Let me preface this by saying that I love Sir Terry Pratchett. I have read all of his Discworld books, save the last (I can’t bring myself to read it, knowing it is the final one). I have also met Neil Gaiman at my college, Rowan University. When I met him, I asked him about “Good Omens” and what it was like to write a book with another author. Afterward, he asked to “scribble in [my] ‘Good Omens’.” I later would buy a copy of the book signed by Sir Terry. My goal in life is to meet Neil Gaiman again and have him sign my STP-signed book so that I have one with both of them. Needless to say, I don’t let anyone touch my STP, as his death will prevent me from getting one signed in person.
I was ecstatic when I had heard that they were finally making a miniseries of the novel. It had been hinted at throughout the years by both Pratchett and Gaiman, but many of us thought that it wouldn’t happen once STP died. However, Amazon announced they were going forward with the series having the amazing David Tennant and captivating Michael Sheen as Crowley and Aziraphale, respectively. Being a fan of both of them and the novel, I had high hopes for the series. Goodness was I not disappointed.
Let me give you a short rundown of the premise of the book/series. The main characters are Crowley (a demon) and Aziraphale (an angel). They get notice that the antichrist is to be born and that Crowley has the duty to place him. However, he lets his best friend, Aziraphale, know that Armageddon has been set in motion. They both work throughout the young boy’s life to try and keep him neutral, with Crowley pushing him towards bad and Aziraphale pushing him towards good. What they didn’t know was that they had the wrong boy. The antichrist was raised as a normal, everyday boy.
One of the prevailing storylines through the book/series was that of Agnes Nutter, who had published a book in 1655 which contained all of her “nice and accurate prophecies.” Every one of them came true, up until Armageddon. Her descendant, Anathema Device, has made it her life’s work to figure out the prophecies. This leads her to Newton Pulsifer, the descendant of Agnes Nutter’s executioner. They grow close in their search to find the meaning of Nutter’s book.
In the present day, Aziraphale and Crowley are very good friends. They met in the Garden of Eden and throughout history. They would meet up and socialize, even though it was frowned upon. One could even say they’re in love (I subscribe to this theory, but many would disagree). Both of them have their treasured items: Crowley loves his Bentley and Aziraphale his antique/rare book store. In the end, both will have sacrificed what they loved most in an attempt to thwart Armageddon.
Now, to the mini-series. Unlike many adaptations, Amazon should be given credit for sticking true to the source material. Granted, Gaiman had written the script, but that wasn’t a guarantee that the series would have the same humor and witticisms as the book. However, they did a phenomenal job with the adaptation. The writing was spot-on and I truly believe that Pratchett would have been proud.
Tennant and Sheen were the stars of the show. They played their parts perfectly. Sheen played Aziraphale as an innocent ingenue determined to do good, and Tennant made his Crowley a devious, swaggering, handsome devil (pun intended). Their interpretation of the relationship between demon and angel made you think that there was more than friendship between the two supposed-to-be-enemies. They played them perfectly and did not disappoint.
Overall, the series was amazing. I had high hopes up until the day I watched it, and they did such a phenomenal job at adapting one of my favorite books. None of us fans of the book were left wanting (except we wanted more, but alas, that is impossible). Even those who were not fans of the book fell in love. I’ve had many people talk to me about how much they loved it and I pointed them not only to the source novel but to other novels written by Pratchett and Gaiman.
If you choose to watch this series, I cannot recommend it any higher. Normally, I would say read the book first, but they did such a good job that you don’t need to. Yes, reading the book adds to the story, but it’s not like the series wasn’t up to snuff.
If you get a chance to watch it, DO IT. I promise you won’t regret it.
