This is happening! Well, something is . . .

Tweet from earlier today ...

Sorry to let you down at the end with that title! We didn't want to get too 'click-baity,' but we are reaching the stage where the TV show is a bigger reality than ever before. At this point, the people who will make this TV magic happen KNOW who will play Matthew Clairmont: CUE FRUSTRATED, YET ANTICIPITORY SCREAM! Oh yes, friends. We live on that ledge right along with you. Again, nothing for us to say but: "Here's Deb's latest update" (re-posted in The All Souls Con Attendee's group, after being first posted in the All Souls Discussion group):

As we approach the "From Fantasy to Reality" portion of our TV programming (!) I just wanted to pop up from my writing lair to say I've been touched and amazed by your enthusiasm and energy about the casting for the forthcoming TV show. As we start shooting in September (!!) I imagine you will soon discover who HAS been cast in the show. No, I can't give you any hints, nor do I know exactly when you will discover what I already know about the production. Those announcements are way above my pay grade.

HOWEVER, I do know that I can rely upon all of you to behave with graciousness and to give warm welcomes to the actors who have taken us all on. I have seen the fans for other franchises turn sour on social media and I know I can rely on you all to keep things in perspective and to show some empathy for all concerned.

Can you imagine how thrilling and daunting it is to know that you are going to be occupying the shoes of any of these characters?? I can't. I'm not sure I would have the courage.

So you need to kiss goodbye your insistence "she has to have blue eyes!" and "he has to be American" and give up your worries "but she's not red-haired" and "his jaw isn't right" and "but he's 25!" and "she's not 54!" and EMBRACE the process of ADAPTATION that Bad Wolf is engaged with. They are doing an absolutely stunning job with A) a fixed budget B) actors who have schedule/life/contractual conflicts C) a lot of people like me sharing their (strong) opinions. The actors who have been cast are all absolutely amazing. You will recognize many of them. Some of them will be discoveries and once you see them in their roles (as I have seen them) they are going to amaze you.

A few things to remember:

1. Heels, hair coloring, contact lenses, makeup, and wardrobe exist on set for a reason. Also: sometimes someone is just so amazing that it is actually *me* who says: let's skip the hair color and leave them as is. Because seriously--it's not that big a deal, really, is it?? We are a family of readers who think ALL SOULS have worth and value, and would never fetishize someone's hair, skin, or eye color as somehow DEFINING them. (BEFORE YOU PANIC MATTHEW HAS BLACK HAIR AND DIANA IS BLONDE--WE MIGHT ADJUST THINGS HERE AND THERE BUT WE HAVEN'T GONE MAD)

2. They are ACTORS and therefore their job is to embody the spirit and language and story of a character. It doesn't matter if they've only played X kind of role. Look at me--I was a history professor. Then I took a chance on something different. This can work out well!

3. Actors in recurring roles in other shows are unlikely to appear in roles in our show because they are barred from doing so in their contracts. Of course you are bound to put them in your fantasy castings because they are on your screens and you are familiar with them but just remember that when the time comes and you think "why didn't they hire X." Yes, they might have been perfect. They also may have been completely uninterested or unavailable!

4. I have been engaged in adapting my books for film and/or TV for FIVE YEARS. Five years. It only took me four years to write them all. Think about that. So people have been working very hard to bring us all some great television. It will not be the books. It cannot be the books. I will explain all the ways in which the TV show is bigger than the books and less than the books in due course but please do rest assured that so much care has been taken on this project, with YOU all in my mind. I have been part of every decision made in this production, and support each and every direction we have taken thus far even when we have had to diverge from something in the books in order to tell you a good story in a broadcast timeframe.

Sorry this has become a hugely long post! But I hope you will read it and know that there are some really amazing times ahead for all of us and for our favorite characters.

Stay tuned.

X

Deb

Also, to assure you that the screen shot at the top is indeed genuine, here is the actual tweet from earlier today.

Keep up the vigiliance! Our next post will likely be sad -- but stoic, OR surprised, yet intrigued, OR ridiculously ecstatic, with all dignity on holiday. Stay tuned to find out!

We love you madly, but we may just need straight-jackets after this whole ordeal . . .

Crusade on!

Hang in there, Crusaders . . .

Picture from Twitter user @twerkingthorin

Here we are with a little update!  Not sure how much people check this site anymore, because it hasn't changed since February!  We apologize!  There just hasn't been much to report these months.  We've been checking in on our Facebook and Twitter, but that's not a true update, is it?!  So, let us update you properly.  Here is where we are "officially" -- so to speak!

No news is good news, so far!  Yup, that's what we have.  Very anticlimactic, we are aware!  Bear with us: here's the latest from Deborah Harkness.  Seems they are closer to a television production, but nothing solid yet, and nothing we're interested in is something she can report on from now on.  If we hear anything else on this production it will be from the production/media company broadcasting it.  No real casting news, no really tangible bits of information.  Frustrating!  Nothing any of us control (including her), of course -- so we'll wait a bit longer and keep our eyes and ears on the ground when it comes to this issue, so when we know something, YOU'LL know something.  We promise, and as our followers know, we try to keep our promises!

Until we know more, we'll continue to post on social media.  We've been watching news on Richard Armitage (did you know he has an official Facebook page along with his Twitter?  He's keeping up with the times, our Richard!), checking pictures from the Epix premiere of Berlin Station, and fan's various pictures & posts all over social media after they've seen his off-Broadway show: Love, Love, Love.

Ok, Crusaders . . . we'll leave you here.  Stay strong!  What are we doing in the meantime?  Well, go visit us here at DaemonsDomain.com, to see what it is we are up to!  Also, we have a new podcast!  DaemonsDiscuss.com will be the place to go to find that!  We've been staying occupied!  But we wanted to let everyone know that we haven't taken our eyes off of the prize.  However the casting process goes, it will effectively put a definitive end to this campaign.  We are preparing for all scenarios, and have determined that we will end it with dignity, no matter the outcome! The biggest thing we take from this, is that we owe our followers here a huge thank you!  Armitage4Clairmont is how we got our start in the business of - for lack of a better word - "fandom," and it remains close to our hearts! 

With patience and perseverance - until the very end,

#RA4MC