The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells

My wife and I watched this over 3 nights on the Hallmark Channel. It was a good way to present 6 short stories, and HG Wells short stories are a much neglected resource.

Good characterisations and nicely done in the late 19th century. Whilst some of the HG Wells Biography is ignored, I think that this was acceptable for what the programme aimed to achieve.

We do hope that they consider making more :)

I would say a 9/10

Ashamed to admit I paid a grand total of 44 cents for this collection (plus another in a dual pack DVD from the local dollar store on 88 Cent Day.) It was worth so much more~my husband and I have sat up late two nights in a row watching them all. Nearly as addictive as Downton Abbey, with music reminiscent of the Harry Potter Series, it was a fun escape from the news of the day a century later. The "journalist" was a particularly clever way to tie the lot together, one story blending into the next, so we didn't want to stop watching. We were both disappointed it was only six episodes.

We've started an American series now called Granite Flats, set in cold war 1961. It's hard to find, and more "family-oriented" but some nice mystery to it. We're looking forward to seeing it's second season start up this April.

It's always fun to discover these little-known, short-lived televised gems.

I did make a bad start with this six part series. On YouTube they are divided into three programmes, each of two episodes, the first and third shown in different order to the IMDb listing. So until the penny dropped I watched part of The New Accelerator wondering where is Mr Brownlow and his newspaper. The basic idea of The New Accelerator (which I score 8) was used in the Star Trek episode Wink of an Eye, as far as I know there was no plagiarism.

At the time of writing Mr Brownlow's Newspaper is the most highly rated, with which I agree, deserving a 10. Re-living past events, and returning again to try to correct the past when things fail to happen as they should, has a flavour of Groundhog Day and, how can I put it, takes less time about it.

The most light hearted, almost Chaplin slapstick, is The Truth about Pyecraft, a good 7. The lovelorn fatty, having decided on suicide, is meticulous enough to calculate the optimum length of rope but he attaches it to a chandelier, which probably wouldn't support a large dog. I'd award another 7 to The Stolen Bacillus. I'm not one to let plot hole pedantry prevent enjoyment of a good story. But I did wonder why the thief immediately poured it into the reservoir , without even knowing what it was, rather than demand a ransom for its return. The Crystal Egg and The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes aren't so good, I'd rate them 6 and 5 respectively.

Unlike one reviewer I thought Tom Ward perfectly acceptable as Wells, and completely convincing as an elderly man reminiscing about the past.

I happened to watch this miniseries over the course of two nights on the Hallmark Channel and what a joy it was! The script was very well-done. All the supporting characters were nicely developed with very few light touches. The two main characters of H. G. Wells and his scientist wife were really charming. Their story of courting was told so effectively in parallel with the main storyline of various mysterious events. The period details were faultless and lively. I almost felt I was there with all of them! And the most important of all, the stories themselves (6 in total) gave me the kind of pleasure and fun mixed with curiosity that I used to feel two decades ago as a child, reading Jules Verne books and dreaming of those faraway exotic worlds and adventures. Thanks to everyone involved in this production.

If you are a fan of H.G. Wells and like the odd spot of romance then this "made for tv special" is for you. I saw it on the Hallmark Channel over the span of 3 nights and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

The format is reasonably simple. Set in post-WWII, Wells is visited by an "up and coming star" lady, a supposed journalist, who comes to quiz the famous author on an old science chum. This in leads to Wells relating a number of stories that he played some small part in well over 50 years ago. All of the stories are short, lasting about 40 minutes screen time. They mostly revolve around time and its a wonderful exploration on its varying effects on people.

Thrown into all of this is Well's love interest. A charming lady scientist who urges the great writer onto bigger and better things.

All in all this is one of the better 'made for telly movies' that I've seen. A decent cast, nice settings and a good script. I gave it a rare 10/10.