Watership Down (2018 TV series)

Watership Down is a CGI-animated adventure fantasy drama television miniseries directed by Noam Murro. It is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Richard Adams and adapted by Tom Bidwell. It was released on 22 December 2018 in the United Kingdom and internationally on Netflix the next day. The BBC broadcast comprised two back-to-back episodes per day.

The music video for "Fire on Fire" (from Watership Down) by Sam Smith was released on 21 December 2018.

Voice cast

 * James McAvoy as Hazel
 * Nicholas Hoult as Fiver
 * John Boyega as Bigwig
 * Ben Kingsley as General Woundwort
 * Tom Wilkinson as Threarah
 * Gemma Arterton as Clover
 * Peter Capaldi as Kehaar
 * Olivia Colman as Strawberry
 * Mackenzie Crook as Hawkbit
 * Anne-Marie Duff as Hyzenthlay
 * Taron Egerton as El-Ahrairah
 * Freddie Fox as Captain Holly
 * James Faulkner as Frith
 * Lee Ingleby as Campion
 * Miles Jupp as Blackberry
 * Daniel Kaluuya as Bluebell
 * Rory Kinnear as Cowslip
 * Craig Parkinson as Sergeant Sainfoin
 * Rosamund Pike as the Black Rabbit of Inlé
 * Daniel Rigby as Dandelion
 * Jason Watkins as Captain Orchis
 * Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Vervain
 * Gemma Chan as Dewdrop
 * Rosie Day as Thethuthinnang
 * Emeli Sande as Thethuthinang Singing Voice
 * Henry Goodman as Blackavar
 * Peter Guinness as Silverweed
 * Charlotte Spencer as Nettle

Production
In July 2014, it was announced that the BBC would be airing a new animated serial of Watership Down based on the 1972 novel and the 1978 film. In April 2016, it was announced that the series would be a co-production between BBC and Netflix, and would consist of four one hour episodes. The series has a budget of £20 million. The rest of the voice cast was announced in November 2018.

Release
Originally set for release on 25 December 2018, Watership Down was released on 22 December 2018, on BBC One in the UK and on 23 December 2018 on Netflix, internationally.

Reception
Watership Down received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the narrative, performances of its voice cast and soundtrack, but receiving some criticism for its somewhat tamer tone and the quality of the computer animation, described as "soulless" and "clunky". On Rotten Tomatoes, the drama has an approval rating of 74% based on reviews from 23 critics, with its critical consensus reading "Though its animation leaves something to be desired, Watership Down is a faithful adaptation that will resonate with viewers of any age." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on five critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".

The Guardian and The Independent both gave it two stars out of five, calling the production "tame, drab and deeply unsatisfying." and "spectacularly ho-hum – less tooth and claw than head shake."

The Times was more positive, giving it three stars out of five, writing "this was a meaty, lovingly made production that, spread over two days, felt far too long," while The New York Times noted that though the adaptation "fails its potential, it benefits from strong voice performances and a solid central story. Even this easy-listening version, which lays on the romance, jokes and limp dialogue, has moments of grandeur and the sweep of a fantasy epic." Despite the negative reviews, it got four stars from the Daily Telegraph, which said that it had an "emotional bite".

The drama won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. It also got nominated for a Daytime creative arts Emmy awards for outstanding directing, sound editing, sound mixing, graphic design and music direction.