Jake

Whoa we're doing a Harry Potter podcast?

Recommended Posts

I'm editing this stupid thing this week sorry for the huge delay! get *tinkly John Williams chimes* excited

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Will this be recorded in your wonderful new soundproof conference room at the top of Circus?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It should be recorded at The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It should be recorded at The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter.

 

This is a good idea. Have you been there? I went when it was not quite done ("phase 1" or whatever) and it was pretty cool. I do wish they went more hardcore with the universe like the Disney star wars land (everyone in character always, etc.).

 

Also, did I mention I am excited for this podcast? :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I haven't, but [brag] I did a couple weeks work on Deathly Hallows' 2nd unit so I got to walk around a lot of the sets and see all the workshops and stuff.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have been listening to Idle Thumbs for a long time, I love it. And when I heard that they are going to record a Harry Potter podcast covering all the books and the movies, I became sooo excited. I love the Harry Potter books (not so much the movies though) and so does my family. So I started to tell my family that they should start re-reading the books now, since there are a new podcast coming out soon! And so they did.

 

So... I for one really hopes that this podcast isn't dead... Please?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If it actually manages to get released, it will be The Podcast That Lived.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm over halfway through the Cursed Child play and it's awful. I hope this 'cast a) happens and sunglasses) covers the extra-novels stuff so I can hear the hosts' opinions on the play.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We've canceled the Harry cast sorry ;(

Fwiw Olly and I like the play though we recognize its fan ficcy in parts and Sarah didn't like it. I'm not sure it's a story that needed to be told. For some that may be reason enough to dislike it or wish it didn't exist or was different, but there are a lot of character moments and pockets of the world we get to see that I really like (eg: the looks we get at Draco feel new but also very true and revealing about his character. Did we need this story to be told? No definitely not, but I still enjoyed it on the whole).

Also: I suspect the plays great in person. It reads right now like what it is: a script, a story stripped of its descriptions and pacing because those are worked out in person off the page.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Whaaaat?! Decision reversicus!

 

That's a real shame. Any chance of the unfinished first ep (or whatever you've got) getting bunged up online somewhere? Also, perhaps you could start a mega-thread in the Books board (or on this one, I guess) if you still feel like reading through them and discussing... 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The play undid a lot of aspects of the Deathly Hallows epilogue that I thought were really successful. The seventh book ends with us discovering that Harry finally got his wish - a family. Through the series, we see him struggle with this immense responsibility and dream about having a normal life where he's not constantly imperiled by dark wizards. He does not want the fame and danger that comes with it. That's why the epilogue is such a good resolution; finally, Harry can be a normal person and raise a family that he was denied. The play undoes that happiness by showing that actually, Harry is kind of a bad father. And maybe someone who went through everything that Harry did realistically wouldn't be a great dad, but it ruins the joy and contentment I felt reading that epilogue.

 

I also was really bothered with how Slytherin was handled, by again undoing what was so well-handled in the epilogue. The series ends and it seems like the distrust of Slytherin is gone, but the play returns to the tired Slytherin = bad excuse that never sat right with me in the books. Finally, I really did not enjoy how much Hermione and Rose were side-lined in the play. Again, that undoes aspects of the book series that made it so successful in my mind. Going from having a prominent and beloved female character to basically no female characters is a huge misstep in the continuation of this series.

 

I'm fully willing to admit that I probably was never going to be 100% onboard with more Harry Potter stories, because I am incredibly suspicious of sequels and infinite storytelling based on nostalgia. But, I gave the play a shot and found it really lacking in these major ways. I'm hoping that Fantastic Beasts will do better. Although, skeptical me is already annoyed that the movie is a trilogy. Everything has to be a franchise these days.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree with all of that. And yeah, it felt incredibly fan-ficcy throughout to me:

 

the kids of the original gang fight the kid of Voldemort! In a plot that exclusively revolves around events from the previous novels!

 

I think anyone reading it should be aware that a) Rowling only has a joint story credit on it, and sunglasses) as Jake says, it probably works much better live where you're enjoying the special effects and immersive atmosphere - the story is easily digestible nostalgia in service of that, and the play shouldn't be considered as HP8.

 

BUT ANYWAY WHAT ABOUT RELEASING ANY EXISTING PODCAST MATERIAL AND/OR DOING A READ-THROUGH THREAD?

 

edit: it just struck me that you used a classic tabloid manoeuvre with the title of this thread: "Whoa, we're doing a Harry Potter podcast?" *reads through article, finds the answer is no*

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

oh no, sad to see this axed!

 

I started rereading the series when the podcast was mentioned, and just finished. Was somewhat apprehensive about how it would hold up - especially after the extremely light first novel - but the core of these books is as radiant as I remembered.

 

had no idea there was a new play out, which, judging by the reactions, was for the best. Though it was probably the catalyst for the podcast in the first place?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh no I missed this whole arc! Oh well I'll just add my hp thoughts anyway.

I got the first book as a 12th birthday present in 1999, it felt innocent compared to the other stuff I was reading. YA in the 90s in australia was lots of John Marsden, which was all teens being very gritty and sexy, stories about jail and drugs and teen freedom fighters and daughters of corrupt politicians etc. and here was something really beautiful and optimistic and dreamy. I loved the reveals of the world, the exciting things it suggested -- owl post, the ceiling in the main hall, the talking pictures and moving staircases. Quidditch! It reminded me a little of the scene in A Little Princess when she wakes up to find the room is luxurious. That tradition of magic in british kid's lit.

The later books never felt quite as magical to me as the first, b/c they don't keep exploring new delights.

The third book was still in hardcover when I went to buy the second soon after. I covered both my copies of the first & second book in contact b/c so many people were asking to borrow them.

I also read a portion of the first book in its latin translation when I was 19, which was delightful. The translator had to invent a bunch of compound words to describe new technologies that didn't have ancient roman counterparts. I gave up b/c the translation was a bit beyond my abilities, but now I wonder if I should get it on kindle and keep google translate close and see how I go.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Shame that this podcast series did not happen in the end.

 

I knew about Harry Potter already in the late 90's/early 2000's I suppose because of the first book's movie coming out, it was impossible to avoid the media hype. I had never read any of the books and to this day I have avoided seeing all the movies because I didn't care. Some time ago, maybe three or four years ago I came upon the Stephen Fry narrated unabridged audio books and decided that now time is right to listen to these books through and finally know and understand what are these about.

 

Well, in the end these books were quite a lot of fun. I bet I would've been a fan if I had read the Finnish or English versions of these in the 90's. I have no need to see any of the movies regarding Harry Potter because I don't care about those, but Stephen Fry narrated the books really well.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Questions for @Kolzig: 1) did you have a lot spoiled for you already and 2) as someone who's only experienced them as audio, what order do you rate the books in?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now