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I prefer the series’ version of him better, where he’s street smart, clever, and very handsome. In the book, Passepartout is a bit of an oaf and a clown. Tennant’s Fogg has no real experience out in the world, and Passepartout is constantly trying to keep them on track and safe as they explore the great unknown, which was most of the world back in the 1870s. In the show, Passepartout is played deftly by Ibrahim Koma as a bit of a conman who has fled France where his family was involved in fighting against the Third Republic. And then he gets unexpectedly dragged along on this trip. Let’s talk about those traveling companions for a moment though, shall we? In the book, there is Passepartout, a Frenchman who has come to serve Fogg’s household because he’s been gallivanting around for most of his life and he’s heard that Phileas Fogg is a settled, staid kind of gentleman who lives a quiet life. In the series, Fogg and his traveling companions are given robust backstories, desires, ideas. #Around the world in 80 days david tennant windowsIn the book, Fogg doesn’t even look out of the windows while they travel, and Passepartout’s general mission is to make sure they have clean shirts at every stop. However, Tennant quickly imbues Fogg with more life and interest in both his surroundings and the people in his life than Verne did. When we are introduced to Tennant’s Fogg in the first episode of the series, it seems like they might be taking the same route with the character. We learn nothing about him as a person and he does not experience any sort of growth as part of his journey. He’s undertaking this journey to prove a mathematical concept, not as an adventure. As a character, he is dour and humorless. Phileas decides to prove he can make the trip and then proceeds to enjoy absolutely none of it. It’s a slim 165 pages long and it legitimately took me a month to read because I couldn’t make myself pick it up every day. That said, Around The World in 80 Days by Jules Verne might be the most boring book I’ve ever read. The point is that I’m not one of these folks who doesn’t read books. Oh boy, where to begin? I’m a very good reader. I decided I should finally read the book while we were watching the show. If you told me this version of Phileas Fogg lived in the same universe as Phryne Fisher, I wouldn’t be surprised (even though the time frames are about 50 years apart.)īut I’ll tell you where I made a mistake. You know where there’s just enough intrigue and action to keep you interested but not enough that you’re ever really worried about the fate of the protagonists. #Around the world in 80 days david tennant seriesMy family dove into the eight-part series with open minds and, truthfully, we enjoyed most of it. I’m constantly searching for family viewing that isn’t superheroes or Star Wars (not that there’s anything wrong with those things.) Battlebots is only on once a week, so this seemed like it might be perfect after-dinner viewing. I love David Tennant, and it looked like it was going to be a nice adaptation. It’s not mine, either, but I got excited last year when the network announced an Around The World In 80 Days mini-series starring David Tennant as Phileas Fogg. PBS is not our usual beat around these parts. ![]()
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