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selenakSome previous replies to this question by lirazel from years ago are here, but thankfully, history offers so much territory that I can always come up with another additional potential tv series. (Btw, let me add that looking back to that five-season-of-Frederick-the-Great treatment I wrote ages ago when I knew far less: I still think it would be excellent material for a tv show, especially knowing so much more now about the other boyfriends and siblings. And the envoys.)
So, this time around, I would like to offer some literary material to be filmed, to wit, Lion Feuchtwanger's trilogy of novels about the Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus/Josef ben Matthias. For informative reviews, seecahn's write-up of the trilogy here and skygiants's review of the first volume here. It has it all: a morally ambiguous, controversial main character, constant identity clashes, all the different cultures around the Mediterranean, the second Roman-Jewish war in volume 1 and the sadly still contemporary question of how to live as a writer in a dictatorship in volume 3, and a very slashy relationship between our antihero and his life long frenemy Justus.
Now, something needs to be done about the female characters. Not that there aren't any interesting ones, especially Berenice in volume 1 and Lucia in the later half of 2 and all through 3, but the way the narrative treats most of them is, shall we say, dated. (Though they don't get fridged, I hasten to add.) However, that's why it's an adaption. I would like to point to the miniseries Masada, set during the same era, which is not only better in general than the novel it's based on (called The Antagonists), but in particular because of how it treats Sheba, the most important female character. And that was made decades ago. So I think you can use the novels as the main material to base the tv show on while still fleshing out the female characters, which would not change the larger plot lines but would add to them.
The other days
lirazel from years ago are here, but thankfully, history offers so much territory that I can always come up with another additional potential tv series. (Btw, let me add that looking back to that five-season-of-Frederick-the-Great treatment I wrote ages ago when I knew far less: I still think it would be excellent material for a tv show, especially knowing so much more now about the other boyfriends and siblings. And the envoys.) So, this time around, I would like to offer some literary material to be filmed, to wit, Lion Feuchtwanger's trilogy of novels about the Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus/Josef ben Matthias. For informative reviews, see
cahn's write-up of the trilogy here and skygiants's review of the first volume here. It has it all: a morally ambiguous, controversial main character, constant identity clashes, all the different cultures around the Mediterranean, the second Roman-Jewish war in volume 1 and the sadly still contemporary question of how to live as a writer in a dictatorship in volume 3, and a very slashy relationship between our antihero and his life long frenemy Justus. Now, something needs to be done about the female characters. Not that there aren't any interesting ones, especially Berenice in volume 1 and Lucia in the later half of 2 and all through 3, but the way the narrative treats most of them is, shall we say, dated. (Though they don't get fridged, I hasten to add.) However, that's why it's an adaption. I would like to point to the miniseries Masada, set during the same era, which is not only better in general than the novel it's based on (called The Antagonists), but in particular because of how it treats Sheba, the most important female character. And that was made decades ago. So I think you can use the novels as the main material to base the tv show on while still fleshing out the female characters, which would not change the larger plot lines but would add to them.
The other days
no subject
Date: 2023-01-04 03:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-04 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-04 03:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-04 06:02 pm (UTC)More seriously, I'm no longer sure FW should be killed off mid season 2 as opposed to at the end of it. Though as in rl, he's going through two almost deaths (getting everyone's hopes up, ahem). This way, we have more narrative space for several important new cast members (in addition to Fredersdorf, there are Algarotti, your guy Suhm as a carryover from s1, and Knobelsdorff, FS guest stars in the wedding instead of the engagement episode as a way to introduce the younger Habsburgs, and there absolutely needs to be kid!Sophie playing with kid!Heinrich. (And kid Heinrich kicking Fritz under the table.)
I see that I gave the 20 something post 7 Years War years only one season, the last one, and am afraid that's not going to change, but it will include Poland for hardcore realpolitik and FW2's first marriage disaster for the dark hilarity. Also the Kaphengst saga for the later purpose. AND the big siblings reunion complete with trip to Dear Old Wusterhausen when Ulrike visits and Fritz has a rare moment of emotional sanity. However, there will be six seasons instead of five.
S3 will be Silesia 1 and 2, while also giving some screen time to the now growing up and adult siblings and the Fritz/Wilhelmine fallout plus reconciliation, plus this is MT's big introduction season as the new arch nemesis now that Dad is dead, leaving s4 for the peace years and the Voltaire trainwreck plus Fredersdorf's declining health, with the Fritz/Heinrich relationship becoming narratively important (Marwitz, the whole "I'm Dad, you're me" with Heinrich having to marry). It could end in January 1756, with Fritz triumphantly telling everyone about the new treaty with England and how MT is totally isolated now while she gets her report from Kaunitz and Versailles as the seasonal political cliffhanger, and Fredersdorff getting a bad diagnosis as the personal one. S5 is the 7 Years War season, from invading Saxony to peace at Hubertusburg, and also the occasion to get some popular Scottish character actors to play Andrew Mitchell and the Keith brothers, thereby ensuring the series will be shown in Britain after all. This season will also be known as the season of death, not just for the war deaths but because between Fredersdorf, AW, Wilhelmine, Peter Keith and Marwitz, it kills off three regulars and one popular guest star. Otoh, this is the season where a lot of viewers fall in love with new character Seydlitz and accuse the show of slutshaming him and punishing him when the syphilis news rears its ugly head.
Oh, and if s2 is when the shipping war between hardcore Fritz/Katte and new Fritz/Fredersdorf shippers satarts, s5 is when Heinrich/Kalckreuth vs Heinrich/Lehndorff vs Heinrich/Henckel v. Donnersmark becomes a thing. (And then there are the incest shippers, of course.)
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Date: 2023-01-04 06:39 pm (UTC)Heee! He's definitely one of the least problematic in this fandom.
there absolutely needs to be kid!Sophie playing with kid!Heinrich
Absolutely!
with the Fritz/Heinrich relationship becoming narratively important (Marwitz, the whole "I'm Dad, you're me" with Heinrich having to marry).
Yes, Marwitz is a must!
It could end in January 1756, with Fritz triumphantly telling everyone about the new treaty with England and how MT is totally isolated now while she gets her report from Kaunitz and Versailles as the seasonal political cliffhanger, and Fredersdorff getting a bad diagnosis as the personal one.
Oooh, I like it!
thereby ensuring the series will be shown in Britain after all
I like your marketing approach!
Fredersdorf, AW, Wilhelmine, Peter Keith and Marwitz
Aww, I like how Peter's still important enough that we haven't forgotten who he is by this season. <3
accuse the show of slutshaming him and punishing him when the syphilis news rears its ugly head.
Loool, omg, this is so great!
s5 is when Heinrich/Kalckreuth vs Heinrich/Lehndorff vs Heinrich/Henckel v. Donnersmark becomes a thing. (And then there are the incest shippers, of course.)
Heee!
The Glasow episode makes an appearance too, right? (I guess the Saxon miniseries already did that, but we could do it too!)
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Date: 2023-01-04 06:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-05 09:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-05 05:00 pm (UTC)Heeeeee! I agree with Mildred :)
and there absolutely needs to be kid!Sophie playing with kid!Heinrich.
Yes! There absolutely does!
and also the occasion to get some popular Scottish character actors to play Andrew Mitchell
I certainly hope Andrew Mitchell's actor will be a real hunk, thus leading to a vocal fanbase for his character ;)
Otoh, this is the season where a lot of viewers fall in love with new character Seydlitz and accuse the show of slutshaming him and punishing him when the syphilis news rears its ugly head.
Heeeee I love this!
Oh, and if s2 is when the shipping war between hardcore Fritz/Katte and new Fritz/Fredersdorf shippers satarts, s5 is when Heinrich/Kalckreuth vs Heinrich/Lehndorff vs Heinrich/Henckel v. Donnersmark becomes a thing. (And then there are the incest shippers, of course.)
Gosh, I don't even know who I ship Heinrich with! (Sorry, Lehndorff! I'm really so sorry! But...) I suppose the real answer is Comte de La Roche-Aymon, lol.
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Date: 2023-01-05 02:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-01-05 04:45 pm (UTC)Now, something needs to be done about the female characters.
MORE FEMALE FRIENDS FOR THE FEMALE CHARACTERS, PLEASE. Not only does the trilogy not pass the Bechdel test, I'm not sure... there are ever two named female characters who ever talk to each other onscreen about anything?? Berenice and Mara (especially Mara!) badly need girlfriends!! Who could support the larger plotlines, as you say!
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Date: 2023-01-05 05:54 pm (UTC)As for Dorion, given that Berenice is both a Jewess and deeply imprinted on Greek culture, and, again, a Princess, I think Dorion in the volume 1 era would both want to meet her - since Joseph uses Titus as a go-between to talk Dorion into marrying him, it could be worked into the plot easily - and be confounded by Berenice being both. Considering Dorion's Antijudaism is very much tied to her marriage getting toxic which doesn't happen until mid volume2, I'd be curious to see how she would handle a woman who has similar and yet different identity clashes as Joseph and whom she can't dismiss as being her social inferior or as not knowing about the visual arts. (Rather the contrary, for Berenice as an Herodian princess.)
Another thing about Mara: simply by adding some scenes from her pov throughout the saga, we could see her development from shy and broken war captive to confident estate manager (who still loves Joseph until THAT event in volume 3, but doesn't depend on his presence anymore in volume 2 already). Since she's in Rome during part of volume 2, I'd give her the chance to spit on Vespasian's grave, so to speak. (Since the Romans are cremated, it would have to be his statue once he's a god, I guess.) And you could give her a daughter in addition to the two sons (which have to be there and have to be sons for plot reasons) and show us the two of them relating to each other. I'd also be curious how the Jewish community in Rome relates to her, since her being a former war captive and her original marriage with Joseph was a big issue in Israel and in Alexandria, but things in Rome are somewhat different.
The one character where you basically don't have to change anything is Lucia. :)
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Date: 2023-01-06 06:58 am (UTC)Considering Dorion's Antijudaism is very much tied to her marriage getting toxic which doesn't happen until mid volume2, I'd be curious to see how she would handle a woman who has similar and yet different identity clashes as Joseph and whom she can't dismiss as being her social inferior or as not knowing about the visual arts.
And this is also very interesting! I want to watch these now :D
Another thing about Mara: simply by adding some scenes from her pov throughout the saga, we could see her development from shy and broken war captive to confident estate manager
YES. I was happy she got to be an awesome estate manager in the books but sort of annoyed that it all happened offscreen! And also YES to daughter YES PLEASE. I'd like her to have a couple of daughters!
The one character where you basically don't have to change anything is Lucia. :)
It is true! It's why I didn't say she needed to have girlfriends :) (I mean, I would absolutely not object to that! Just, she doesn't need them the way Mara does, or even Berenice or Dorion.)