BBCs His Dark Materials series is moving along

I just came across  this news release from the BBC a few weeks back full of tantalizing details regarding the new His Dark Materials series. Filming has begun in Cardiff on series three —yay! I was particularly intrigued by the plot description. (I’ve bolded curiosities and commented on them below.)

Dafne Keen takes on the lead role of Lyra, the young protagonist of the story who lives in Jordan College, Oxford. Placed there at the request of her Uncle, Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) she lives a sheltered life amongst the scholars and college staff while under the watchful protection of The Master (Clarke Peters) and Librarian Scholar Charles (Ian Gelder).

So I’m very curious about Librarian Scholar Charles. I don’t recall one in the first book, but there was indeed a Charles in the second…who was….yikes!

When the glamorous and mesmeric Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) enters Lyra’s life she embarks upon a dangerous journey of discovery from Oxford to London. Here she meets Father MacPhail (Will Keen), Lord Boreal (Ariyon Bakare) and journalist Adele Starminster (Georgina Campbell) at a glittering society party where she first hears about the sinister General Oblation Board.

And here is Lord Boreal so Librarian Charles isn’t him (and that will only make sense if you know the series.) Hmmm, another seemingly new character — the journalist Adele Straminster.

Lyra is subsequently thrown into the nomadic world of the boat dwelling Gyptians – Ma Costa (Anne-Marie Duff), Farder Coram (James Cosmo), John Faa (Lucian Msamati), Raymond Van Geritt (Mat Fraser), Jack Verhoeven (Geoff Bell) and Benjamin de Ruyter (Simon Manyonda) who take her North in her quest.

Fun watching for this fan! Well done adaptation!