written 23 October 2007
Even though I've only watched a couple episodes from the first few episodes, I don't really like it. I think there's a dvd version of it somewhere, the cover of which neil gaiman was plugging, and I have a feeling he didn't really like the tv version. Even though I like neverwhere a lot, (hence the rereading) the tv version isn't very representative of the book. The user who posted it on youtube even said it was "short-lived".
Firstly, in the book Richard Mayhew is supposed to have a slight scottish accent, in the show it isn't just 'slight'; it's rather heavy, to the point where it sometimes becomes difficult to understand. Maybe it's just me, being not used to various british accents and all, but I think for the show to be accessible to a wider audience the actor playing Richard has to speak clearer.
I quite like the casting of Mr Croup, though, and his voice; he rolls his Rs! And is malevolent :D When I was reading the book I imagined croup and vandemar to sound like snape or morpheus (in the matrix, not sandman) and the guy play Mr. Croup sounds like that!
Though vandemar has the wrong clothes because he looks like someone from Law and Order, back in the 90s, with a white shirt and suspenders, of all things. Speaking of costumes, the Marquis has this cloak (okay) a white flappy shirt (okay) a glittery vest (passable) and khaki pants that look like ballet tights. First things first. Ballet tights are perfectly acceptable on dancers, and serve a functional purpose. But the Marquis doesn't dance, and so they do not have a functional purpose. [right. stupid argument.] I suppose the producers tried to go for the tudor tights-and-bloomers look, but it doesn't work out! I feel like the Marquis is going to do a grande jete any moment, and pirouette arrogantly around richard, who can neither dance nor act.
I think I'm quibbling. The tv series was first aired in 1996, and they had different fashion trends then (the person playing door wears biker boots) and probably different lighting trends then too. The lighting in the series looks over the top, with most of the croup/vandemar scenes in green, and angel islington scenes in red. Oh dear. maybe it's just the video quality. I wouldn't mind just listening to the audio part; it would do very well as an audiobook, thought that rather defeats the purpose of having a tv show.
