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Episodes
Series premiere. Orphan Lyra Belacqua's world is upended by her long-absent uncle's return from the North, while the glamorous Mrs. Coulter visits Jordan College with a proposition.
Lyra arrives to her new life in London, determined to find Roger with Mrs. Coulter's help; the Gyptians continue their search for the missing children and the elusive Gobblers.
In a world similar to ours, but inhabited by witches, sapient polar bears and daemons, a brave young woman named Lyra (Dafne Keen) uncovers a sinister plot after her childhood friend is kidnapped by a secret organization.
In a world similar to ours, but inhabited by witches, sapient polar bears and demons, a brave young woman named Lyra uncovers a sinister plot after her childhood friend is kidnapped by a secret organization.
The alethiometer sends Lyra and Iorek on a new path, leading to a shocking but vital clue.
Lyra discovers the horrific truth behind the Gobbler's activities in the North. She must use all her wits to help free those around her and avoid suffering a terrible fate.
Lyra must use her methods of deception to outwit a formidable foe.
Season 1 finale. As the Magisterium closes in, Lyra assists Asriel's efforts, but at great personal cost.
His Dark Materials: Season 1 Videos
His Dark Materials: Season 1 Photos
Tv Season Info
Cast & Crew
Lyra Belacqua
Lee Scoresby
Marisa Coulter
Lord Boreal
Farder Coram
Father MacPhail
News & Interviews for His Dark Materials: Season 1
Critic Reviews for His Dark Materials Season 1
All Critics (96) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (77) | Rotten (19)
For every exceptional scene, another is either too familiar or too meh.
It's a series that's not perfect and it isn't the adaptation of the books that we deserve, but it's good, and that's a start.
His Dark Materials remains a world worth exploring, but whether you're comparing it to the source material or coming to it fresh, this series is weak tea.
Proof that TV is now the best medium for bringing epic literary fantasy to the screen.
It's really good in its accuracy, plotting and acting - but the first episode has so much set up.
...the best version of Philip Pullman's Northern Lights (a.k.a. The Golden Compass) to exist in any form...and that includes the book
While the debut season of His Dark Materials boasts exceptional visuals, it's hindered by problematic pacing and odd structural choices, resulting in a great-looking, but unnecessarily-elongated, adaptation of the first novel of the trilogy.
[Though] the visuals are on point, the writing isn't. Despite the elements at its disposal ... it's made to feel ordinary, especially the farther it gets from its fantasy trappings.
His Dark Materials is a valiant effort that scrappily rises to the challenge, but only time will tell if it has the strength to go the distance and carry itself over the finish line.
Much of the first hour of His Dark Materials is given over to world-building, and what a feast for the eyes this world is.
It also lays the sentimentality on thick, finally using daemons correctly.
Finally, after seven episodes, they give the people what they need.
Audience Reviews for His Dark Materials: Season 1
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4d agonice visuals but didn't do the source material justice. Plot & dialogue seemed like it was written for a Young Adult audience. Disappointing.
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Jan 08, 2021I got me hooked from the start. Interesting characters, unexpected story line. I did not read the books, but by itself, it is a gem.
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Jan 06, 2021Slow and cold. It tries to be deep and mysterious. But falls flat. It has no heart to it and is mostly emotionless.
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Jan 05, 2021Wildly rushed, but the best that can be done to the franchise in this commercial tv format. Actors were the highest point.
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Jan 04, 2021Strong cast with a number of outstanding performances. It moves quickly, perhaps a little too quickly through the book material. Humor and heartbreak.
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Dec 30, 2020This is a tour de force of cinematic-quality film making that belongs on screen, right up there with Lord of the Rings. An amazing story based on the wonderful trilogy of books, and completely faithful to the books because there's time to tease out all the intricate relationships and plotting. A movie was made of the first book, the Golden Compass. It flopped, not the least from Nicole Kidman's over-one dimensional, under-nuanced villain performance as Mrs. Coulter. To see how the role can be played, and beautifully, watch the actress in this series: she's an acting tutorial all by herself. To be fair to the original film, you can't possibly do this story justice in two hours, though they tried hard. The young heroine Lyra and the deeply conflicted villain Mrs. Coulter, along with a cohort of fascinating characters beautifully acted and directed, is not to be missed. It's fantasy, alternate worlds-sci fi, but above all, a compelling, engaging, never-less-than-human dive into how real and complicated people easily grab you into caring for them. This is no black/white hate/love soup can drama. Don't miss if you love story-telling that keeps you up late for just one more episode. It's a wonderful dive into what amazing, visually wondrous, empathy-arousing storytelling can be, but all too often is not.
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Dec 29, 2020I recommend it. Season 1 is a little slow but rewarding if you stick it out. The world building, visuals, characters, and acting are great! Warning: Before you invest too much of your time be warned the show is presenting the materialism philosophy and at its core will be critical of creationism and other philosophies. I recommend just accepting the universe and its rules that the show creates and enjoying the ride. As the show progresses you'll start to see inconsistencies and flaws in materialism, but the show is still enjoyable.
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Dec 27, 2020Enjoyed series 1, there was enough going on to keep me interested while I binge watched it all.
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Dec 25, 2020Love, love, love this series 🥰
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Dec 23, 2020The acting, the daemons, and the kids, It's binge worthy and well directed show
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