Watership Down (2018 TV series) explained

Genre:Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Drama
Adult animation
Director:Noam Murro
Music:Federico Jusid
Opentheme:"Fire on Fire" (written and performed by Sam Smith)
Endtheme:"Fire on Fire" (written and performed by Sam Smith)
Editor:Andrew Walton
Company:42
Biscuit Filmworks
BBC
Netflix
Budget:£20 million
Country:United Kingdom
Ireland
United States
Language:English
Network:BBC One (United Kingdom)
Netflix (international)
Runtime:50–51 minutes
Num Episodes:4

Watership Down is a CGI-animated adventure fantasy drama television miniseries directed by Noam Murro. It is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Richard Adams and adapted by Tom Bidwell.[1] It was released on 22 December 2018 in the United Kingdom and internationally on Netflix the next day.[2] [3] The BBC broadcast comprised two back-to-back episodes per day.

The music video for "Fire on Fire" (from Watership Down) by Sam Smith was released on 21 December 2018.[2]

Voice cast

Production

In July 2014, it was announced that the BBC would be airing a new animated serial of Watership Down based on the 1972 novel and the 1978 film.[4] In April 2016, it was announced that the series would be a co-production between BBC and Netflix, and would consist of four one hour episodes.[5] The series has a budget of £20 million.[6] The rest of the voice cast was announced in November 2018.[7]

Release

Originally set for release on 25 December 2018,[8] Watership Down was released on 22 December 2018, on BBC One in the UK and on 23 December 2018 on Netflix, internationally.[9] [3] [2]

Reception

Watership Down received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the narrative, performances of its voice cast and soundtrack, but receiving some criticism for its somewhat tamer tone and the quality of the computer animation, described as "soulless"[10] and "clunky".[11] On Rotten Tomatoes, the drama has an approval rating of 74% based on reviews from 23 critics, with its critical consensus reading "Though its animation leaves something to be desired, Watership Down is a faithful adaptation that will resonate with viewers of any age."[12] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on five critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[13]

The Guardian and The Independent both gave it two stars out of five, calling the production "tame, drab and deeply unsatisfying."[14] and "spectacularly ho-hum – less tooth and claw than head shake."[15]

The Times was more positive, giving it three stars out of five, writing "this was a meaty, lovingly made production that, spread over two days, felt far too long,"[16] while The New York Times noted that though the adaptation "fails its potential, it benefits from strong voice performances and a solid central story. Even this easy-listening version, which lays on the romance, jokes and limp dialogue, has moments of grandeur and the sweep of a fantasy epic."[17] Despite the negative reviews, it got four stars from the Daily Telegraph, which said that it had an "emotional bite".

The drama won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. It also got nominated for a Daytime creative arts Emmy awards for outstanding directing, sound editing, sound mixing, graphic design and music direction.[18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Watership Down': BBC & Netflix Team On Miniseries With James McAvoy, Nic Hoult And John Boyega . Jafaar . Ali . 27 April 2016 . . 28 April 2016 . 28 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160428044743/http://deadline.com/2016/04/watership-down-miniseries-john-boyega-james-mcavoy-bbc-netflix-1201745167/ . live .
  2. Web site: Sam Smith – Fire On Fire . 20 December 2018 . . 21 December 2018 . 21 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181221001649/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk_xq1P7vIU&gl=US&hl=en . live .
  3. Web site: Watership Down . Netflix Media Center . 26 November 2018 . 27 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327150144/https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/59740 . live .
  4. News: Watership Down to be adapted on TV . 10 July 2014 . Digital Spy . 29 November 2018 . en . 23 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923223417/http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/news/a583284/watership-down-to-return-as-new-bbc-animated-series.html . live .
  5. Web site: Netflix Bags Global Rights for 'Watership Down' Adaptation With John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult . Ritman . Alex . 27 April 2016 . Hollywood Reporter . 28 April 2016 . 28 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160428102311/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-bags-global-rights-watership-888258 . live .
  6. News: BBC and Netflix team up for new Watership Down production . Plunkett . John . The Guardian . 27 April 2016 . www.theguardian.com . 28 January 2018 . 4 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171204222846/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/apr/28/bbc-and-netflix-team-up-for-new-watership-down-production . live .
  7. News: 'Watership Down': Rosamund Pike, Peter Capaldi, Gemma Chan & Taron Egerton Join Cast As First Images Revealed . White . Peter . 1 November 2018 . Deadline . 29 November 2018 . en-US . 30 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181130202006/https://deadline.com/2018/11/watership-down-images-1202493746/ . live .
  8. News: The 18 Netflix Original Series to Be Excited About in 2018 . Travers . Ben . 28 December 2017 . IndieWire . 19 July 2018 . en-US . 19 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719084003/https://www.indiewire.com/2017/12/netflix-original-series-2018-new-shows-preview-1201911348/2/ . live .
  9. Web site: First Trailer for New 'Watership Down' Series Is a Nightmare in All the Wrong Ways. Dave. Trumbore. Collider. 4 December 2018. 12 February 2019. 7 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190207094622/http://collider.com/watership-down-trailer. live.
  10. Web site: Watership Down revival slammed as "tame" and "confusing" by critics – but the all-star voice cast gets glowing reviews . Radio Times . 26 December 2018 . 27 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181227040749/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-12-24/watership-down-revival-slammed-as-tame-and-confusing-by-critics-but-the-all-star-voice-cast-gets-glowing-reviews/ . live .
  11. Web site: Prudom . Laura . WATERSHIP DOWN REVIEW . IGN . 23 December 2018 . 26 December 2018 . 25 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230725022159/https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/12/23/watership-down-review-netflix-bbc . live .
  12. Web site: Watership Down: Miniseries. Rotten Tomatoes. 25 December 2018. 8 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190108020705/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/watership_down/s01. live.
  13. Web site: Watership Down (2018). Metacritic. 25 December 2018. 26 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181226033318/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/watership-down-2018. live.
  14. News: Watership Down review – CGI rabbits can't save this Christmas turkey. Lucy. Mangan. The Guardian. 23 December 2018. 12 February 2019. www.theguardian.com. 30 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190130032651/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/dec/23/watership-down-review-cgi-rabbits-cant-save-this-christmas-turkey. live.
  15. Web site: The BBC's Watership Down reboot simply isn't scary enough. 10 December 2018. The Independent. 12 February 2019. 12 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190212015531/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/watership-down-review-episode-1-bbc-netflix-james-mcavoy-olivia-colman-peter-capaldi-john-boyega-a8672131.html. live.
  16. News: TV review: Watership Down; King Gary. Carol. Midgley. 24 December 2018. 12 February 2019. www.thetimes.co.uk. 11 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190111045832/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tv-review-watership-down-king-gary-zbx0x50cs. live.
  17. News: Review: A Watered-Down 'Watership Down' on Netflix. James. Poniewozik. The New York Times. 20 December 2018. 12 February 2019. NYTimes.com. 9 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109155514/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/arts/television/watership-down-review-netflix.html. live.
  18. Web site: Daytime Emmy winners 2019: Full list of Creative Arts winners on Friday night. GoldDerby. May 5, 2019. May 3, 2019. 25 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230725022154/https://www.goldderby.com/article/2019/daytime-emmy-winners-creative-arts-full-list-news/. live.

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