Freddy

Late Notice but should be on iplayer

Tonught, Thursday 16th April


The Narnia Code - 22:35


Documentary examining claims that CS Lewis's Narnia Chronicles contain a hidden meaning. When first published over 50 years ago, critics thought them little more than childish scribblings. Other scholars were sure there was something hidden beneath the stories. Now Dr Michael Ward, a young academic and Lewis expert, claims he has discovered the answer: the Narnia Code. Using dramatisations of Lewis's early life and career, the programme meets experts, tests evidence and uncovers ideas that still challenge readers today.


BBC1 : (60 mins)


Regards

Freddy

jaycad

that looks interesting-thanks for that!

'QUIS EST ISTE QUI VENIT'

Steve Crook

I'll be watching it but when I saw it listed I wondered if it was a contender for the prize for stating the bleedin' obvious

Of course it's not just childish scribblings and of course there are some not very deeply hidden allusions. That's been known ever since Lewis first wrote them

Steve

Freddy

Yes, it caught my eye. Trouble is now whenever I think of the Chronicles I always remember that line from Gimme Gimme Gimme.

"He's so far in the closet he's in f ******* Narnia"

hopefully this programme will banish that habit.

Freddy

Owlett

Having just seen this, I think that's highly unlikely. Great PR for Ward's american publishing house though, with a preponderance of US interviewees puffing it up.

It was clearly an american market-oriented exposition and sadly, a substantive portion of our colonial bretheren will lap this stuff up: pagan obscurantism appropriated by a christian dogmatist, linked to stories about kids on adventures with neat speaking lions, and given a whole new cosmological spin (giving 'meaning' to the planets - oh what? Would that be the same meaning as that one about their having been put there solely for our pleasure by a beneficent deity?) for the 21st Century.

'Don't trust the heart, it wants your blood'

GRAEME

It seemed to use whole chunks of C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia (2005) also directed by Norman Stone in its recreations.

Could The Narnia Code qualify as Anton Rodgers' last screen credit?

All men leak.

Amethyst_Isle

For those who watched The Narnia Code,what was the code then ?

There's a lot of dignity in that, isn't there? Going out like a raspberry ripple.

Freddy

My feelings as well. One of those programmes which really could have been condensed into a 5 minute segment on the Culture show, or read on a couple of sides of A4.

Freddy

Freddy

Beyond Narnia was on two years ago during the Christmas holidays in an unnoticeable late morning slot. A great shame as I thought it was worthy of an evening viewing.

Freddy

GRAEME

Did anyone else notice this?

Stone seems to be something of a Lewis enthusiast - he directed the TV film version of Shadowlands as well!

All men leak.

Amethyst_Isle

Indeed and the BBC version was so much better than Richard Attenborough's film,although Hopkins was superb in that Joss Ackland imo was far better and Claire Bloom too.

There's a lot of dignity in that, isn't there? Going out like a raspberry ripple.