Terry Pratchett's ‘Discworld’ to become TV series

CAIRO – 2 March 2018: Sir Terry Pratchett's beloved fantasy book series “Discworld” will be receiving a six-part TV series adaptation to be produced by BBC Studios, marking a return of the fantasy world to the small screen for a new generation.

The titular “Discworld” is a flat world on the back of a giant turtle swimming through space, supported by four elephants. It is a fantastic world populated by all manner of magical creatures, from witches, wizards, golems, dwarves, werewolves and more. Part of Pratchett's writing strength was his ability to utilize the magical to address real-world issues, such as discrimination and female empowerment. He wrote 70 books in his lifetime, 41 for “Discworld”, and passed away in 2015 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

The new series is titled “The Watch” according to Deadline, with screenwriter Simon Allen to be writing the series. It will be co-produced by Pratchett's production company Narrativia, which is run by his daughter. “The Watch” explores the streets of Discworld's capital city Ankh-Morpork, following the exploits of three guards aiming to keep order in the streets, fighting off criminals and dragons alike. Eventually, they grow to become a fully-staffed police force.

“The Watch” will mark the fourth small-screen adaptation to be based off Discworld's grand setting; the books “Hogfather”, “The Color of Magic” and “Going Postal” have all received live-action adaptations as well, according to Variety. “The Watch” series of books numbers a total of eight from the overall Discworld series, leaving the show writers with a lot of material to work with. Other adaptations of Discworld include the 1997 animated series “Wyrd Sisters” and “Soul Music”.

Pratchett's other series “Good Omens”, co-written with acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman will be receiving an Amazon series starring David Tennant, to be released 2019. “Good Omens” is an apocalyptic comedy-horror story about two angels and an 11-year-old Antichrist. BBC Studios wishes for Discworld to be a series they can frequently return to for more