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The Night Watch BBC Adaptation – What did you think?
Posted by Rebecca Macklin in Book News
On Tuesday 12th July, the long awaited TV adaptation of Sarah Waters’ novel The Night Watch was broadcast across the country.
With only 90 minutes of screen time to portray a stunning 480 page book, it was always going to be a tough job. But with an incredible cast, spectacular cinematography and an adapted screenplay by Paula Milne , the result was mesmerising. The BBC adaptation starred Anna Maxwell Martin, Jodie Whittaker and Claire Foy.
Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked out streets, illicit liaisons, sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, The Night Watch delivered us with tantalising glimpses of clandestine worlds. And clearly, we weren’t the only ones that were impressed. The Night Watch received an array of incredible responses – some of our favourites are these:
"Insanely tender… Maxwell Martin plays [Kay] brilliantly. Every performance was perfectly weighted – and it looked ravishing” The Times
- “Fans of Sarah Waters’ novel will not be disappointed by this beautifully shot adaptation by Paula Milne” Observer
- “An intriguing, atmospheric tale of forbidden love” Daily Mail
- “Absorbing” The Telegraph
“Gorgeous adaptation of the Sara
h Waters novel… the performances are involving and beautifully understated against the backdrop of the London blitz and its horrors” Guardian
“The cast is strong and its portrayal of 1940s sexual nonconformists as spy-like is vividly intact” Sunday Times, Pick of the Week
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I love Sarah Waters' novels, so I was really looking forward to The Night Watch. When I realised the adaptation was only 90 minutes long, I had reservations about whether this timescale could do justice to the heartbreaking and tender content of the novel. I needn't have worried. Obviously I would have preferred longer on each story; I felt that Duncan's story in particular was not dealt with in great enough detail and I imagine those who have not yet read the book would have struggled to deal with so many characters in such a short time, but Anna Maxwell Martin and Claire Foy were, as always, excellent, and in the end, thanks to tight writing and a great cast the adaptation was a success. I hope those viewers who have not yet read the book do so, and realise the talent we have in Sarah Waters.
A wonderful book (as are all Sarah Waters) – the BBC dramatization seemed grimer than I remember, but the main plot points were there and the characters well cast. Despite its 90 mins – caught the poignancy and melancholy – another thumbs up for BBC doing Sarah Waters.