The Lemon Fool

Urbandreamer wrote:

Leothebear wrote:
Well they've got 400 years haven't they!

The Three Body problem is the 1'st book. It is possible that Netflix might continue through the entire series, but I doubt it. At some point you may have to pick the books up if you don't want to leave the story part way through.

It seems they intend 3 series and to start filming season 2 this year, broadcast in 2026
https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/ ... on-2-news/

I'll try the Chinese version which I gather is available now on Peacock (that is included in Sky I think). 20 or 30 episodes?

scrumpyjack wrote:I'll try the Chinese version which I gather is available now on Peacock (that is included in Sky I think). 20 or 30 episodes?

Also available on Prime. The Chinese version - Three Body (not sure why 'Problem' was dropped) - is more faithful to the book inasmuch as it is primarily based in China. Incidentally it has 30 episodes.

T7

terminal7 wrote:

scrumpyjack wrote:I'll try the Chinese version which I gather is available now on Peacock (that is included in Sky I think). 20 or 30 episodes?

Also available on Prime. The Chinese version - Three Body (not sure why 'Problem' was dropped) - is more faithful to the book inasmuch as it is primarily based in China. Incidentally it has 30 episodes.

I feel sure that the Chinese version is more authentic. But I prefer something more assimilable.

Rather like how the Peking Duck at my local Chinese restaurant is better than the one I had in Peking.

Well I finished the series but.......

Whilst it had a good story and a reasonable cast it's finished without an end. So we are at the mercy of Netflix to make more series.

Apparently they were quite expensive to make, $20m an episode and they are known for not continuing tv programmes. So the jury is out.

Have we witnessed the start of a great tv series. Season 1 had some great special effects or a just a reasonable pilot series that was just a road to nowhere.

So everyone, watch it a few times to convince them to make the rest. Although it might not feature until 2026 and I will have forgotten all about it.

Gerry557 wrote:Well I finished the series but.......

Whilst it had a good story and a reasonable cast it's finished without an end. So we are at the mercy of Netflix to make more series.

Apparently they were quite expensive to make, $20m an episode and they are known for not continuing tv programmes. So the jury is out.

Have we witnessed the start of a great tv series. Season 1 had some great special effects or a just a reasonable pilot series that was just a road to nowhere.

So everyone, watch it a few times to convince them to make the rest. Although it might not feature until 2026 and I will have forgotten all about it.

Read the other volumes of the book series by Liu - that will take you through to 2026.

T7

Apparently the Chinese made series although potentially more "authentic" has had to be made subject to the oversight of the powers that be in China so some of the early cultural revolution stuff has been softened.

I will watch it is it is on Prime.

redsturgeon wrote:Apparently the Chinese made series although potentially more "authentic" has had to be made subject to the oversight of the powers that be in China so some of the early cultural revolution stuff has been softened.

I will watch it is it is on Prime.

Not sure that this is accurate - the Chinese have publicly acknowledged since the 1980s that the Cultural Revolution was a massive setback to China.

The Chinese series follows the book fairly closely - I have read the book and have now seen 8 episodes of the Chinese tv series. The Netflix version has 'westernised' the book with extensive UK/Swiss settings for the physicists' suicides and the police/secret service narrative. IMHO - the acting by some main western characters is poor with a flippant script at times - I assume based on the Netflix algorithms of viewers' habits etc.

T7

Watched episode 1 last night. Pretty interesting. I'll keep going with it.

terminal7 wrote:

scrumpyjack wrote:I'll try the Chinese version which I gather is available now on Peacock (that is included in Sky I think). 20 or 30 episodes?

Also available on Prime. The Chinese version - Three Body (not sure why 'Problem' was dropped) - is more faithful to the book inasmuch as it is primarily based in China. Incidentally it has 30 episodes.

T7

I have watched the first two episodes of the Chinese version now and it is definitely the full banquet vs the quick take away version on Netflix.

Very strange though that 10 of the 30 episodes seemingly picked at random are only available to purchase at £1.89 each.

You have my interest but I assume it has subtitles. The boss doesn't like subs so I would need to watch on my own probably

Gerry557 wrote:You have my interest but I assume it has subtitles. The boss doesn't like subs so I would need to watch on my own probably

Yes subtitles.

redsturgeon wrote:

terminal7 wrote:
Also available on Prime. The Chinese version - Three Body (not sure why 'Problem' was dropped) - is more faithful to the book inasmuch as it is primarily based in China. Incidentally it has 30 episodes.

T7

I have watched the first two episodes of the Chinese version now and it is definitely the full banquet vs the quick take away version on Netflix.

Very strange though that 10 of the 30 episodes seemingly picked at random are only available to purchase at £1.89 each.

Just out of interest RS. how does the Chinese version portray the scene where the Red Guards beat Ye Wenjie's father to death?
Leo

Leothebear wrote:

redsturgeon wrote:
I have watched the first two episodes of the Chinese version now and it is definitely the full banquet vs the quick take away version on Netflix.

Very strange though that 10 of the 30 episodes seemingly picked at random are only available to purchase at £1.89 each.

Just out of interest RS. how does the Chinese version portray the scene where the Red Guards beat Ye Wenjie's father to death?
Leo

The whole thing is in a very different order to the Netflix version so I believe that scene happens in the middle of the season in this version and I haven't reached it yet.

redsturgeon wrote:

Leothebear wrote:
Just out of interest RS. how does the Chinese version portray the scene where the Red Guards beat Ye Wenjie's father to death?
Leo

The whole thing is in a very different order to the Netflix version so I believe that scene happens in the middle of the season in this version and I haven't reached it yet.

The death of Ye Zhetai (Ye Wenjie's father) is described in graphic detail in the book. In fact Chapter 1 of the book is called the Madness Years - China 1967 and the the whole scene as shown in the Netflix series episode 1 is much more extensively described and does not pull any punches. I am only 8 episodes into the Chinese TV series and whilst YZ's death is referred to nothing is shown in detail so far. Incidentally the book series has been a huge publishing hit in China.

T7

Warning - does contain some mini spoilers - sums up the difference between the book and the Netflix series very well.

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/03/3-body-problem-netflix-review/677870/?utm_campaign=atlantic-daily-newsletter&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20240329&lctg=6050e4841fc16d137f89fef7&utm_term=The%20Atlantic%20Daily

T7

maybe behind paywall - if so I can cut and paste if anyone interested.

Read the books some years ago (pre covid anyway) & enjoyed them. Don’t think I’ll bother with the series though. I find that film ruins the mental images I’d had in the reading, and once done can no longer bring mine back. LOTR a case in point. Good though Peter Jackson’s series was, I regret havng watched it for that reason.

redsturgeon wrote:

terminal7 wrote:
Also available on Prime. The Chinese version - Three Body (not sure why 'Problem' was dropped) - is more faithful to the book inasmuch as it is primarily based in China. Incidentally it has 30 episodes.

T7

I have watched the first two episodes of the Chinese version now and it is definitely the full banquet vs the quick take away version on Netflix.

Very strange though that 10 of the 30 episodes seemingly picked at random are only available to purchase at £1.89 each.

Incidentally E1 & E2 are free but when I tried to pay for E3 it showed error message but charged my account. Upon sending in a complaint, immediately reimbursed.

Now up to E23 and the Chinese version is vastly superior to the Netflix truncated version.

T7

Ive read the books and watched the TV series. I thought the TV series did a pretty good job and enjoyed it.
I thought it was clever how they took the books main character and effectively split him into 3 or 4 people (the group of Uni friends) with each one taking on a different characteristic or action. It was needed of course to add in inter personal dynamics and for plot explaining - much easier in books when you are writing down the main characters thought processes.

The TV series is also generally faithful to the books with big set pieces incluced (the 'ship' section). The biggest part of the first book - the playing through the VR game was very much curtailed in the TV series - necessarily so I thought.
The series also picks up from episode 3 or 4 when it really does speed up. It covers all of book one and bits of book 2.

Shame we have so long to wait now series 2.