AppleTV “Foundation” production paused : television

[–] ieightpi@lemmy.world 25 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

I didn't realize how much hate this show would get on lemmy. I really enjoyed it from the very beginning. I truly hope this show keeps going.

From what I'm hearing, the production halt is not because Apple is getting cold feet but the budget for season 3 was set last year before the strikes and the inflation in the Czech Republic has gone up a lot since last spring. They need to figure out how to rebudget the show or find a new location that fits the current budget.

I have a high hopes things will be fine.

[–] Thcdenton@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

Eh I'm a book reading snob and foundation is one of my favs. So of course I'm gonna be a curmudgeon about the show. Not gonna piss in your cheerios tho. If you like the show then that's great.

[–] Shyfer@ttrpg.network 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I have some coworkers who talk about it all the time at the office. I assumed that though it may not be as popular as Game of Thrones, there are lots of people that liked it.

[–] ieightpi@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

I think it has potential to stick the landing, unlike GoT. The showrunner Goyer is a huge fan of the source material and has the blessing of the the Asimov estate.

[+] buzz@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I know nothing of the inspiration for the series, I have enjoyed Foundation and would like to see whatever conclusion it comes to.

[–] neidu2@feddit.nl 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I can spoil the books for you if you want.

[–] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Naaaw, I'm good. I am ambivalent about the books until the series is cancelled or ended. Once the series is done, one way or the other, then I will read the wiki.

[–] Kyle@lemmy.ca 4 points 9 months ago

Tbh this isn't a bad take. The books revolutionised science fiction writing and it deserves credit for that but that was 1942. They haven't aged well. But nuclear powered everything is funny to read about from today's perspective. I loved that the show actually mentioned nuclear powered ashtray as an Easter egg.

Asimov forgot to even acknowledge women existed until much later. So the show is less gender swap and more actually including women at all 😅

[–] fox2263@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago

Finish the story damnit.

[–] Deconceptualist@lemm.ee 12 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Damn. I just finished season 2.

It definitely had some confusing moments early on as the main characters panicked over events I couldn't recall from S1. Until I realized these were future events. The psychic abilities and prognostications were all pretty clunky, though I feel like those tropes always are.

But somehow it all came together pretty well in the end. The story buildup and the way the characters' worlds collided mostly worked. And the production values were great. I'd say my score jumped from like a 4 to almost 8 across the season.

[–] DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz 11 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving botched adaptation, an insult to Asimov's philosophy: Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

Don't worry, they've got their hands on Dark Matter now, I'm sure that will go great for them.

[–] neidu2@feddit.nl 22 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

For decades I've been a big fan of Asimov in general and Foundation in particular, and when it came to the TV adaption I kinda liked it, to be honest.

There's a reason why Asimovs works are so rarely adapted to the screen: They don't work well in a series or movie format as they stand. That's probably why I gave the series a lot of room from a personal standpoint, not being too critical from a purist point of view.

When hearing about the TV adaption I was worried that each episode would be a whole new cast due to the timespan involved. While I don't agree with every plot device they used to circumvent this, I enjoyed some of them, such as the cloned emperors, although I think too kuch of the story revolved around them.

But yes, it definitely did not measure up to the books. But TV adoptions rarely do. And Foundation is an especially challenging one.

[–] Kyle@lemmy.ca 11 points 9 months ago

Foundation is one of the few adaptations that I think benefits from it's lack of fidelity to the source material.

I think they actually made these changes more in an attempt to make it good than poor writing or lack of respect for the source material.

I'll be more pissed at apple not finishing the series than the writing or accuracy.

[–] DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'll agree that the clone emperors in concept, and maybe 70-80% in execution, was actually pretty cool.

[–] neidu2@feddit.nl 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Plus, Mr That-guy-who-played-in-Chernobyl was perfect for the role as Hari

[–] eagleeyedtiger@lemmy.nz 6 points 9 months ago

Jared Harris. He was also great in the first series of The Terror. I haven't seen season 2 of Foundation yet but felt his talents were a little wasted in the first season. Season 1 was definitely carried by Lee Pace and the emperor's storyline.

[–] nonfuinoncuro@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago

They don't work well in a series or movie format as they stand.

Ironically they were initially serialized in magazines IIRC. But I get your point.

[–] Chessmasterrex@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I really liked the show, but then they added the stupid psychic space witch part.

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I’m very much enjoying it; however it is absolutely wild that the most engaging part of the story isn’t even in the books — the Genetic Dynasty.

[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

You get Lee Pace, then you gotta give him room to strut.

[–] experbia@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

say what you will about the rest of the show but this is a loss if just because of Lee Pace as Empire, and Demerzel and her interactions with him.

[–] Pringles@lemm.ee 5 points 9 months ago

Meh, I love the foundation series by Asimov, but this tv adaptation does not get my heart pumping. Especially how they interpreted the role of Salvor Hardin is just so stupid that I couldn't care less. I did like Lee Pace as the emperor though.

[–] chase_what_matters@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

They spent $40+ million per episode of Masters of the Air, but can’t stomach $5 million per episode for proven material. Where are their priorities?

[–] SkabySkalywag@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

God damnit, I was just starting to get into this. Why does it always feel like the production accountants use the niche fan boys to justify cancelling an expensive show that actually has a chance....

[–] ivanafterall@kbin.social 3 points 9 months ago

Maaaan, come on.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world -4 points 9 months ago

Good. Maybe they can make the plot interesting. Only The Empire had an interesting storyline.

Television