BBC One adapting 'His Dark Materials' for British Television

Hopefully this will make people forget about the movie adaptation of "The Golden Compass"

The BBC’s flagship channel, BBC One, has commissioned an initial eight-part series based on Philip Pullman’s epic fantasy novel in three parts, “His Dark Materials,” from Bad Wolf and New Line Cinema, which will be produced in Wales.

“His Dark Materials” has been published in more than 40 languages, and has sold worldwide close to 17.5 million copies.

The first part of the trilogy, “Northern Lights,” introduces Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust.

In “The Subtle Knife,” she is joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As Lyra learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds, and leads to a thrilling conclusion in “The Amber Spyglass.”

“His Dark Materials” is the first commission from Bad Wolf, a U.K./U.S. production company founded by former BBC executives Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, and co-sited in South Wales and Los Angeles. Bad Wolf just partnered with HBO in the U.S. for a non-exclusive first-look deal, as Varietyexclusively reported. The show is New Line’s first move into British television. The series will be executive produced by Pullman, Tranter and Gardner for Bad Wolf, Toby Emmerich and Carolyn Blackwood for New Line Cinema, and Deborah Forte for Scholastic.

Since first publication in 1995 of “Northern Lights,” the three books have been acclaimed worldwide and have won many awards. In 2001 “The Amber Spyglass” was the first and only children’s book to win the Whitbread (now Costa) Book of the Year Award, in 2007 “Northern Lights” won the Carnegie of Carnegies, and in 2005 Pullman was awarded by the Swedish Arts Council, the children’s literature equivalent of the Nobel Prize, The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Previous adaptations of the novels include Nicholas Hytner’s stage production of the trilogy, which was produced in two parts at the National Theatre in 2003-4. In 2007, New Line Cinema released the film “The Golden Compass,” which was based on “Northern Lights.” It starred Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra.

Polly Hill, controller BBC drama commissioning, said: “It is an honor to be bringing Philip Pullman’s extraordinary novels to BBC One. ‘His Dark Materials’ is a stunning trilogy, and a drama event for young and old — a real family treat, that shows our commitment to original and ambitious storytelling.”