for film, but the BBC reniged and didn't convert. It gave London below a very different look, for sure. He said that those folks with fourth generation videos purchased via ebay probably think it looks great! Again, this explains the shite quality to the BBC productions-if you shoot on video, its gonna look horrible. Do BBC viewers realize how truly horrible their broadcast content is? Shouldn't they demand more? Do they watch an American production like Heroes, which is broadcast on the BBC, and think its rubbish because it doesn't look anything like their own shows? British film directors seem to have it going on-is that because they've watched so many Hollywood productions as their 'education' demands?

Back to Neverwhere. It's amazing when you hear someone trash their own project. Gaiman states that its been about 5-7 years since he last watched it. Talked shit the whole time, about huge chunks of budget going toward the beast, which, in his opinion, didn't come close to his vision.

It was interesting to see on screen, however, it truely was rubbish. I don't know whether its being followed through, but he mentioned a feature length being planned. Also, possibly writing a short about how tje Marquis got his coat back and a sequel as Richard, the warrior, returns to London below.