His Dark Materials Trilogy to be Adapted for TV

Everybody be cool.

After the disaster that was the 2007 film adaptation of The Golden Compass, the fantastic and controversial His Dark Materials trilogy is set to be adapted for television, thanks a thousand times over to BBC One.

For those unfamiliar with the trilogy, it is one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved book series of our time and has been adapted time and time again for the stage, the big screen, radio, and even as a graphic novel. The children’s series weaves such an intricate and complex tale, dealing with such dark and profound themes, that it seems to me that television is the perfect media outlet through which lovers of the series can re-imagine and enjoy this incredible tale:

Northern Lights introduces Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. In The Subtle Knife she is joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As Lyra learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds and leads to a thrilling conclusion in The Amber Spyglass.

As stated by series author Philip Pullman himself, television grants storytellers more time and space in which to explore the complexities of lengthy tales, giving creative minds more freedom to do the intricacies of the story justice.

“In recent years,” says Pullman, “We’ve seen the way that long stories on television, whether adaptations (Game Of Thrones) or original (The Sopranos, The Wire), can reach depths of characterization and heights of suspense by taking the time for events to make their proper impact and for consequences to unravel.”

Pullman is set to be involved in the upcoming His Dark Materials adaptation as the series will be Executive Produced by Philip Pullman, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner for Bad Wolf production company; Toby Emmerich and Carolyn Blackwood for New LineCinema, Bethan Jones for BBC One and Deborah Forte for Scholastic.

I don’t know about you, but I am ridiculously excited to watch this masterpiece come to life on my screen.

Are you a His Dark Materials fan? Let me know your thoughts on the adaptation in the comments below!