The first domino has fallen. Yes, Channel 4 has announced that it will develop a dramatisation of the graphic novel, which follows a modern-day Guy Fawkes 'V' on his fight against a post-war fascist British government.
Excitement surrounding this news is already palpable amongst fans - unsurprising, given the greatness of Alan Moore and artist David Lloyd's seminal work, and how their masterpiece has left a lasting impression on the literary, artistic and political scene.
"Their masterpiece has left a lasting impression on the literary, artistic and political scene."
Hacker group Anonymous, and the Occupy movements of 2011 drew much of their inspiration from the ideals of political upheaval and resistance of the text. And if you have ever wondered where those Guy Fawkes masks, worn by protesters across the world post-2011 came from? It was our hero, 'V', who donned one first.
One question remains however: would Alan Moore claim any relation to a TV series? Moore famously disowned the Hollywood adaptation of V for Vendetta, and was enormously critical of another adaptation of (arguably) his opus magnum in the 2009 film Watchmen, claiming that '[Hollywood] spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms.'
Image Credit: Franck Mahon (flickr)
Pretty scathing. Personally, I enjoyed both adaptations and found that for the most part, they remained true to the original texts and retained the rich and visually stunning artistry displayed in both graphic novels. However, a TV series would certainly allow for more development of the multi- faceted character arcs.
I for one would love to see more of the personal lives of important characters who were neglected in the film: the fractious marriage between the supine Conrad Heyer and his manipulative wife Helen; the amoral and opportunistic gangster Alistair Harper; and the brilliant detective Mr. Finch - arguably one of the most relatable of the graphic novel - all deserve more screen time and investigation into their motivations and psyche, as we see in the novel.
"Moore famously disowned the Hollywood adaptation of V for Vendetta"
Channel 4's recent dystopian successes of the gloriously sinister Black Mirror, as well as TV interpretations of some of Philip K Dick's shorter fiction, Electric Dreams, suggest that Moore's dark imagining of Britain under the autocratic rule of 'The Leader' could enjoy similar critical acclaim.
Let's hope that this will be a TV series even Alan Moore will be proud of.
