“What Do You Think? Be Completely Honest. Unless You Hate It, Of Course, in Which Case, Please Lie Profusely.”
I’ve always enjoyed the various versions of Jules Verne novels I’ve seen over the years, but one I had never experienced in any way was Around the World in 80 Days. When I heard that the BBC had a new version that was going to air on Masterpiece here in the States, I decided it was time to watch it.
Our story begins in 1870’s London where we meet Phileas Fogg (David Tennant) one afternoon in his gentlemen’s club. He and some of his friends are discussing a recent article that claims, thanks to advances in technology, a person could travel around the world in 80 days. When Fogg announces he thinks he could do it, his friend Bellamy (Peter Sullivan) suggests a wager. Suddenly, Fogg finds himself racing around the world with her new valet Passepartout (Ibrahim Koma) and Abigail Fortescue (Leonie Benesch), the daughter of a friend who is planning to cover their journey as a reporter for her father’s paper. Will the three of them make the trip? Or will outside forces, or the dangers they meet along the way, keep them from completing it in time?
I sat down hoping for an exciting adventure story each week. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. Oh, yes, there was some adventure along the way. However, instead of being focused on telling us good stories each week, we were treated to lectures. Just about every episode featured some storyline that played into modern politics. Now, I’m not saying I necessarily disagreed with what was being said or the moral that we were supposed to learn (although there was one I definitely disagreed with). My objection is twofold. First, it was obvious we were being lectured, and good storytelling was sacrificed for these lectures. Heck, if they hadn’t tried to work in the lectures, we could have had more of the action the show needed. Second, the attitudes our characters had were definitely modern and not realistic for the 1870’s. It kept throwing me out of the story and made me roll my eyes. Heck, Abigail and Passepartout, as portrayed here, couldn’t have been in the book at all.
Another issue I had was with Fogg himself. It wasn’t until a friend pointed it out that I put my finger on it. Considering he is the one who has the most on the line, he seems pretty passive at times. It’s the other two who drive the story more than he does. Yes, I can see how they are trying to give his character an arc, but the writers seem to forget any growth he might have had at every opportunity and make him who he was again and again. Abigail and Passepartout had much better character arcs, so this was clearly bad writing.
Which is a shame because I wanted to like Fogg and root for him. And, despite what I’ve said about Abigail and Passepartout being very different here than they would be in the original book, I really liked them. It was these three characters who kept me coming back. Well, that and knowing that there were only eight episodes. I probably would have given up if there had been more than that.
This isn’t a slam on the acting, which is always great. And the cinematography and costumes are outstanding. It looks absolutely amazing.
I’ve heard that the show has been renewed for a second season, and the writers are currently working on what it will look like. Honestly, I doubt I will come back for a second season. I think going Around the World in 80 Days once was enough for me.
How disappointing! I'm sorry you didn't like this one.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad. I was curious about this show, but think I'll skip it. I have a hard time when an otherwise promising show is ruined by lecturing the audience. I've abandoned quite a few shows lately that have gone that direction. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)
ReplyDeleteAround the Woke in 80 Days…lecturing indeed. A how-to manual on ruining a classic.
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