From radio to stage and screen – five facts about His Dark Materials

The second season of His Dark Materials hit screens in late 2020 with a third and final series already commissioned. The TV adaptation of the popular series of adventure books has proved a hit with audiences, but this isn’t the first time adapted.

Here are some interesting facts about the various versions of His Dark Materials.

1. His Dark Materials is based on a trilogy of books by the same name by author Philip Pullman. The books are The Golden Compass (also known as Northern Lights outside the US), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The books were released between 1995 and 2000.

2. The books were first adapted into a radio play broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the UK in 2003, starring Terence Stamp. Irish radio broadcaster RTÉ produced a radio play of Northern Lights in 2003.

3. A theatrical production of the books debuted in December 2003. The two-part six-hour play was produced at the Royal National Theatre and starred well-known actors Timothy Dalton, Dominic Cooper and Patricia Hodge. It received rave reviews and toured throughout the UK and abroad.

4. The 2008 movie adaptation of the Golden Compass opened to mixed reviews and underperformed expectations, and plans for the film version of the remaining two books in the trilogy were scrapped. The movie starred Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman and was criticized for playing down Pullman’s original text’s religious themes.

5. The first season of the long-awaited TV version of the books debuted on HBO in the US and BBC in the UK in November 2019. Dafne Keen plays the part of Lyra, and the show also stars James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Explore many more great adventures with the books from www.ovymedia.com.

Three Facts About Moby Dick

Herman Melville wrote this globally renowned epic adventure story in the mid-1800s. The book was originally titled ‘The Whale’ before it later became ‘Moby Dick’. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest novels ever to come out of the United States.

Most people are at least aware of the book, which famously begins with the phrase ‘Call me Ishmael’. Ishmael is an outcast working on a whaling boat and the story is about all the adventures he has and strange characters he meets during his time there.

This is one of the most beloved books in the English language, but there are lots of little-known facts to learn about what is now considered Melville’s magnum opus.

Here are a few facts about the context in which Moby Dick was written.

Melville Had Been Whaling

Herman Melville himself had experience in the world of whaling, having worked on a whaling ship in his time called ‘The Acushnet’.

It Was Inspired By a True Story

Melville heard a story about a notorious sperm whale attacking a whaling boat, causing it to sink and all the crew to die. Moby Dick, the whale, was also inspired by a real life whale, who was called Mocha Dick.

It Wasn’t An Instant Success

On publication, ‘Moby Dick’ was by no means an instant favorite with the public. In fact, it was poorly received, selling only a few thousand copies around the world. It wasn’t until 100 years later, in the mid-20th Century, that it was recognized as one of the most important American novels ever written.

If you can’t resist the pull of a great adventure story, you’re in luck: www.ovymedia.com has a curated library of adventure content for readers of all ages and tastes.