I recently got around to this Ridley Scott-produced (I dunno if that means he did anything beyond helping attach some money and people to it by having his name on the deal, but there you go), Dan Simmons-written single-series show. I'd read the book and mostly enjoyed it, it's quite daft and mystical but I do like anything involving old-timey sailing ships and I like bleak hostile environments so getting a twofer like this should be ideal.

Some time after reading the book I realised that it's the same Dan Simmons as wrote the fairly bonkers and good Hyperion sci-fi novel. Huh! 

Anyway, it's based on the premise of a true story, two ships set sail from England in search of the Northwest Passage, ie going North of the American continent to reach the riches on the far side of the world instead of trekking overland/going round the Cape Horn at the t'other end of the thing. You'd think the title would suggest that things Do Not Go Well! And well, they don't, but actually that was the name of one of the ships, so actually they could have had a lovely easy trip and it still would have applied. Cool name for a boat, innit?

Well, this is getting quite waffly, because that's how I like to write, but I might cut to some sort of conclusion. It's pretty good, the last episode takes a few rapid diversions from the book's conclusions but reaches more or less the same result, otherwise it's largely true to the writing. The acting's pretty good. The CGI is rather ropey but sometimes that adds a bit of charm. There's a fair bit of gore and some supernatural activity. I reckon watching it without reading the book first might get a bit confusing as it sure does gloss over stuff to save time.

They found the two ships in 2014 and 2016. One each year, they didn't immediately lose them again or anything. People did some pretty fucken wild things in the name of exploration. I suppose if you want to dramatise unverifiable events you may as well start out plausible and then go crazy.


 

That's what it means
  Hilarious that the Inuit told original and modern searchers exactly where to look for the 'missing' wrecks, and got ignored all that time.

I read a fictional account involving expedition supplier corruption, with spoiled tins of food, lead poisoning caused by bad soldering on the tins, tins filled with water and rocks instead of food etc.

I want to see the movie. Oh right, it's a series. Hope it comes to dvd then.

Oooh it's at the lieberry! And I just put a hold on it! (#262, for 32 copies)  :-O~~~

Is the fictional account the same one that I'm talking about that they based this series on?

I believe the food/lead poisoning part is fairly well established fact by the way, they worked that out long before they found the wrecks. Going by my brief research into it, anyway. And yes, the Inuit knowing where the wrecks were all these years is pretty funny really.

It was a different, earlier novel, can't remember the title. It didn't have a monster bear. "Fatal Passage" rings a bell, but I may be conflating two books.

My hold just came in... will be watching soon!

First episode was awesome!

Finished disk 1 (4 episodes). Gripping stuff.

This is a Ridley Scott and all, sooo I shouldn't have been too surprised by the contrivance of the ships doctor going mad, dousing a mid-winter carnival for desperate sailors in lighter fluid, touching it off then self-immolating, moments after the coincidental return of the main Innu woman character sans tongue, but I was very surprised.

In fairness, with a bit of reducing-the-number-of-key-characters-to-keep-track-of, I think that bit's straight from the book rather than Ridley. He's a producer on it, did he do any more than line up the finance for people?

The plot may be straight from the book, but otherwise it could be an Aliens in period costume. Finished it yesterday, spooky AF.

I just realised the thread has come full circle, hurrah!

Whatcha gonna watch next?

Probably 13 [indecipherable foreign word for russian roulette?]

Who am I kidding? Next, WE will watch Frost season 7.  :-|