AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS CAST TV
You Can Check Out More Of Our TV Show Reviews Here! There’s certainly some excitement to be had here but it’s also forgettable enough that when the TV schedule picks back up, you won’t really miss this one. It’s a different interpretation of the source material, with plenty of additions and omissions to distort and twist this into something that almost resembles the book but feels original enough to see where the journey takes Fogg and co.Ī few of the chapters do stand out – like episode 5 where the trio are stuck on a desert island – while other inclusions – like Bellamy’s lackluster threat – feel half-baked and add nothing to the show.Īround the World in 80 Days is worth checking out if you’re desperate for something to watch. In the end, Around the World in 80 Days is just about good enough. Without him, this show would arguably fall flatter than it does. Speaking of on the money, David Tennant brings a good deal of charisma to his character, doing his best to portray Fogg’s theatrical persona.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS CAST SERIES
Plot issues aside, this is an aesthetically impressive series and the location work is absolutely on the money. The music is (oddly) whimsical but works surprisingly well, despite the dark tone this one takes. Visually the show does look good and there’s some really nice set design and costume work here. It also takes way too long to warm toward Fogg, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many people turn this off before they see the positive changes in his character later on. The amount of times Abigail and Passepartout bail Fogg out of tricky situations undermines his credentials as an adventurer, especially late on when Americans gush over his achievements.
And this is our protagonist we’re supposed to be rooting for. He’s a bumbling, arrogant, ill-equipped man who’s both insensitive and at times incredibly childish.
Here though, Phileas Fogg is dragged through his adventure by Passepartout and Abigail. Given I read this book back when I was a kid some 25 years ago, I may be mistaken but Phileas struck me as a confident and charismatic gentleman who used his wits to get out of situations. The biggest problem with this adaptation though comes from Fogg himself. Adventures are in short supply here this is a grim, gritty tale where our trio wade through treacle to get to where they need to go. Instead of frolicking, swashbuckling adventures and exciting tales fit for the whole family, Fogg’s journeys are a mixed bag of cynical digs at Fogg’s ineptitude (more on that in a minute) or episodic explorations of flawed cultural issues of the time. Only, Bellamy (one of the gentleman from the club) tries to stop him at random points across the globe. Together, the trio travel the globe, intending to make it back to London by Christmas Eve. She documents Fogg’s journey while Fogg is accompanied by his “manservant”, a Frenchman by the name of Passepartout. Joining Fogg on his misadventures is female journalist Abigail.
The story here is generally the same as the original tale, in the sense that Phileas Fogg makes a wager and tries to travel the globe in under 80 days, but the tone here is distinctly darker and more serious, with a lot more political and social messaging to boot. There’s nothing inherently awful about this adaptation (unless you’re expecting a faithful book adaptation, in which case run a mile!) but likewise, there’s nothing great either. It’s fitting then that BBC’s latest offering hits all three of these categories, eventually nestling itself somewhere in the realm of indifferent mediocrity. Over the years there have been a fair few adaptations that have been a mixed bag of the good, the bad and the ugly. Even if you’ve never read the original tale, the journey of Phileas Fogg circumnavigating the globe in 80 days is well-known. Around the World in 80 Days is one of those quintessential adventure stories that everyone has heard of.
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