There has been a lot made of what the film got wrong, and how it changed from the book, and one of the biggest is the notion that there was significant pressure to tone down the anti-religious themes that play out throughout both Northern Lights and the subsequent instalments. It still came in for some criticism for its portrayal of the Catholic Church and organised religion in general, but nowhere near on the scale the book did. If you've read the book, you'll know that it is very critical of organised religion, with author Philip Pullman being a noted atheist. It's a big part of the series, and an important one, because it plays into how the characters act and react to situations, and is tied up in the entire plot of the trilogy. You can't make an effective adaptation of this story while ignoring this aspect, it simply doesn't work. Hopefully the BBC will realise this. Yes, unfortunately, there's always going to be those people who get upset by it. The MailOnline will no doubt write a highly negative piece about how the BBC HATES CATHOLICS and their readers will take to the comments in their droves to complain about their money being wasted on 'leftist propaganda bulls**t'. But generally most people who are going to watch the show, and have read the books, can accept its message, regardless of their beliefs. Getting angry or upset about it would be like an atheist getting upset about the Chronicles of Narnia. There's also so much more to this book than just the religious (or anti-religious) aspect, with an incredible fantasy world, an exciting plot, and deep characters, so there's plenty to enjoy (indeed, it'll no doubt go over the heads of the younger portion of the audience anyway), and there's no need to ignore it in fear of some criticism or controversy. Do that, and you'll end up p*ssing off the people who really matter to the books and the show: the fans. Are you excited for the TV series of His Dark Materials? What do they need to do to get it right? Share your thoughts down in the comments.
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
