It’s probably going to be based on the Vimes novels: “Terry Pratchett fans may want to stay close to a television screen over the next couple of years: his comedy fantasy book series Discworld has become his latest work to be snapped up for a small screen adaptation. BBC Studios is developing a six-part series based on the long-running epic novel series.” At least, the working title is “The Watch” and that’s absolutely a tell, there. For those who don’t know —
Really? Really? Mercy me, just start here and keep going.
— the Sam Vimes novels are police procedurals, set in a flat world that rests on four elephants that stand on a giant turtle swimming through space. The Discworld series has some of the greatest fantasy novels of the Twentieth Century lurking inside them, and Terry Pratchett was master of the usefully infuriating ability to make incredibly difficult things look easy to do. The books will reward your interest.
As for the television show? Oh, it will be fine. BBC doesn’t dare mess this one up.
Guards! Guards! is one of my favorite Pratchett books. Feet of Clay and Snuff are top notch. And there were quite a few that were pedestrian for Pratchett, but would have been excellent from anyone else.
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That said, I also have to argue that the Watch series also had some of the weakest Discworld books. Jingo. The Fifth Elephant. Thud. These did not come close to living up to what he had done before, and led many of us to fear that he was losing his touch.
Ehh, I enjoyed all three of those.
The other TV adaptations were quite entertaining, if somewhat limited. Both Jeremy Irons and Charles Dance made excellent Lord Vetinaris.