The Shannara Chronicles

So, apparently this is going to be a thing.

MTV is doing a TV adaptation of the Shannara books by Terry Brooks. The first season (10 episodes long) will be based on the Shannar Trilogy's second book: The Elfstones of Shannara.

Here's the trailer shown during SDCC.

Anyone else excited about this?

Yeah I've been keeping track of it since it was announced.

Read the first book and found it a blatant and mediocre ripoff of Tolkien. Did the series get any better? I also read a couple of the Landover books and found them okay but nothing special. If they were going to do something derivative of Tolkien I'd have gone with Stephen Donaldson although that would probably be too dark for MTV.

edited 13th Jul '15 8:24:31 AM by tricksterson

The first book is easily the weakest, and the most blatant Tolkien-clone. Shannara is never great literature (certainly not as meaty - or dark - as Donaldson), but subsequent volumes (particularly The Elfstones of Shannara, which this series is adapting, and the Heritage of Shannara quartet) have much stronger storytelling and worldbuilding and a more distinct identity. There's a reason this adaptation didn't start with Sword, after all. But I think an adaptation of Elfstones has potential, and the trailer looks surprisingly good, so I'm tentatively interested.

edited 13th Jul '15 10:50:33 AM by MasterGhandalf

I read The Elfstones of Shannara twice. Can't wait to see it adapted to live-action!

I smiled inside when I heard they were filming it in New Zealand. Of all the places to film a fantasy series....

January 2016, huh? Just after The Force Awakens....

Oh, and speaking of "The Lord of the Rings", is John Rhys-Davies playing an elf???

Don't think so. He plays King Sombodyorother.

Yes, John Rhys-Davies is playing an elf. He's playing Eventine, King of the Elves.

MANU BENNETT. That was Manu Bennett from Arrow in the trailer. Honestly, I'd be willing to watch the show just for him.

edited 25th Oct '15 6:10:32 PM by Sisi

It looks like Amberle will be getting more of her backstory up front—and with luck, Eretria will have more depth to her personality than in the book.

Here's my review of the book (warning: may contain spoilers for the series if you want to go in fresh.) http://www.skjam.com/2014/08/12/book-review-the-elfstones-of-shannara/

How did I just find out about his thing!?

I freaking LOVED those books growing up, it was pretty much my number 1 favorite series ever. Granted that now goes to The Dresden Files but still, so damn excited and it looks like they are actually giving a shit about it and making it look so damn good. Really hope this thing becomes a hit.

Somebody should make a page for the show.

The premiere is tonight.

Advance mostly spoiler free review of the premiere

edited 5th Jan '16 2:12:51 PM by Halberdier17

YAY! To bad I don't watch cable. Hopefully they'll set up some official way to stream it, hell even just put the episodes up on iTunes (Or more hopefully Amazon) within a few days.

They probably will if not you can probably watch it on MTV's website.

I know they advertised watching full episodes on their site in videos they posted online.

OHHHHH NICE!

I have been seeing advertising for this everywhere on You Tube.

...and I'll be honest, all I saw was Deathstroke.

I liked the first 2 episodes.

If you have the MTV app you can watch the next two episodes before they air on TV.

It will probably take a while to learn every name because I like to watch shows then read the books.

I noticed that Xfinity/Comcast has the first four episodes On Demand.

I'm currently watching episode 4.

edited 6th Jan '16 2:48:43 PM by Halberdier17

Sweet can watch it on line, perfect... if not for the fact I don't have time to do so before work today, oh well something to do afterwards I guess.

Holy damn.

Amberle is really gorgeous.

And finally got to watch it. Overall, pretty good. Some of the changes are weird and will take a bit to get used to, but overall nothing to bad, just different. Like some of them, not to big on this version of Paranor though. LOVE the way Arborlon looks. Characters are all really great, Allanon is just freaking awesome, can't wait to see him kick some major ass.

And, the complete assholes that will end up dying, are assholish enough I am looking forward to them dying.

Only complaints really are how odd time and space seem to get warped. No real idea about how far away things are, how long they have been traveling, time is just really hard to pin down. And the fact they are jumping all over the map. Also not that big a fan of him losing the stones that quickly, but it can work, will have to see where it goes.

Also, why the fuck would you go and spoil one of the big surprises (Who the Changeling is) that damn early for no damn reason?

So yeah a few things that it could have done better but overall, a really nice start and looking forward to more.

Eh, not any different than what Legend of the Seeker did to the Sword of Truth books in its first episode.

Well jeez... that thing with Amberle's aunt was a kinda violent.