BBC America's 'The Watch' Will Bring Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' to Television (Sort Of)

There is good news and there is bad news for Terry Pratchett fans in 2021. Good news, new sci-fi drama The Watch is coming to BBC America in January, and it's based on the author's beloved Discworld series of novels, a complex and messy tale of the eponymous Discworld, a flat planet balanced on the backs of four elephants which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle. (It's a whole thing, just go with it.)

Bad news: The series is what can be only called "loosely inspired" by those same books.  (Though that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing - and your mileage may vary on how you feel about it.)

On some level, this makes sense, as the Discworld series is comprised of over 40 novels and they're all pretty complicated and more than a bit weird. The Watch looks as though it means to attempt to convey the tone and spirit of Pratchett's work, rather than strictly adhere to the beats of his books, and in the world of television adaptations, that may not be the worst idea ever. But for those who are Pratchett purists, this may be upsetting news. (Or at least something they'll need a minute to get used to.)