Dracula - BBC Adaptation

[Fried Egg]

I'm surprised not to see a discussion on the latest BBC three part series on Dracula developed by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.

BBC One - Dracula

The Count is drawing his plans against Victorian London. And the dead travel fast.

www.bbc.co.uk

I've only watched one and a half episodes so far but I think it is very well done. Not for the feint hearted but quite a unique and fresh take I feel.

 

[Dave]

I thought I'd spoken about this. I watched it when it was first shown. I admit to never reading the book but I assume that the first two parts were close to that, if not completely faithful. Some modern humour obviously added. They did for Dracula what they've done for Sherlock Holmes.

I don't wish to spoil but the third episode was totally different in every way. I think anyone needs to see all three before making or reading comments.

Spoiler: Third part

I'm not sure what to say. It was part police procedural, part science fiction. It was off the wall. Even though Dracula died, I saw it as a pilot for a possible longer series (he is undead anyway, isn't he?)

 

[olive]

It's a different take. Esp. the last part as mentioned above. I've found it OK. Nothing extra 'good' or 'bad'. I think they tried to point out certain... issues to the younger generations directly?

 

[svalbard]

The first two episodes are excellent. The actor playing Dracula chews up the scenery. Agatha Van Helsing is a good twist on the original story. Overall I loved the first two episodes and then came the third. It was bloody awful. Incoherent, illogical, poorly written. Ruined the whole experience.

 

[the_philmarillion]

The whole thing played like a very dark Doctor Who episode. Unfortunately, I don't like Dr Who. I can see why people are saying they liked it, but it strayed too far from the source material for my liking.

 

[CupofJoe]

I watched the first episode and decided that I liked Bela Lugosi too much to watch any more.
I might go back someday [Thank you iPlayer] as I didn't actively dis-like it.

 

[Trollheart]

It played like Who because of Mr. Davies of course. I hated the ending; thought it made very little sense and failed to satisfy me in any way. I will admit to a beautiful pun in the episode titled "Blood Vessel". Bravo. But you can have the rest. Boo. And not a scary boo either. When are people just gonna let the Count rest? How many more times can someone "invent a twist" on his story?

Coming up: Netflix greenlight Dracula story with black, female lesbian vampire!

 

[Glaysher]

It played like Who because of Mr. Davies of course.

Mr Moffat you mean?

 

[Trollheart]

Oops! Always get those two mixed up. Didn't he have a sister who had some spider trouble? Honestly, can't a girl just sit on a tuffet these day and enjoy her curds and whey? What is the world coming to?

 

[Phyrebrat]

Finally got round to watching this. I’m usually utterly bored about vampires but I love the Stoker story and SK’s Salems Lot.

So glad I saw it. What a phenomenal talent in all quarters.

Love the world-buildy stuff about the rules of being a vampire and it accounts for how we went from Bela Lugosi accents to Christopher Lee so brilliantly.

Fantastic new ideas. Of course Sister Agatha stole the show even against the talent of Claes Bang.

At first I was very disappointed in the last episode but by halfway through I warmed up to it and thought the ending was wonderful. What a fresh take on Dracula and Van Helsing!

Mark Gatiss’ Renfield was superb.

The only thing that annoyed me was the gay friend in episode 3. I hate gays being represented as sibilant, slightly effeminate, bon mot-addicted superficials. It’s so off to me that there were so many gay people in the production who let that through.

In any case it was a great, welcome surprise.