Fantasmas

I was optimistic about the French version and down on the German version before filming started, but after watching it, it's the complete opposite. Compared to the original, the characters are more realistic and serious and funny without being cartoonish, the plot is more logical and I especially liked the rigour rather than selling stupid jokes, and the soundtrack is pretty great. On the downside, there is very little period characterisation of the ghosts on show, and the comedy acting and thriller aspects are a bit of a let-down, as everyone is independent and emotionally stable, with a high level of education. Adaptations are weak, originals are strong. The episode Death of a Poet was a very flat adaptation, completely destroying the original dramatic and structural highlights. But the original reasoning in episode 4 was great fun, Fanny is no longer the Joker, and the character drama was handled excellently. The deaths and characterisation didn't shy away from too much sadness as the original did, and it really showed the charm of German philosophical humanism. It was the ending I wanted to see! Overall, it makes up for a lot of the original version's regrets, with a very different kernel, somewhat raising the bar. I think the script is better than the British version, but it won't succeed in the marketplace.