David Butterfield

After watching the 3rd and thankfully the final episode of BBC's The War of the Worlds, I sat back on my sofa, looked towards my wife and we both had a look of confusion. Who can say why? Maybe it was the clichéd script, the reality dawning knowing we'd waited a long time to finally see this mess.... I now know that it was actually the traditionalist in me screaming. What is this madness? Beloved author and original science fiction writer H.G Wells must have been turning in his grave. Like chinese whispers, his work has slowly turned into something ugly and false. Why no screenplay or broadcast has ever stuck with the already gripping original story is beyond me? This newest rendition wasn't even close. So what happened, well honestly where to start. I didn't care for the characters in the way they were portrayed, There was potential for the characters individually. George, he would have been a great Narrator, central and sometimes cowardly raising to the occasion when necessary. The lady Amy being the wife who went to safety, away and out of the picture in fear and sadness, Ogilvy, having a brilliant and nieve belief that the aliens could be reasoned with, the brother being chivalrous with strangers on the road, everyone was cast brilliant, but should then have stuck with the books plot. Where was the horror, the suspense, the dread. In the book there is a chapter about a warship crew which valiantly sacrifice themselves to aid a fleeing public transport to safety. Where was that sacrifice and knowing after that there really wasn't anyway we were the dominant species. Why why why? The crazed fear fuelled madness of the curate in the prison like cellar. Amazing but nowhere to be seen. The occasional quotes from the book didnt fit in and felt like a poor attempt to remind us that this is indeed based on the book. Shameful. I would like to raise the point of todays big elephant in the room which i felt ruined this further. Feminism. Why do we feel the need to go the extra mile to please everyone, it can't be done. Would the T.V show Roots be told differently to avoid racism? Would King Kong be a endangered species and kept safe? Some things just shouldn't be changed regardless of how many people find it offensive. It's tough and people need to grow up. Her story arc would actually have been interesting if it followed her journey through the story away from her husband, in the book she had a pretty rough time too, her safe haven being wiped away for the amusement of a passing martian war machine, her fight to survive away from her husband and her survival. Missed opportunity BBC! Some things won't work and fail, but at least they will be honest, and there is merit there. Which in every way I can see is why this was such a disaster more powerful than any extra terrestrial invaders could ever achieve. To the original works of literature and art, I'm sorry to say that it's game over. Welcome to the new age of over sensitivity and petty behaviour.