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His Dark Materials

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews

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69

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 120 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	Your Score
7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 120 Ratings

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His Dark Materials: In The Weeks Ahead

Now Playing: His Dark Materials: In The Weeks Ahead

His Dark Materials

Series Details & Credits

HBO | Release Date: November 3, 2019

Summary: The adaptation of Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy from the BBC and HBO follows Lyra (Dafne Keen) as she searches for her kidnapped friend, makes new friends and discovers secrets people want kept hidden.

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Fantasy

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Recent Episodes

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S2:E9. Æsahættr
Air Date: December 28, 2020
tbd
S2:E7. Malice
Air Date: December 21, 2020
tbd
S2:E7. Æsahættr
Air Date: December 28, 2020

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Metascore

69

Positive:

14

Mixed:

12

Negative:

0

Critic Reviews

100

The Independent Ed Cumming

Jan 3, 2020

Season 1 Review: His Dark Materials is worth the trip. This is a beautiful, brooding vision of Pullman’s universe, which retains the mix of childish wonder and darkness that make his books so beguiling to young adults. Read full review

84

Paste Magazine

Lacy Baugher

Nov 11, 2020

Season 2 Review: His Dark Materials finally feels as though it has found its groove in its second season. The series feels more lush, propulsive, and epic than it ever has before, with a tightly paced plot and characters we can actually care about. Read full review

80

Slate

Laura Miller

Nov 1, 2019

Season 1 Review: The plot of His Dark Materials is a fusion of ripping adventure yarn and coming-of-age story; neglecting the latter in favor of the former, on the misapprehension that action pleases audiences more than character, is a mistake this production does not make. The expanse of eight episodes makes it possible to do justice to both sweeping quests and intimate conversations. Read full review

62

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Rob Owen

Nov 4, 2019

Season 1 Review: “His Dark Materials” benefits from a mesmerizing Lorne Balfe-composed theme song and early on introduces an intriguing element of travel between dimensions but then bogs down as it moves forward to bring all the requisite characters from the book together. Read full review

60

TV Guide Magazine Matt Roush

Nov 14, 2019

Season 1 Review: A robust adventure series. [11-24 Nov 2019, p.17]

60

The Hollywood Reporter

Dan Fienberg

Nov 1, 2019

Season 1 Review: This His Dark Materials nails much of what makes the books pop and both the special effects and a star-studded cast led by Dafne Keen and Ruth Wilson are in fine form. What never fully worked for me in the four episodes, out of the eight-episode first season, sent to critics is the necessary feeling of narrative and thematic momentum. It's vastly better than the movie, but neither fun nor smart enough to quite succeed. Read full review

50

Variety

Caroline Framke

Oct 24, 2019

Season 1 Review: The most jarring part of the series, however, is that it somehow renders the potentially vast, bleak, mysterious world of “His Dark Materials” into something more generic. Despite the rich complexities of the novel’s world of daemons, power-hungry players and warring faiths, HBO’s “His Dark Materials” feels like it could have been plucked from most any other fantasy epic out there. Read full review

SEE ALL 26 REVIEWS

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7.5

User Reviews

10

LJA1

Dec 8, 2019

His Dark Materials is a joy to watch, smart and entertaining every minute of the way.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

10

Lefarien

Nov 6, 2019

A fantastic realisation of the books on screen. Strong performances and visually stunning.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

10

Gregdel69

Dec 1, 2019

It’s a very good adaptation. People saying it’s « boring », « slow paced » and « a total mess » need to go back on Disney+ to watch brainless Marvel movies. Do people have brains nowadays or only want boring action?! The show wouldn’t have 10 million viewers every week if it was « a totalIt’s a very good adaptation. People saying it’s « boring », « slow paced » and « a total mess » need to go back on Disney+ to watch brainless Marvel movies. Do people have brains nowadays or only want boring action?! The show wouldn’t have 10 million viewers every week if it was « a total mess ». The casting is one of the best of the year, the visuals and cinematography are top notch and the music is incredible. This amazing book needed a TV show and not a movie. Well done!… Expand

5 of 8 users found this helpful53

8

kroop

Dec 29, 2019

Never heard of this books the show is my first time with this world and as a tv show i like it script is good dialogue r good characters r believable, so if u looking tv series about child of destiny u should watch this not netflix verry poor "adaptation" of witcher books.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

7

Octomort

Jan 6, 2020

Overall I like the series, but it sometimes falls a little flat.
At times it feels hurried and lacking the depth, and side-plots, of the books. Information is suddenly available to the characters, many things seem to happen overnight and off screen. for example, Lyra secretly moves to aOverall I like the series, but it sometimes falls a little flat.
At times it feels hurried and lacking the depth, and side-plots, of the books. Information is suddenly available to the characters, many things seem to happen overnight and off screen. for example, Lyra secretly moves to a place and lo-and-behold a few minutes later her enemies know and raid said place.

I have read a few of the professional reviews and one thing they fail to mention, as usual, budget. This is a series which could do with an extra two of even four episodes per season to capture the depth and scope of the books. After all Pullman's original does cover 2 alternate universes and the whole of Christianity. Until a production company has the finances of a Starwars or Harry Potter production, we aren't going to see Pullman's work done full and proper TV justice.

Mrs Coulter is very well portrayed. The CGI for the daemons is well done and, usually, seems naturalistic. The North has the bleakness and majesty expected of a true arctic landscape. As in the books part of me wants to protect Lyra at the same time as telling her to stop being such a brat! The often hurried pace tends to make the other characters a little shallow.

The diversity casting is rather like using a sledge hammer to crack a peanut and leaves a bitter taste of political correctness on the back of the tongue. The Gyptians just do not come across to be the unified people they should be. Despite rousing speeches and group cheers.

What it does do well is convey the underlying themes of the books, the authoritarianism and suppression of the Magisterium, greased with lashings of hypocrisy. I get the over all impression the production team have been trying really hard to get the feel of the original within serious budgetary constraints and politically correct management silliness.

Well worth a watch!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

6

BeardedYoda

Jan 15, 2020

It should be stated that I haven't read the book trilogy that this series is based on so take what you will from that. Generally speaking this series had well done acting and was interesting enough to keep me watching it. But, I was bored through most of it and didn't really care about manyIt should be stated that I haven't read the book trilogy that this series is based on so take what you will from that. Generally speaking this series had well done acting and was interesting enough to keep me watching it. But, I was bored through most of it and didn't really care about many of the characters. The few parts that weren't boring to me and that I found intriguing were the only things that kept me watching.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

0

svillar13

Jul 12, 2020

The author of the original books, admittedly hates, the Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis, and by extension God. His reason for writing the books is to destroy the notion of God in children, of which C.S. Lewis tried to do the opposite with his books, based on what he writes about Aslan inThe author of the original books, admittedly hates, the Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis, and by extension God. His reason for writing the books is to destroy the notion of God in children, of which C.S. Lewis tried to do the opposite with his books, based on what he writes about Aslan in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Institutionalized religion is the evil institution that His Dark Materials is based on. The TV series does the same. This kind of material does not belong on TV.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

SEE ALL 27 REVIEWS

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Seasons & Episodes

69

Series Overview
Season 2

71
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: November 8, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E9. Æsahættr
  Air Date: December 28, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E7. Malice
  Air Date: December 21, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E7. Æsahættr
  Air Date: December 28, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E7. Æsahættr
  Air Date: December 20, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E6. Malice
  Air Date: December 21, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E6. Malice
  Air Date: December 13, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E5. The Scholar
  Air Date: December 14, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E5. The Scholar
  Air Date: December 6, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E4. Tower of the Angels
  Air Date: December 7, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E4. Tower of the Angels
  Air Date: November 29, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E3. Theft
  Air Date: November 22, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E2. The Cave
  Air Date: November 15, 2020
- tbd
  S2:E1. The City of Magpies
  Air Date: November 8, 2020
Season 1

69
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: November 3, 2019