Good Omens

Good Omens is a fantasy comedy-drama television series based on the novel of the same name by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, which was published by HarperCollins and features illustrations by Steven Hunt. The series was produced by Amazon Studios and BBC Studios in association with Narrativia and The Blank Corporation, and premiered on Amazon Prime Video in May 2019. The show features an ensemble cast, including David Tennant as the demon Crowley and Michael Sheen as the angel Aziraphale, and was filmed on location in London, Oxford, and South Africa. The series also stars Jon Hamm as the archangel Gabriel, Frances McDormand as the voice of God, and Miranda Richardson as Madam Tracy, a medium and psychic.

Background

The novel on which the series is based was written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman over a period of several years, with the two authors exchanging manuscripts and drafts by mail and fax. The book was published in 1990 by HarperCollins and has since become a cult classic, praised by authors such as Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin. The television adaptation was developed by Neil Gaiman, who served as showrunner and executive producer, and was produced in association with Narrativia, the production company founded by Terry Pratchett and his manager, Rob Wilkins. The series features a soundtrack composed by David Arnold, who has also worked on films such as Independence Day and Casino Royale, and was edited by Emma Oxley and Dan Roberts.

Plot

The series follows the story of Aziraphale, an angel who has been living on Earth for thousands of years, and Crowley, a demon who has also been living on the planet, as they attempt to prevent the apocalypse from occurring. The two characters, who have become friends over the centuries, join forces to prevent the Antichrist from bringing about the end of the world, and must navigate a complex web of heavenly and hellish bureaucracy in the process. Along the way, they encounter a range of characters, including Anathema Newton Pulsifer, a young witch who is descended from a line of witchfinders, and Newton Pulsifer, a witchfinder who is tasked with finding and executing witches. The series also features appearances by Shadwell, the leader of the Witchfinders, and Sergeant Shadwell, his nephew and apprentice.

Characters

The series features a large ensemble cast, including David Tennant as Crowley, Michael Sheen as Aziraphale, and Jon Hamm as Gabriel. The cast also includes Frances McDormand as the voice of God, Miranda Richardson as Madam Tracy, and Adria Arjona as Anathema Newton Pulsifer. The series also features appearances by Jack Whitehall as Newton Pulsifer, Michael McKean as Shadwell, and Mireille Enos as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The characters in the series are based on those in the novel, but have been developed and expanded upon for the television adaptation, with input from Neil Gaiman and the cast.

Adaptations

The television series is not the first adaptation of the novel, as a radio play version was produced by BBC Radio 4 in 2014, starring Mark Heap as Crowley and Peter Serafinowicz as Aziraphale. The series has also been adapted into a stage play, which premiered at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2007 and was directed by Rachel Kavanaugh. The novel has also been translated into numerous languages, including French, German, and Spanish, and has been published in a range of editions, including a special edition illustrated by Steven Hunt.

Reception

The series received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with praise for its writing, acting, and production values. The show holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 84%, based on reviews from critics such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Variety. The series has also been praised by authors such as Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin, who have both expressed their admiration for the novel and the television adaptation. The show has won numerous awards, including the 2019 Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Television Series, and has been nominated for several others, including the 2020 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. Category:Fantasy television series