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[LordOfLore]

io9 link.

This past weekend, the BBC aired Terry Pratchett: Back in Black, a part-drama, part-documentary tribute to mark the death of one of fantasy’s most beloved authors. Typically, these sorts of specials about dead celebrities include “talking head” insight from fellow celebrities, but rarely cover the indelible mark left on seas of ordinary fans. Back in Black does, and it’s what makes it stand out as a stunning farewell to Pratchett.

There are three layers to Back In Black, starting with footage taken of Terry Pratchett in the final years of his life, attempting to recall his life story and his work for a planned—and ultimately unfinished—memoir before his mind deteriorated too far due to Alzheimer’s. It’s hard to watch, even if you’re only a casual fan of Pratchett’s work, as the writer—beloved for his imagination, his wit, his ability to craft beautiful, funny, heartbreaking sentences at the drop of his trademark hat—struggles to speak, to remember a story, or even just correct turn of phrase.

It inspires a sort of fury behind the sadness you feel, as the documentary unfolds and the disease that would ultimately claim Pratchett’s life gets worse and worse. It’s unfair. How dare this disease do such a thing to such a wonderfully talented man? But that fury is also ultimately reflected in Pratchett’s origin story of becoming a writer, told in the program—how he recalls the headmaster that told him as a child he’d never amount to anything, or how he loved to rail at critics who dismissed his work for not being high-brow enough. As gut-wrenching as it is to watch, it stokes in the viewer that same sense of passion and anger at the injustice of it all, that inspired the very heart of what Pratchett wrote about in Discworld.

The second layer, interspersed throughout the documentary, is a dramatic continuation of Pratchett’s unfinished memoir. Using Terry’s own words, actor Paul Kaye—who you might be more familiar with as Thoros of Myr on Game of Thrones—is done up with beardy prosthetics and in costume, becomes Pratchett, reciting passages and segments from the unfinished memoir in character. At first, it’s jarring; Kaye’s impersonation of Pratchett is just close enough to the true thing, and the costuming is convincing enough, that it actually feels slightly distasteful to have Pratchett’s own words coming out of a mouth that isn’t his. But that issue fades away from relevance quickly, allowing what actually matters to bubble to the surface—Pratchett’s insight into his own life, but also how he faced his inevitable death with a sense of melancholy, but also the heaping of charm that you’d expect from a man as whimsical as Terry Pratchett. But the costumery of Kaye’s dramatic interludes also strikes a parallel with third, and perhaps most important layer of Back in Black: it is a documentary unabashedly about the fans of Terry Pratchett.

More at the link.

 

[Haly]

Will have to watch this.

Can only imagine what Pratchett would've said about the world today.

 

[Khoryos]

I honestly don't know if I can watch this - Terry Pratchett is the only celebrity whose death ever made me cry. His books have been a constant companion to me throughout my life, and my world view is entirely thanks to him and Iain M Banks. This is going to fuck me up, and I know it.

 

[Mr. Sam]

It is indeed very good and very painful to watch. The Neil Gaiman interview, particularly towards the end, will definitely inspire a few tears.

 

[Vagabundo]

I caught half of it. Thankfully missed the parts with the man himself, I dont think I would have watched it if I had, but I thought Kaye was Pratchett somehow filmed a long time before his death or something.

Still sad he's gone. I still remember when the Light Fantastic came out and I was in secondary school, it was passed around the class.

 

[m_dorian]

I can't and will not watch this. Pratchett's books gave me fun and joy, helped me escape from my reality i can't associate sadness with his name.

 

[Aureon]

Man Pratchett dying fucked me up something fierce.
I can't watch this. Just can't.

 

[Dead Man]

Sounds beautiful, but I'll struggle to sit through it I reckon.

 

[Dougald]

Will have to watch this.

Can only imagine what Pratchett would've said about the world today.

I can almost see in my mind how Lord Vetinari would be dealing with Brexit. But nobody other than Terry could do another Discworld novel justice.

 

[Jintor]

GNU Terry Prachett

I can almost see in my mind how Lord Vetinari would be dealing with Brexit. But nobody other than Terry could do another Discworld novel justice.

Vetinari would never have let it get to that point in the first place.

In many ways he was basically just a benevolent autocrat, but it was nice to have one once in a while.

 

[SamVimes]

I'll watch this when I'm in a better mood.

 

[Dougald]

Vetinari would never have let it get to that point in the first place.

In many ways he was basically just a benevolent autocrat, but it was nice to have one once in a while.

He'd have played the sides off one-another quite expertly I'm sure. But Pratchett already covered immigration & integration so well in his earlier work.

 

[neorej]

I can't and will not watch this. Pratchett's books gave me fun and joy, helped me escape from my reality i can't associate sadness with his name.

Same here. I'm always excited to dive into the minds of my favorite authors, but in this case, I'll have to make an exception.

 

[Seiryoden]

I just watched it. It was marvellous. Kaye's performance is lovingly accurate and wonderfully deft. It's half Biopic and half documentary, with words from fans, family and friends.

I let a tear slip, when a friend of Terry's cried themselves, but this was not a "heartbreaking" film. Far from it.

It will not ruin your day, it will enrich it.

 

[RetroDLC]

Does the program have Rhianna's blessing for it?

 

[Rimon-hanit]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Seiryoden]

Does the program have Rhianna's blessing for it?

She speaks about her Father.

 

[jay]

I want to see this, and I love his work, but god that article is annoyingly written.

And that matters.

 

[Melubas]

Considering that his twitter feed completely destroyed me when he passed away I'm not sure I dare to watch this. I will, however, since he was awesome.

 

[Nezumi]

I honestly don't know if I can watch this - Terry Pratchett is the only celebrity whose death ever made me cry. His books have been a constant companion to me throughout my life, and my world view is entirely thanks to him and Iain M Banks. This is going to fuck me up, and I know it.

Apart from the Iain Banks part this is exactly how I feel. I still haven't read his last book because I can't stand the fact that I would never be able to enjoy one of his books for the first time after that.

 

[ShiroAmakusa]

I made it through Pratchett's "Choosing to die" documentary, where he explored the subject of assisted suicide. Back in Black can't be any more heart-wrenching. I need to watch this!

 

[LordOfLore]

Sort of small bump, but I'm finally going to watch this today on the 2 year anniversary of his death.