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Hogfather on ABC1

This Terry Pratchett tale screened on Seven four years ago, but if you enjoyed Going Postal it's a chance to taste some more.

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I enjoyed Going Postal so much I may have to check out Hogfather, the next treat from UK satirist Terry Pratchett to be screened on ABC1.

Hogfather is another two-part mini-series set in a parallel universe called Discworld, described as “hilarious and horrifying, magical and menacing, wicked and witty.”

In reality this Sky One production was made in 2007 and screened on Channel Seven four years ago. Guess I must have missed it then.

It’s the night before Hogswatch (a bit like Christmas) and the Hogfather (the jolly fat man) is due to deliver presents to the kiddies at the midwinter festival of Hogswatch.

What the Hogfather doesn’t realise is that he’s being watched by the Auditors – grey-robed spectres who audit the entire universe and maintain a neat order of things. They have formulated a plan to destroy human belief so they can assume control of Discworld.

They approach Lord Downey (David Warner), the Head of The Assassins’ Guild, with a proposal: enlist the ruthless Mr. Teatime (Marc Warren) to kill the Hogfather. A dire situation because if the Hogfather disappears all will be lost and the sun will never rise again.

To keep the little boys and girls of Discworld happy, Death (Voiced by Ian Richardson), is summoned to fill Hogfather’s shoes but when his granddaughter Susan – a mild-mannered, half human – finds out what he’s doing, she goes to find what’s happened to the Hogfather.

Hogfather has a stellar cast including: Tony Robinson (The Worst Jobs In History), Sir David Jason (A Touch Of Frost), Peter Guinness (Bleak House), Neil Pearson (Bridget Jones’s Diary), Marc Warren (Hustle), Joss Ackland (Midsomer Murders) and David Warner (Planet Of The Apes, Titanic).

Part One – Saturday, January 7 at 7.30pm ABC1
Part Two – Saturday, January 15 at 7.30pm ABC1

7 Responses

  2. I enjoyed Going Postal as a TV event in its own right, & in comparison to
    the previous adaptations of the books – this was mainly because GP was
    paced better with a suitable & co-ordinated score. IMHO, The Colour of Magic,
    Hogfather etc… suffer from a directorial perspective, & it was like the actors
    were waiting for an imaginary laugh track to subside before delivering their
    next lines. The pregnant pauses were most obvious with Rincewind (David
    Jason). Of course movie versions often disappoint avid (reading) fans for various
    reasons, but even with this qualifier in mind, I found the earlier attempts
    somewhat lacking in their flow… could be just me… Won’t stop me watching them
    again, given the chance though! 🙂

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