Misha Levits

This is the worst adaptation of classic fiction I have seen in a long time. Most of the audience will probably not have read the masterful original books, which were written nearly 70 years ago. They will be unaware that this series does not just stray from the plot of the novels, it abandons that plot altogether. Except for Hari Seldon, none of the characters in Apple's adaptation appears in Asimov's novels. Other adaptations of great fantasy or science fiction novels generally stayed close to their sources: Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Expanse (SyFy and Amazon). They succeeded mainly because they used the brilliance of the original authors in their plots and character-building. It has been said that Asimov's Trilogy was too difficult to adapt for the screen as written. Having re-read the originals I do not believe this is true. Some of the concerns in the past centred on the need to create vast futuristic landscapes and scenes. With CGI that is no longer a problem. The novels would need to be adapted and brought up to date (all of Asimov's main characters were men with one notable exception). Contrary to impressions sometimes given, Asimov wrote concisely. Some infilling and re-balancing would therefore be needed for a TV epic of several series. Asimov's story has historical sweep, spanning hundreds of years. In many ways it resembles Star Wars. Audiences can easily deal with sagas spanning many generations. Asimov was careful to maintain continuity. For example, the characters in the third novel are descendents of some of those in the first and the refrain of Hari Seldon's psychohistory is consistently present. If the departure that Apple has made from Asimov's work resulted in something even remotely coherent and watchable it could be forgiven. However, this series has a leaden script and lacks pace and tension. The plot is by turns bewildering, predictable and cliche. The costumes often look like they were bought as cast-offs from a budget 1990s SyFY Channel series. The characters are superficial and forgettable. The acting is frequently wooden. The cinematography, special effects and photography are at best mediocre. This is, quite simply, very bad TV. If it did not have the brands "Apple" and "Asimov" to lean on, it would be acknowledged as one of the greatest flops of the streaming era.