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Around the world in 80 Days with David Tennant
Guys! Friends! Lovers of David Tennant! ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alumfelga!
I can't be the only one being OBSESSED with "Around the World in 80 Days"? Where are you? I need people to talk to!
For the unaware amongst us: It is a new 8 part series, NOT made by the BBC. It's made by a TV alliance of several countries, mainly Germany, France and Italy. But it does currently air at the BBC and in America it is airing at PBS. Poor guys only getting it once a week on Sundays. It will take them forever to go through.
In Germany it aired over three days before Christmas. I recorded it but hesitated to watch as usually German TV is dubbed. But to my delight it was available in original language and there are several different original languages from whichever country they travel to which makes it rich and full. So I only watched it last Sunday. When I say watched, what I mean is I binged it within one day. Yes, it's that good.
I was not yet sure after the first episode. David's Philas Fogg is a very insecure angsty man. But of course he grows, and with him grow the other characters. It is a modern and fresh take. It's very funny, I have been giggeling at times. It's also heartbreaking. David can show the full range of his acting.
Yes, there are those that say it does not stay true to the book, and how dare they have a black man and a woman in main roles. Ignore those ignorants! Go watch for yourself! On Twitter we are loving it, and we even already have fanfictions. One of them is by me:
https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Around%20the%20World%20in%2080%20Days%20(TV%202021)/works
Everyone is embracing this new fandom, and a second season (with a different adventure) already was confirmed before it even aired.
Did I say it's good? How could I have even any doubt. Everything David Tennant is in is good. I am just falling in love with him all over again. It also has a certain Doctor Who feeling, which I think may be intentional. Him travelling the world with companions, running around with coat tails flapping, and looking at a fobwatch.
What are you still waiting for? Go watch, watch it now! Watch it till the end, and then come talk to me!
alumfelga!I can't be the only one being OBSESSED with "Around the World in 80 Days"? Where are you? I need people to talk to!
For the unaware amongst us: It is a new 8 part series, NOT made by the BBC. It's made by a TV alliance of several countries, mainly Germany, France and Italy. But it does currently air at the BBC and in America it is airing at PBS. Poor guys only getting it once a week on Sundays. It will take them forever to go through.
In Germany it aired over three days before Christmas. I recorded it but hesitated to watch as usually German TV is dubbed. But to my delight it was available in original language and there are several different original languages from whichever country they travel to which makes it rich and full. So I only watched it last Sunday. When I say watched, what I mean is I binged it within one day. Yes, it's that good.
I was not yet sure after the first episode. David's Philas Fogg is a very insecure angsty man. But of course he grows, and with him grow the other characters. It is a modern and fresh take. It's very funny, I have been giggeling at times. It's also heartbreaking. David can show the full range of his acting.
Yes, there are those that say it does not stay true to the book, and how dare they have a black man and a woman in main roles. Ignore those ignorants! Go watch for yourself! On Twitter we are loving it, and we even already have fanfictions. One of them is by me:
https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Around%20the%20World%20in%2080%20Days%20(TV%202021)/works
Everyone is embracing this new fandom, and a second season (with a different adventure) already was confirmed before it even aired.
Did I say it's good? How could I have even any doubt. Everything David Tennant is in is good. I am just falling in love with him all over again. It also has a certain Doctor Who feeling, which I think may be intentional. Him travelling the world with companions, running around with coat tails flapping, and looking at a fobwatch.
What are you still waiting for? Go watch, watch it now! Watch it till the end, and then come talk to me!
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You know Bolek and Lolek! Many short stories with them were without dialogues, but this one was a long one with dialogues, so I don't know if it was translated and aired in other countries.
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And yes, them talking French, Italian, Indian is a huge big point for me! I once switched to the German dubbing out of curiosity - seems they left the Italian in and only dubbed the English. But still, to miss David's accent... would be a shame.
My first hint that this may differ from the book was when Abigail marched into the club and said "It's 1872, would your readership really suffer a mass coronary if they discovered a woman had written this?"
That sounded way too modern. I liked her immediately. Would you have guessed that the actress is actually German? Her English is really good! A friend of mine in the UK said she heard something was off but couldn't point it out.
In the last episode there is also someone with Northern English accent, sounding like the Ninth Doctor. And in America different slang again. I just love it!
The music does sound like Sherlock a bit though, doesn't it? Also when they rewound that one scene in the beginning.
My brother has once travelled in a balloon! They do all these weird things at his work place. Once they went to eat oysters LOL The balloon trip took them three attempts to actually do it as the weather needs to be right. Usually they fly over our house so we should have seen it but that day the wind blew into the other direction.
I have collected some links with interviews and behind the scenes and there is also one showing the special effects. When he was running in there - that whole balloon is just CGI! It was not there! I am amazed how actors can imagine such things. I think this is one of the shows where you don't realize how much is changed as it all looks so realistic. I will share those at a later time. Remind me!
Of course I know Bolek and Lolek! I also know the little mole from Czechoslovakia, which is still very popular over here, there is a shop that sells all kind of merchandise with it. And from Russia the wolf and the rabbit of course. Nu pogodi! And later they had that cat and mouse that always ended with "Let's be friends".
Would that movie have been for the cinema? I guess then I only know the short little stories, there was a TV show that aired them once a week, among others. It's entirely possible that they aired it in the cinema, but I did not go there by myself, only with school class.
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So much for the balloon! I wouldn't guess it was entirely CGI, but it was clear after it was already in the ground in the first shot of episode 2.
OMG when the man said Fogg has accomplished nothing! I was so sorry for him. He made such a huge step when he decided to go for the journey, then he didn't give up in France, yes he had doubts, but that man treated him like a child! I loved when he used science and proved his gentleman knowledge can be useful. And how you need faith to succeed. My only concern is that the people who CGIed the bridge gap went a bit over the top - is iron solid enough to hold the train if there's nothing to support it in, like meters?
Everyone in the first class have their own compartments but people in third class don't even have enough place to seat and some must sit on the floor. I was surprised that the people from first class agreed to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere :)
I would never guess the actress who play Abigail is not British! Her English sounds perfect to me. Yes, her line with 1872 gave the modern approach away, she also said: "Don't patronize me". I wonder if you could buy trousers like she wore in episode 2, in 1872.
The music doesn't seem like Sherlock to me, it sounds like adventure movies music :) But the bit with rewinding the scene in episode 1, very much Sherlock-like. Also, how days are displayed on screen - Day 1, Day 2 etc. Many movies and shows do that now, but with Sherlock it was very often and very well done.
I know Krtek of course :) I know there were wolf and rabbit, but I never watched it, I think it wasn't on our tv anymore in the nineties. Cat and mouse - sorry, I only know Tom and Jerry :) I remember, we only had Cartoon Network in English when I was little and later Polish version was launched. But many movies didn't have dialogues back then.
I had that story about Bolek and Lolek on VHS casette, I don't think it was ever in cinemas in Poland. I read on wikipedia it was produced in 1977.
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You are right, a little bit of the balloon was real, and then added with CGI. Here you can see the video showing the difference. All images are only from episode 1, so no spoilers:
https://www.artofvfx.com/around-the-world-in-80-days-episode-1-vfx-breakdown-by-mpc-film-episodic/
OMG when the man said Fogg has accomplished nothing! I was so sorry for him.
Yes yes yes yes yes! His face! That scene broke me. Everyone who has been mocked in his life could feel that. Ouch.
It inspired me for my first fanfiction (today I wrote my third, this is unreal). I just had to give it some closure:
Running away (https://archiveofourown.org/works/36222043)
I also was waiting for the father to apologize to his son that he had not believed him, after it was clear that they had indeed travelled in a balloon. I missed that.
is iron solid enough to hold the train if there's nothing to support it in, like meters?
Yeah, I also felt this part was a bit unrealistic. I also was wondering why they were going so slowly. I would have imagined going as fast as possible, to be on the other side before it starts crumbling, would have been better?
I was surprised that the people from first class agreed to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere :)
ROFL yes! I would assume once they reached the station they would call home and send a train to get them. But I did think about it too.
I was also surprised that they even had empty compartments - aren't they booked out months in advance? The way he was running towards the train! Hilarious and scary at the same time. I wonder how they filmed that?
Also, how days are displayed on screen - Day 1, Day 2 etc.
Oh yes, I adore this detail! Also the opening credits. There is so much to love in here. I want to squish everyone who was involved in the thing.
I literally cannot wait for season 2!
Whoops, I just realized I forgot to answer your question from another comment:
You talk about season 2, but season 1 is the eighty days journey, isn't it? They don't end the season in 20th day and say "to be continued"? Please tell me they don't :)
No, be assured, the travel will be well completed!
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I'm happy that you write fanfiction so when more people join the fandom, they will have things to read!
I think for Phileas this moment could also be about a sense of purpose - he's a privileged man with money, knowledge and connections, but it seems to me like he hasn't really done anything in his life and is ashamed of it. He could have said he had other interests before or had to do this and that, but now he can and wants to start a new chapter in his life. Yes, some people would think it's just a whim of a rich man, but it still would be better than not saying anything. But he wanted to be seen as a traveller, like he already redefined himself after the adventures in France, and the Italian man took it from him and he was left with nothing. I might be completelty wrong as I only watched two episodes, but that's what I thought when I was watching.
The way he was running towards the train!
Why was the train going so slowly there was time to stop it and not kill him? It's not like it takes seconds for such a huge machine.
No, be assured, the travel will be well completed!
I'm glad to hear it!
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Well, the desert certainly wasn't CGI! You could see they filmed on an actual desert, I liked the wide shots of sand and the sandstorm. I'm just wondering if camels travel so fast they can disappear from sight in about two minutes? Or Fogg walked away really far? And they really couldn't make it back without water? They were, like, half a day from home. And they spent the night on the desert anyway.
Fogg's decision to trust a strange man to take him through the desert was completely stupid, of course, but if a few day delay they were dealing with would actually make it impossible to make it on time, well, it makes sense for this character. Fogg already knows the travel is not going to be easy and he's not even travelled very far, he knows now the he'll have to take some risks. From the 21th century perspective, 80 days is more than enough to travel the globe several times, but I keep reminding myself it's not only lack of planes, but everything is slower and there's less ships, and not many people travel just for the sake of travelling. Fogg can't waste a week waiting for a boat.
I also liked the reason why Passepartout took the money and decided to betray Fogg. He killed a man and Fogg didn't give it a second thought! I'm sure Fogg never killed anyone, but he doesn't consider Passepartout equal (he still undresses him!) and he can't be empathic with him.
The episode was a bit predictable since the moment Fogg decided to leave Abigail bahind, but it was good to see Lindsay Duncan with David Tennant again!
By the way, do you know "Amazing Race"? It's a reality tv show where people in teams of two raced around the world and had to complete tasks, often related to places the teams visited. After every part that was called "a leg" one team was eliminated. I loved it, you could see some beautiful places and learn about some countries' culture and traditions. Sadly, it's no longer on tv here and I can't watch it without at least English subtitles.
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I found this funny picture of David Tennant in the desert!
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDiIY6tocILuJLV3yb7HI7UyhiuX_i_P-4cg6bjGw5nWP-n0rUxWU52exZXCxlxx-AnAhdiW5zdvLmDamhMJfts4yMjAHGR7qJXOeBhZOe6wDDojh8F8bYibyD40ZmaQw-kEtNydG5a0cISS4ANZJ8nbaXmN24kd4s0uRtI8CrgAOZXKB9m4DUCI4Z=s2048
Yes, most definitely real. It gave it the real spirit of an adventure. I assume filming there was not easy either. With such movies / TV series, the actors will have to suffer a bit in real life as well I guess.
I don't remember whether it was a video or an article, but it was the set designer saying that he also brought in smell. When there are all the animals, of course there is smell, and it helps the actors to immerse them into the scene.
That's true, he could have at least spotted the camels in a far distance, walking away. Maybe they were hidden behind the next dune?
So here's the thing I haven't figured out yet. Sometimes he knows exactly where and when to catch the next boat. Like he has planned it all out. But we did not see any of that planning. In the pilot, it looks like he decides to go on this journey and leaves immediately. Where does he get his information from since google has not been invented yet?
Passepartout is one of the most fascinating characters in this one! I love how everyone has so many different layers to them. It makes them rich and real. Nobody is just good or just evil. Yes, he certainly had a reason for what he was doing.
That's what is drawing me so deep in this, and what sparks all these fanfictions and fanart I am seeing.
Yesterday I scrolled the #AroundTheWorldIn80Days hashtag on Twitter - there are one or two negative posts, but all the others are very enthusiastic. We have found our new fandom. I've even seen the first cosplay! I love it all. If you're on Twitter, come join the fun when you are through.
I hadn't even realized about the Doctor Who connection when watching but I am educated now LOL
No, never heard of "Amazing Race", sorry!
Edit: Sorry, forgot, I also found an FVX Breakdown for episode 2, but you have to watch the video directly in Twitter. For some reason on the linked website is only the one for the first episode that I already showed you:
https://twitter.com/Mikrosimage/status/1482018950796185608
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Great picture! David still looks young and playful :)
Sometimes he knows exactly where and when to catch the next boat. Like he has planned it all out. But we did not see any of that planning. In the pilot, it looks like he decides to go on this journey and leaves immediately. Where does he get his information from since google has not been invented yet?
I was wondering about it, too. I thought maybe when they stop in one place like for a day, he sends telegrams and asks for information about ships and trains, and plans the next step. But he seemed certain they wouldn't make it in 80 days if they didn't catch the ship in Aden, so how could he know it?
Was the cosplay Fogg or Abigail? She has some good outfits.
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One day! I'm also thinking about a "Broadchurch" rewatch lately...
It was a Fogg cosplay!
https://twitter.com/TheDocShelby/status/1482849982575218698
Today a friend who is not yet a David Tennant fan and has never watched anything with him will start watching this. Wish me luck! (sadly only in German, as her boyfriend does not speak English. While I think his voice is half the charm of David)
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I wish you luck! Sadly your friend will miss David's voice, but msybe she'll like the show enough to rewatch it in English some day?
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We have fanfictions if you like! More whumping!
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Yes, we are mostly on Twitter, I scroll the #AroundTheWorldIn80Days every day - and it appears the producers do too, I have gotten several likes from them already. They must be chuffed that we all love it so much! I have seen wonderful fanart and many excited posts.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/AroundTheWorldIn80Days?src=hashtag_click&f=live
And then one evening I clicked on AO3 and was delighted to find the fandom. It has grown immensely in the past weeks. Three of the fics are by me if you like ;) I plan to do an extra LJ post about that yet but here you go:
https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Around%20the%20World%20in%2080%20Days%20(TV%202021)/works
Finally there is also a Tumblr that collects everything it can find:
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/atwi80d
Apparently there is also a Discord group, but I am not on that. I have too many things already.
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It's hard to believe Abigail really wasn't aware that Fogg wouldn't like the Estella story to be published. It's 19th century, everyone was more private, it's not like Fogg was an exception. I don't think he would ever forgive her if they weren't trapped on that island. Some scenes on the island were actually funny, given how conflicted they all were then :) But they were forced to overcome conflicts and work together to survive.
The episode with the wedding didn't really work on me, but I liked the Hong Kong story. I was surprised when Fogg has been flogged and I wish we saw more of him afterwards - I believe it's the first time he's been seriously physically hurt and it had to influence him. It was a nice touch that Fogg would be flogged for stealing, but Passepartout could be killed for the same thing. But it's hard to believe he wasn't in any way punished, even when he admitted he's done it. The governor's wife just backed off.
And the guns in America! Fogg has experienced so much by then but he didn't think to buy a gun to protect himself. Like the Doctor! Abigail, on the other hand, was a white knight for Passepartout :) I like that we don't know if he would shoot the arrested man, but the man believed it and dropped his gun. Funny thing is, Fogg would probably agreee with him if they talked before his journey or even if they talked in general and it was not about physically hurting Passepartout. Fogg is a man of his time, he's a good person, but there must be some racist and classist marks on him. Passepartout is his friend, he sees him in a different way than other non-white and non-gentlemen people.
They really gave us no hope for Fogg and Estella reunion. I liked their meeting, but I thought maybe she would go with him to London and it would be left unclear if they will be together or not. But I guess it's realistic, it's been 20 years and she's a different person now, she has her life in New York, kids and everything. I'm surprised Fogg wasn't more sad when they split, but I guess finishing the journey was the only thing he could think about at the moment.
I'm happy there's going to be season 2. David is so great as Phileas and I think we need more heroes who struggle with fear and overcome it, instead of being fearless.
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Just a couple of things....
I totally agree with you that Grayson shouldn't have explained the time thing. He should have told Fogg that it was Christmas Eve, then Fogg should have figured it out on his own, talking it through out loud. After all, they showed in the train episode that he's scientifically-minded.
If the American episode had happened early on, I'm sure that Fogg would have made a different decision. He's definitely a product of his time, and he shows his racism and classism (and sexism) many times through the show, but they lessens as he learns, so that he's changed enough that by the Klansman tries to sway him, his outlook is different and he makes the right choice. He's still racist, classist, and sexist at the end, but much less so.
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I love love love the island episode! Ever since reading Robinson Crusoe as a kid, I have loved cast away stories. Also in Star Trek they are often stranded on a planet and have to live there for some time, without technology. I just love it!
I did like the speech Fogg gave at the end of the Indian episode, to save the soldier. That was a proper theatre speech there!
I guess that flogging took us all by surprise. I can't deny that I hoped for it to happen, but realistically I thought it would be stopped just in time. When they really went through with it... yeah. A lot of fanfiction writers are drawn to it, and we all say, there should have been way more lasting effects. But that's what fanfictions are for! I just made a post about it.
Poor Phileas has quite to suffer in this show, hasn't he? Right in the first episode, he gets shot, and then all that walking through the desert... I read a Russian tweet that when I translated it, basically said "Let's see in which way Phileas has to suffer in this episode" and that was a good summary LOL
For a moment I thought Fogg would stay in New York for her! Only sending Passepartout and Abigail home. But as you said, it has been too long. They both have lived their lives. You cannot change that.
Now, Sally the stagecoach driver, on the other hand - I did see some chemistry there!
I am totally and unexpectedly back in David Tennant mood! I checked his IMDB, so many exciting projects coming up. It's a good time to be a fan.
Oh, and by the way the friend who never have seen any other David Tennant before, loved it too! She said he captured her right from the first moment and blew her away with his acting. As I knew he would. I hope she'll re-watch at least some important scenes in English, like when he talked about Estella on the island. That was so moving.
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They had so serious issues when they reached the island that I don't think they would ever get together again in the normal circumstances. But if you're the only three people on the island and have to work together to survive, you can't stay mad. And even when you're rescued, you can't just leave a person who experienced this thing with you.
For a moment I thought Fogg would stay in New York for her! Only sending Passepartout and Abigail home.
I think it would make sense. He never needed the money and he could get something far more valuable. But it was good to see he won over Bellamy. I've read on IMDB that 20 000 pounds would be 1.8 million pounds these days! And Bellamy owed 15 000. He really was bankrupt. I'm wondering how rich Fogg actually was, he gave him the check like 20 000 pounds was nothing!
I was wondering what they were doing with Sally. There was chemistry from her that Fogg totally ignored. Will she appear in season 2? Was it to show Fogg had to meet Estella to get over her and start thinking of other women? What was the point of her? I really liked her by the way.
I am totally and unexpectedly back in David Tennant mood!
Ha! Have you seen "Staged"? With him playing himself, with Michael Sheen? It's hillarious! I could probably help if it wasn't available for you. It was recently on my tv, and I have to say, it's slightly different to watch it after the big lockdown. How did we survive 2020?
She said he captured her right from the first moment and blew her away with his acting.</i? Ha! I always feel ridiculously proud when someone appreciates David, like "I told you so" :D