Fandom

[halojedha]

I think one of the reasons Good Omens is such a gift to fans is because it's so fannish itself. Good Omens inspires fanfic partly because it is fanfic. It's fic of the Book of Genesis and the Book of Revelation, and of Milton's Paradise Lost.

I mean, it's also breathtakingly original, but then so is a lot of fanfiction.

Good Omens: Lockdown is canon, but it also feels like fanfic. The whole fandom just contains so much possibility and feels gloriously permissive.

I love that they produced it during lockdown with Martin Sheen and David Tennant just recording their conversation from their respective houses. And I wonder whether the bookshop footage was leftover from shooting the TV show or shot specially for this, and if the latter, does that mean the set is still all put together, and does that mean they're planning a sequel? Otherwise surely they'd have dismantled it?

I just wrote my first fic and I was really pleased to get some positive comments on it. (I've got  the same username there as on here if you want to take a look). I'm working on another (which I started a month ago and is of course about C/A in lockdown, because that's one of the ways I'm processing what's happening) and now I have ideas for a third set in the Garden of Eden, which is sort of Good Omens fanfic and also sort of Bible fanfic. And so we come full circle.

I love the way this fandom encompasses ancient history and mythology and religion and cosmology and ethics. The scope is vast.

Comments

[juliet]

My strong suspicion is that the footage was left over from the TV show, or maybe possibly a few bits of props still lying around that people pocketed before the end. Because they burnt the bookshop set.

(As I recall the cakes -- which likely were new -- were not compiled with any of the bookshop prop footage.)

There has been Rumour about a sequel. AIUI Amazon & the BBC would LOVE to do one, because it has been very successful. Gaiman does not particularly want (again, as I understand it) to return to his role as producer, because it meant he didn't do any writing for a couple of years, and had to be places at ungodly times of the morning and all that sort of thing. Of course, someone else could produce it; but given that it's not just Gaiman's, it's his and Pratchett's, and he feels quite strongly that he's responsible on behalf of both of them, I don't know if he'll be willing to let go. (And I presume it's not like he desperately needs the money they're doubtless offering.) There *is* an outline of a second book that they started to put together, from which some of the angel stuff was cannibalised (Gabriel et al aren't in the book at all).

My personal feeling is that I am inclined to hope that they *don't* do it, because I am worried that it won't be anywhere near as good. Basically.

[halojedha]

I just rewatched it and yes you're right, the cake footage is new and the bookshop footage probably leftover. So did they actually burn the bookshop for the fire scene? Whoa, that's intense. I didn't realise that.

Yeah, I've seen Gaiman saying he's done with TV for a while and wants to write a novel. I guess Rob Wilkins could do it without him, but... I agree I'd rather wait ten years for Gaiman to feel like it, or have it never happen, than for Amazon to go ahead without him.

[juliet]

there's a tumblr post here with a quote from the special effects person about the burn: https://mizgnomer.tumblr.com/post/187710530057/behind-the-scenes-of-aziraphales-bookshop-as-it

[halojedha]

Thank you for this!

[laurashapiro]

Hi! I just started reading your first fic -- interested to see what you do with Tracy. I've always loved her.

Regrettably, they actually burned the bookshop set. So all the Lockdown footage was either leftover B-roll or (most likely, to these eyes) new for the special.

[halojedha]

I did not know they actually burned it! That's so dramatic. I really respect that. No Good Omens tour experience - just one very convincing fire scene.

[halojedha]

Hello! *waves*

Yeah, I just found out about the bookshop! Part of me is like omg you can't burn *books*, but another part admires the commitment to art.

Thanks so much for reading and for the comment! It means a lot ☺️

[laurashapiro]

I like to think they pulled at least some of the books out first...

[sfred]

Yes! <3