History Literature / GoingPostal

** The notion of collectors paying for used hangman's rope had previously appeared in ''Literature/TheLastContinent'', as one of Fair Go Dibbler's money-making scams.[[note]] [[AluminumChristmasTrees This was an actual thing that happened after public executions]] [[/note]]

** The TV adaptation has Angua twice arrest Moist for breaking his parole by leaving the city, but for some reason there was no problem earlier when he took a horse to Sto Lat. (In the book, it's made clear he can leave the city as long as he's on Post Office business, which applies all three times.) It's also not clear why this is even Angua's job; Mr Pump is still his parole officer, and collects him when he actually tries to escape.

* AdaptedOut: Several minor characters are completely absent, such as the elder golem Anghammarad and the entire board of the Grand Trunk. The Mail Sorting Machine is also absent.

* AdaptationalIntelligence: Horsefry in the book was so stupid that in the SmartPeoplePlayChess scene his only contribution was that as a child he got a piece stuck up his nose and seemed to think this meaningful commentary. In the special he's completely competent, just not savvy enough not to keep a second set of books with accurate records. In particular, his justification for keeping the books here (that he needs accurate records ''somewhere'' if he's going to be able to properly conceal Gilt's illicit spending) actually makes sense, whereas his justification in the novel emphasized that he was a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.

** Also Mustrum Ridcully talking about the nature of words. The Ridcully seen in the books and, indeed, the other adaptations, is a big, hearty man who bellows in almost every situation and uses phrases like "damn silly fool". The Ridcully in this version stays soft-spoken and talks like a professor.

* AsymmetricMultiplayer: Discussed. Thud has one player controlling a few slow but powerful trolls and the other controlling multiple fast but independently weak dwarfs (which ''Thud'' later established also have combo abilities). Vetinari and Gilt size each other up (and foreshadow much of the plot) by talking about their preferred sides. Crispin Horsefly also demonstrates his profound ignorance by saying "the dwarfs always win," something which [[{{Literature/Thud}} a subsequent novel]] would reveal as the mark of an amateur player with a limited understanding of the game.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: This book introduced a new protagonist who proved very popular with fandom (somewhat revitalising the series) as well as being built around a serious point about privatisation--previous Discworld novels sometimes have serious points to make but they always took a back seat to the humour and never dominated the whole book (with the arguable exception of ''Literature/EqualRites'', ''Literature/SmallGods'', ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'', and ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}''). In addition, there is a style change to the layout of the novel, with Pratchett including chapters for the first time in the main series since ''Literature/TheLightFantastic'' (partly in response to a critic who mocked his work for lacking chapters).

** Mr. Pony's description of how a clacks tower's mechanism was sabotaged involves a swage armature jumping off an elliptical bearing. This is ''exactly'' how Death sabotaged the combination harvester in ''Literature/ReaperMan''.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: This book introduced a new protagonist who proved very popular with fandom (somewhat revitalising the series) as well as being built around a serious point about privatisation--previous Discworld novels sometimes have serious points to make but they always took a back seat to the humour and never dominated the whole book (with the arguable exception of ''Literature/EqualRites'', ''Literature/SmallGods'', ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'', and ''Literature/NightWatchDiscworld''). In addition, there is a style change to the layout of the novel, with Pratchett including chapters for the first time in the main series since ''Literature/TheLightFantastic'' (partly in response to a critic who mocked his work for lacking chapters).

* HatOfAuthority: The wingéd gold hat that comes with being Postmaster. It also came with some winged sandals and a fig-leaf thong, which Moist wisely passes up.

-->"People wanted to be fooled. They really believed that you found gold nuggets lying on the ground, that this time you could find the Lady, that just for once the glass ring might be real diamond. You had to give them a show."

* AdaptationalIntelligence: Horsefry in the book was so stupid that in the SmartPeoplePlayChess scene his only contribution was that as a child he got a piece stuck up his nose and seemed to think this meaningful commentary. In the special he's completely competent, just not savvy enough not to keep a second set of books with accurate records. In particular, his justification for keeping the books here (that he needs accurate records ''somewhere'' if he's going to be able to properly conceal Gilt's illicit spending) actually makes sense, whereas his justification in the novel emphasized that he was a CloudCuckooLander.

---> '''Adora''': If you want to manipulate him, you might as well give up now.\\
'''Lipwig''': M-m-manipulate. Such an ugly word.

* DeathSeeker: [[HeelRealisation The weight of his sins thrown in his face]] pushes Moist into this. Mr.Pump tells him to become TheAtoner instead. Unconvinced at first, Moist later goes for MustMakeAmends, with a bit of ReformedButRejected from Adora.

** Mr. Gryle, when gloating to Lipwig. [[spoiler: Right before his comeuppance.]]

--> '''Pump''': How does it feel to make someone's life ''better'', Mr. Lipwig?\\
'''Moist''': Unusual.

** Vetinari maintains a largely hands-off approach to Moist in the book; he only interacts with him when he has a point to make, or when he feels like pulling an IKnowYouKnowIKnow. In the adaptation, Vetinari has Moist arrested a second time after he "finds" his old stash for no obvious reason, and ''threatens to have Moist hung if he loses the bet with the Clacks''. This is a far cry from the books Vetinari, who [[PragmaticVillainy generally only has people killed for good reasons]] and would never throw away a competent, [[BoxedCrook tightly-leashed]] underling like Moist over a mostly-meaningless bet. Making this even more egregious is that it happens ''after'' Moist has rejuvinated the Post Office and begun causing the Clacks serious problems, making Vetinari's explanation of Moist having outlived his usefulness fall flat.

--> '''Lipwig''': The man who has never known love has never really lived. But worst is the man who avoids love. Because the man who runs from love and all its trials and tribulations, that man is just conning himself, swindling himself out of true... happiness.
* {{Paperworkaholic}}: Crispin Horsefry in the Creator/{{Sky}} adaptation of ''Literature/GoingPostal''. In the book, he's just a somewhat dim member of Gilt's club of rich hangers-on, who tries to soothe his conscience about the whole "embezzling money and running the company into the ground" thing by keeping records of what money they stole, so that once they have enough they can put it back and it'd be like there wasn't any crime at all. In the TV film he's obsessed with balancing numbers, to the point that he keeps detailed notes of his company's illegal deals. When Gilt finds out about this, he's so incensed he [[YouHaveFailedMe kills him]] and tries to burn the records. Nevertheless, the books are rescued and used to oust the corrupt board members.

--> '''Gryle''': You know what they say?.. Hear the cry of a banshee... and die! (''attacks Moist'')\\
'''Lipwig''': Actually, it's "banshee cries, somebody dies". (''stabs him'') Today, it's you!
* ProphetEyes: Turtle egg shells.

* [[{{SlapSlapKiss}} Shoot Kiss Slap Slap]] [[{{CombatStilettos}} Stab]] [[{{GroinAttack}} Knee]]: Adora Belle and Lipwig have a bit more of a... combative relationship in this adaptation.
* SlasherSmile: Stanley, at the beginning.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Subverted: Horsefry lasts longer than he does in the book, outliving Mr Gryle, who killed him in the original. Then, [[spoiler: Reacher Gilt realises that Horsefry has recorded all the assassinations in his accounts books (since Gilt had to pay Mr Gryle for each assassination). Gilt then beats Horsefry to death with his cane and disposes of the body.]]

* TooDumbToLive: Gilt accuses Horsefry of being this [[spoiler: before beating him to death for recording the assassinations in his ledger.]]

* TrickedToDeath: Lord Vetinari offers (at different times) to let both Moist Von Lipwig and Reacher Gilt the opportunity to leave through a specific door, promising them "freedom" if they do. [[spoiler: Moist is genre-savvy enough to suspect a trap and refuse. Reacher is strongly implied to have chosen death rather than work for Vetinari.]]
* WhoNamesTheirKidDude: When Moist introduces himself, Adora remarks that his name is unusual and asks if his parents were "Stupid" or "Cruel."

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Vetinari says this to Moist before the big race. That's why he added the 'if you lose then you will be hanged' condition.

* UnfortunateNames: Moist von Lipwig and Adora Belle Dearheart. No wonder they end up together.

* AbilityOverAppearance: The single issue most fans seem to take with Creator/CharlesDance as Vetinari is that he's as blonde as he is in any of his other roles, which is functionally the polar opposite of the iconically black-haired Vetinari of the books. With that said, those same fans almost universally agree that he lives and breathes Vetinari otherwise.