Fantasy The Shannara Chronicles

[Tom]

Title: The Shannara Chronicles

Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

First aired: 2016-01-05

Creator: Miles Millar, Alfred Gough

Cast: Austin Butler, Ivana Baquero, Manu Bennett, Aaron Jakubenko, Marcus Vanco, Melise, Vanessa Morgan, Gentry White

Overview: A young Healer armed with an unpredictable magic guides a runaway Elf in her perilous quest to save the peoples of the Four Lands from an age-old Demon scourge.

 

[Tom]

I've read a few of Terry Brooks' Shannara series and this might actually be good. I guess we will just have to see if they mess it up or not? Terry Brooks is part of the project so hopefully it will be true to his books.

 

[Tom]

Got the pilot (Episodes 1 & 2)
Won't watch it till I get the whole season but reviews are pretty positive so far.
Ep 3 is 1/12/16 Fury
Ep 4 is 1/19/16 Changeling

I am HOOKED!!!!!!! This show is what I've been craving lately...Thank You

read the book this is based on. while there are some differences, they give the story a different take. i like it. thumbs up, stars, whatever your preference... if you like fantasy, this is for you. way to go, mtv (never thought i'd say that).

This looks very promising, i've just finished the first/second episode and i'm looking forward to seeing the rest! 5/5

I know nothing of the books. Yet I am very excited for this show. Great quality and kept my attention all the way through. Looking for the next episode. 5/5

I don't know anything of the books,...But the storyline and production value here is very well done. I'm not a big fan of the genre, but this has held my attention and surprisingly, looking forward to the next episode.

Oh man, this was awesome on a whole another level. I grew up reading these books again and again well before LOTR and I think this adaption is pretty spot on. I was hoping for a bit more darker tone so seeing that they dumbed it down in some areas was a wtf moment. Also feels like its moving a bit fast, but thats most likely the side effect of an entire book in 1 season. Everything else impressed. I pictured Allanon differently (Magus from Chronotrigger or closer to Sephiroth), but its Manu Bennett and my view of Allanon will now always be of Manu. The sets and locations are amazing. The scores seem to really set the mood, almost pulls you into the fantasy world. I am really looking forward to more spine chilling moments when a scene plays out exactly how I pictured it would. Quite a few times I just lost it lol.

Wow this looks totally amazing and especially from MTV....10/10 from me

This is much better than I expected. It has a really good feel to it and kept my attention the whole time. It is though somewhat a mix of Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, priest and a few other big time movies all rolled into one. It's a great fictional fantasy show that I look forward to continuing to watch. My children and my husband walked in the room as I was watching it and all of them eventually got hooked and sat down and became very involved in the show too!

Just a few random quotes from 2 pages full.

 

[Kevin]

I've got the first episode recorded on the DVR but haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

I'm still a little surprised that this is airing on MTV!

 

[Tom]

Finally Got around to watching this Season. (yes, I know it is a mini-series)

At the beginning I was pretty impressed with the cinematography and the CGI. The acting was on par with a Terry Brooks based production. But like his books, the show started to get boring. Perhaps it was because, years ago, I read the Shannara Series. Well, a few books of it anyway, I put it down after 3 books because It got boring.

By mid-season, I started to predict the show. Not what would happen, (I already Knew that) but what stereotypical Hollywood tripe they were going to throw at us. The ElfStones barely got any action and the action scenes were watered down and mishmashy.

By the end of the season I was ready for it to be over. I love fantasy books. I love creature effects. I don't mind a bit of romance. There was 'something wrong'. Not sure if it was Brook's writing or SyFy's production or both.

If this was intended to show what they 'Could Do' perhaps they need to pick better base material. It could succeed but they need to drop the stereotyping and go for something different. It 'Felt' like it was 'Slanted' to a specific audience of which I am not a part of.

For someone that has never read the Shannara books I recommend it. For those that have, it gets old fast.

 

[Kevin]

I ended up watching the first few episodes but, truthfully, it didn't really catch my attention enough for me to schedule it to be recorded on the DVR.

From the episodes that I did watch it seemed like MTV was more interested in doing yet another "Young Adult" series and grabbed the TV rights to an existing established property as a shortcut instead of developing a new series from scratch.

 

[Tom]

MTV was more interested in doing yet another "Young Adult" series

This is very common in TV. It seems like its all demographics. Art and expression has very little to do with TV shows anymore.
From point of view of someone that does not follow mainstream anything. When I watch new TV shows its like I am being bombarded with cliches and popularity hooks. Its like the show, no matter what it is about, is trying to tell me what I should like, how I should feel and how I should act.
The same tired elements are always present. Every show is littered with drama after drama after drama.
I want some wonder and amazement.

 

[Kevin]

... and cancelled after two seasons. After S1 the series moved to showing on Spike instead of MTV and Spike has announced that they're not renewing it.