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Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series Finally Being Developed for TV


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None of those are what I'd call "slow burning" - they all have a decent amount of action in them to keep the average viewers interest, something that the early stories in the Foundation series are missing 

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I read the Foundation books in my early twenties (if I remember correctly I bought them from Barney Rubble) and it's a fantastic story but I reckon Hollywood would make a right pig's ear out of it.  Would probably end up like Star Wars.  BBC might be able to make a job of it, though, they've ben putting out some pretty large and ambitious shows for binge-watching, or, as I like to call it, "The Box Set Boogie".  I always got the impression the "science" in the Foundation series was sociology.

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  • 8 months later...

Zombie thread revival!

 

Scrap HBO and substitute Apple....

 

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/apple-foundation-isaac-asimov-drama-series-order-1202915339/

 

Please somebody just film it before I die🙏

 

Trevor Magnifico 

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The problem with the Foundation books as far as making them into a series is that they were written piecemeal in different lengths -- short stories, novellas, full (and quite long) novels -- at times separated by decades, the latter of which affects the writing, the length, the focus of the plots, etc. It would take a lot of work to make them consistent enough for a TV series of any sort. And where do you start? To understand the denouement of Foundation and Earth, you have to know about Solaria, which means the Lije Baley novels... and on it goes.

 

Asimov's later attempts to pull all his series together into one huge future history warps the fundamentals of the Foundation tales. The post-trilogy stories (in terms of when they were written, that is) are based on the ever-present guiding hand of R Daneel Olivaw, who's not mentioned or seen in any way in the original trilogy. It's an interesting question (and probably moot, so I'm not going to bother looking it up) as to whether Daneel had been thought of when the Foundation was first created, so having him (and other robots like Dors) in the background completely changes the significance of Seldon's work and what results from it, as does Gaia. I always felt that introducing the latter showed that he'd become disenchanted with his earlier work, or with humanity in general. Regardless of that, adding the later books reduces the original trilogy to a mere bit part in the History of R Daneel Olivaw, Guardian of Humanity. I don't know about you, but I don't like that and wouldn't want to watch it. The Foundation(s), yes, but not all the rest, because it makes the classic stories into Chapters 15-22 of a 30+-chapter epic, and they get lost.

 

Don't get me wrong, though: if someone actually does this and remains true to Asimov's work -- so no 2-hour space battles, "grim'n'gritty" re-imaginings or anything like that -- I think it could be great. The way to go is probably to imitate the books: have a mini-series or season based on each book. Season 1 would be Foundation, with one or more episodes dealing with each of the five short stories/novellas that make up the book; that could run to a ten- or twelve-episode season. Then do Foundation and Empire as season 2, with longer arcs reflecting the longer parts and telling the story of the meeting of the Foundation and what is left of the Empire, and then the initial rise of the Mule. The end of F&E is a good place to stop the season, just as it was for the books, and the arc can be picked up again for season 3 as it tells the saga of Second Foundation.

 

The other books could be added later as prequels and sequels, as has been done with many an SF property in the past😁, if the main series was successful enough. That way, the original trilogy could stand on its own merits and not be buried by retcons and the like, and we'd hopefully have some pretty darn good TV. Heck, I've even thought of a theme tune for the show: back in the early 70s, an Australian band called Missisippi put out a song "Kings of the World". The first time I heard that, I thought that it would make an great theme for a Foundation show. Be great to see if I was right.😉

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I read the foundation novels as a young man, very early 20's, and tend to think it would be very difficult to translate them to television. It would be nice to see someone make the effort.

 

My particular wishlist of sci find to be made into a film/tv series is the Icerigger trilogy by Alan Dean Foster,  Needle and Through the eye of the needle by Hal Clement, and Fade Out by Patrick Tilley.

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  • 1 month later...
On 9/14/2018 at 1:06 PM, Max Headroom said:

Zombie thread revival!

 

Scrap HBO and substitute Apple....

 

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/apple-foundation-isaac-asimov-drama-series-order-1202915339/

 

Please somebody just film it before I die🙏

 

Trevor Magnifico 

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A lot of the classic Sci Fi stuff was very Anti Left/Socialist and warning against it. These days of course they will make it all Left wing so no, I will most likely not watch just as I don't want any modern TV or movies for the same reason. Sick of the propaganda. 

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6 hours ago, Morlock said:

A lot of the classic Sci Fi stuff was very Anti Left/Socialist and warning against it. These days of course they will make it all Left wing so no, I will most likely not watch just as I don't want any modern TV or movies for the same reason. Sick of the propaganda. 

Please don't bring politics into it. Britmodeller is a NO POLITICS zone.

 

Please read the Do's and Dont's:

 

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3 hours ago, Gorby said:

Please don't bring politics into it. Britmodeller is a NO POLITICS zone.

 

Please read the Do's and Dont's:

 

Seen political chats on here before. And besides I was simply explaining why I won't be watching it. 

 

Don't be so sensitive and don't shove rules in my face. 

 

Also important to keep in mind that the thread is political. Especially if the BBC make this you know they will shove as much SJW/PC nonsense in it as possible. A bit like a discussion on here about the Eastern Front in WW2, how do you discuss it without at least the odd reference to politics?

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18 minutes ago, Morlock said:

Don't be so sensitive and don't shove rules in my face. 

Making you aware of the rules isn't shoving them in your face.

Britmodellers rules make this a pleasant, friendly site.

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4 hours ago, Morlock said:

And besides I was simply explaining why I won't be watching it. 

At least wait for them to make it before you decide you won't be watching it.

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9 hours ago, GordonD said:

At least wait for them to make it before you decide you won't be watching it.

There is no point replying as the member has now been banned after his responses to Gorby.

 

Just a reminder that this type of thing and personal attacks on members will not be tolerated.

 

Lets draw a line under this one pls.

 

Julien

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  • 1 year later...
2 hours ago, Gorby said:

I'd like to see it. But I don't have Apple TV.

It's annoying to say the least there's another series i'd like to see on there but i'm the same as you so i might buy a couple of Golden Delicious tomorrow plug the telly in and see what happens...

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I read the books as a teenager back in the early 80s. I really can't see it as a TV show without changing so much of it it becomes barely recognisable. Asimov's stories are mostly about people in rooms talking, there are no continuing characters, and it doesn't really have an end. 

 

If you really wanted to make an Asimov TV series then the Elijah Bailey novels would be a better start. Or even Then End of Eternity. The movie of Bicentennial man was a wasted opportunity. 

 

I could be wrong. I never thought The Lord of the Rings could be filmed. But that was mostly about the effects and the length. Much as I loved Asimov 40 years ago I think if this is any good, it will be because someone took the original concept and changed it massively. Much like the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. 

 

Stuart

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That looks like utter bilge! They seem to be starting with the later book about Seldon's earlier life that were more action oriented. For some reason it made me think of Dune, but it looks like utter codswallop and as for the Apple self congratulatory primping in the trailer itself, get over yourselves!

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I've got quite a few of the Foundation Novels but i've yet to read them, I get the impression this will be a typical high-stakes action sci-fi thing though. I expected a bit more depth than that really.

 

Other than the direction they're taking the story, what do people think of the overall look of things? I know there's novel covers (which vary) but was there ever any artwork showing the sort of thing Asiimov imagined the setting looking like? Its all very modern futuristic sci-fi stuff and I was hoping for something a little more retro inspired.

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