The Terror

This is great TV that apparently hardly anyone is watching.
A fictionalized account of Sir John Franklin's ultimately doomed expedition to find the Northwest Passage.
The book it is based on uses historical facts and mixes them with fiction, some of it supernatural in nature.
The end result occasionally feels a bit like "The Thing" set in the mid 19th century.

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/03/the-terror-amc-true-story-jared-harris-hms-erebus-hms-terror

An excellent article about "The Terror".

Quote :

To drive the point home, Kajganich and Hugh made sure to hire people whose backgrounds weren’t in horror when assembling their writers’ room. The films they screened to set a tone for the series ranged from Come and See, a Soviet war drama, to They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? When speaking about tonal touchstones, both show-runners refer to science fiction and Westerns as much as—if not more than—horror.

It's very well done and it's clear that the actors knew they were working from good material.

I have a strong interest in polar exploration and intrigued by the Terror. I'll have to find a way of watching it soon/at some point.

It's on Amazon Prime.

Salomé wrote:

It's on Amazon Prime.

Not in the UK. Unfortunately, it's AMC which is exclusive to BT.

Gravity wrote of The Terror in the 'last TV' thread a few weeks ago. He's keen, IIRC.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Salomé wrote:

It's on Amazon Prime.

Not in the UK. Unfortunately, it's AMC which is exclusive to BT.

Gravity wrote of The Terror in the 'last TV' thread a few weeks ago. He's keen, IIRC.

Thank you for remembering that. I've both read the book and now seen most of the series.

Keep your eyes on Hickey. He's really going to damage these people worse than they have been.

The show seems to have downplayed the creature, somewhat. If I recall correctly, it was more black, and moved like an apparition. I remember thinking the Esquimeaux girl was supposed to be hotter, and I think one of the characters sleeps with her, but can't remember which one.

It's started to slow down some right when it should be picking up.

I haven't read the book, but I'm thinking it would make most sense for Dr. Goodsir to hook up with Lady Silence?

Is the creature more of a metaphysical presence in the book? I considered the possibility that this is all a collective delusion due to the lead poisoning.

Watched the trailer. Looked like a gripping tale of arctic survival until they introduced the Yeti.

Watched the trailer. Looked like a gripping tale of arctic survival until they introduced the Yeti.

CJB wrote:

Watched the trailer. Looked like a gripping tale of arctic survival until they introduced the Yeti.

The Yeti isn't the main focus, it's primarily a tale of arctic survival.
And the trappings of class and the camaraderie as well as the savagery born out of such extreme conditions.

This is a really wonderful show. Somewhat old-fashioned, but in a good way. Jared Harris is terrific as the salt-of-the-earth type Captain you'd gladly follow to hell and back. (Think Dar Alte in Das Boot)

This was a series with lots of real character development, smart introspection, a measured but deliberate pace to the narrative and no descents into easy tropes or clichés. It features a nearly 100% male cast, with the one female character of consequence having barely any lines. It's also the best show I have watched in 2018, by some distance. I'm rather amazed this got made in the current TV climate (which is gravitating to superhero TV and reboots of older ideas to a degree that I am starting to find worrisome).

Perhaps Jared Harris' most memorable role, an appraisal I think he might agree with considering the praise he has heaped onto the show since its release.

Has anyone else watched this since I started this thread?

Blows dust off thread.

The Beeb have placed all of this on the iplayer and I'm up to episode 7. Turned out I brought the book secondhand a few months ago and just read it. It's not a bad show, the pacing is rather gentle, not in a hurry but it's undeniably claustrophobic. In the book the creature made me think of the Thing (chiefly The Thing from Another World) though of course not.

However, though good to see Hinds in action, Jared Harris is a standout. Didn't half sound like his old man in this show.