The Dresden Files: Season 1

I wasn't a fan of Butcher's Dresden books. I thought they were clumsily written and uninspired. So when I first heard of The Dresden Files TV show, I thought, "I'll pass." When I bought a new iPod and visited the iTunes store to see what I could download, I saw The Dresden Files. This time I thought, "It's only $1.99 for the first episode. Why not?" I watched it in bed one night, my little ear buds in and the iPod screen about six inches from my face. I was mesmerized. Something about the show really clicked with me. The next morning I told my wife about it. "I know you're going to think I'm nuts, but I really liked The Dresden Files. I watched and episode last night. It was compelling and well acted. It had an air of magic about it, and not because it's a show about a wizard who has a shop in Chicago." We found The Dresden Files DVD set at a local store and bought it. For the last couple of weeks, we've watched an episode a night, totally engrossed. Completely hooked. We haven't seen a show this well done in many years. It's on par with LOST for its believable, smart, witty characters. It's on par with Buffy the Vampire Slayer for its otherworldly milieu. Everything about the show, from its setting in Chicago (actually filmed in Toronto, but it looks like Chicago, one of my favorite cities) to its hapless lead character, a wizard named Harry Dresden, to its cast of fascinating supporting characters (Bob, the ghost who lives in his skull, Murphy, the attractive but smart police woman, and many others) is first-rate. This is an extraordinary television series. Which can only mean one thing: It got canceled. Apparently, the morons at the Sci-Fi Channel didn't pick up the series for a second season. I'm not even sure it was given the chance to have a complete first season since there are only 12 episodes in this DVD set. Why a network wouldn't want a show this exceptional is beyond me. But The Dresden Files is in very good company. Consider Firefly, the brilliant sci-fi Western created by Joss Whedon. FOX was the moronic network that time, dropping it after less than 14 episodes. or consider Carnivale, the jaw-dropping series axed by HBO after two seasons. I've never figured out why networks are so stupid. They complain ad revenues are down, along with viewership. Yet, they cancel the shows that are the most well done and best loved. It makes no sense at all. I wish I could be in charge of a network, just for a week. I wouldn't ax any shows. I'd ax the axers, get rid of every MBA bean-counting suit who wouldn't know a well-made show if it drove up next to his Bimmer at a stop light. Anyway, The Dresden Files is superb. The dialog is witty. The characters are the most "real" and believable I've ever seen in a TV series. And the stories are compelling. I can't recommend The Dresden Files highly enough. Please do yourself a favor and buy the DVD set of the first season before it's out of print.

It's too bad the Dresden files only lasted one season. This was an awesome show. The story lines ,the special effects and characters keep you wanting more. I had to get the DVD set just in case I can't get it on cable

Excellent series. DVD shipped in timely manner. Haven't watched all disc's yet, but product a described.

Excellent SciFi, hate it was cancelled after one season. I have visited Chicago once and loved the place despite all the bad press. Makes my heart sad.

The films of the TV series are based loosely on the books but are nonetheless compelling and fascinating viewing. The principal characters are all present in the TV series, although in some cases (such as Bob the spirit in the skull, Bianca the vampire and Old Mai) they are modified from their characters as they appear in the books. Morgan is not bad. He has the detestation of Harry perfectly acted, and yet is forced by his position on the White Council to give what can only be called unwilling assistance to Harry at various times. Lieutenant Murphy is quite well done and she has the correct abrasive nature with Harry but still manages to show some respect and "unwilling liking" for him. They work as a good team, just as they do in the books, even if there is abrasion all the time. It would be impossible for a 3/4hour long episode to create, in that time period, one of the 10 books published - so the movies take an aspect of the books that perhaps might be a chapter or several chapters, and make that into a full episode. Each episode is a complete story and they are very nicely rounded off. It is very pleasing that the series does not descend into "gory details" very much at all. You know a particularly horrific thing has happened and you can see the corpse, but you are thankfully not shown the blood and details which too often is used to "sell" movies these days. The Dresden Files stands on its own merit and doesn't need anything more except its stories to help. If there is one flaw with the Zone 1 version I received from Amazon, it was that it was lacking in subtitles. The PAL version available in Australia does have excellent subtitles and is much better for viewing by those with hearing impediments. On the other hand, the Zone 1 version has a large amount of extra material about the making of the series which seems to be partially lacking in the Australian release. The dvd series is an excellent way to tempt a newcomer to read Jim Butcher's books and the dvd and book series complement each other very nicely because neither is exactly the same and the books are far more complex in their stories and overall structures. I highly recommend the Dresden Files disk as an exciting journey through the worlds of magic and fantasy and the only reason this review did not give 5 stars is the lack of subtitles on the disk.....But to a person with normal hearing, consider it a 5 star rating. Excellent viewing, good actors, great stories, and if what I hear is correct, an enormous pity that a second series is not in production.

Awesome show

I haven't read the books that Dresden Files is loosely based on. But i do know that i have enjoyed each and every episode on Sci Fi channel and now again with the First Season DVD set...kind of weird that's cancelled. But it has First Season on the set...weird. But i really enjoy the various characters in the show. Harry Dresden with all the issues, drama and back story past that most wouldn't even believe. Wizard for hire and detective as well neither are where he wants to be but, hey it pays ok and with all the weirdness: monsters, dragons, vampires, skinwalkers and various other weird as hell things that do more than bump in the night. They body slam you to sleep. I love his character because it's played with not with a sense of oh i'm important. It's more like i'm a wizard...dang it isnt there anything else. But he accepts it and goes out to protect those in of protecting..big city and all that. I also like Bob and what he brings as well being someone without a body for having raised someone that he loved from the dead. It got him a nice little one way trip to the neighbor skull where he resides and comes out whenever Harry needs him...many times when he doesn't. I just enjoy his character and how knowledgable he is and is always there helping out Harry even when we think he isn't like (in one episode). Also Murphy who at first doesnt want to hear anything Harry has to say about the weirdness going on. She doesnt want to be bothered with it...to weird and all that. But as the season progresses she believes a bit more with each occurence and several that happen to her that kind of force her to see. Dresden isn't some no talent hack out there exploiting people's fears weird crap is going and i need to be down with the guy that can help me solve some of this madness. I also enjoyed the other actors/actresses in the series as well. The guests were cool as well such as Claudia Black. I can't help but think what could've and should've been for this series...yet again another series that i find myself getting attached to and loving, wanting to see each week getting cancelled..yet again (ratings anyone). I'm just glad that i have this on DVD and hope that by some miracle the Dresden Files is renewed by another network if possible. I would love to see this go and progress into something outstanding. Features on last disc include commentary on "Things That Go Bump" and a making of Featurette which is interesting in of itself. It shows you how they came up with the various characters involved in the show. Kudos to the actors/actresses/directors and everyone else involved with this show. A fan for life right here.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Prompted me to buy the rest of the books (17 total). Pros: The actors playing Harry & Murphy are VERY well cast - with good "chemistry". The actor playing Bob is equally well cast - and an absolute pleasure to watch. The actors playing Morgan, Mai, & Harry's uncle also provide strong support. Very well written, and well portrayed - throughout the series. Cons: It's only 1 season - it was just getting more interesting when it was cancelled.

I frequently wake up at ~4:00 in the morning and have trouble getting back to sleep until 5:00 - 5:30. I find it helps to have a good trashy read (no, that's not an oxymoron; there's good trash and bad, and you know what I'm talkin' 'bout) to fill this time. I've recently discovered the Dresden Files in book form at my library, and it's really good trash: well written and well crafted. I read an interview online with Jim Butcher, the author of the series, and he was asked about the television series that was made from his characters. He said that the TV series did not closely follow his books, but that was all right with him, 'cause then people would actually buy his books, not having seen slavish reproductions of them on the screen. Well the converse is true as well. Even though the stories are different, this series has captured Butcher's freewheeling, sarcastic, good-natured, troubled and perpetually off-balance, but above all magically gifted Harry Dresden perfectly, and I enjoyed every minute of every episode. Damn - why isn't there a season 2? I would say that if you have enjoyed the books, you'll enjoy the series, even though it doesn't exactly follow the books (or maybe because it doesn't exactly follow the series). And if you get this series and enjoy it, try out the books. I've read some of the critics' comments on this series, and one that comes up frequently is that this is "Buffy lite." Not true. Butcher has created a different world than the one that Buffy inhabits, and this world is very well portrayed: the writing is excellent, the characters are well cast, and the production values are, while not exactly Peter Jackson quality, perfectly adequate to tell the story. All in all, good stuff.

Super ! dommage sans suite.

Very enjoyable. Dresden's humour (as written by author Jim Butcher) comes across very well in the script. Feels low budget and a bit raw, which actually really suits it, and the actors hold it together beautifully - the characters feel real, genuine, no matter how fantastical the story/setting becomes. I'm only sad there isn't more. I'd buy!

This series is quite different from the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher, which is great as it would rather introduce spoilers to those who love reading these books. So you get a series of twelve new stories made specially for TV. The themes are the same though: Magic, Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, Ravens, etc.. For some reason the odd character's name has been changed as well, although fortunately Harry Dresden and sidekick Bob [Robeth] keep theirs. In general there's a bit more magic weaved by Harry in this TV series, for example he escapes handcuffs by magic on TV, whereas in the books he uses the tricks his stage magician dad taught him. Harry certainly has the 'gift' in both though, and he is the only Wizard listed in the Chicago telephone directory - his real magical powers come from his mothers side. Harry's spirit helper Bob is more 'physical' in the TV series [i.e. you & Harry can see him], which makes him less creepy than the talking skull of the books. Many of the changes are for the better, and simply fit in with the visual requirements of film [the convenience of a live actor playing long dead Warlock Bob and the opportunity for special effects]. The cast are great, the storylines and special effects are pretty good, and the flashbacks to Harry as a young boy fill in Harry's background details. You don't need to know the books to follow the TV series, it's familiar ground to Buffy and Charmed fans, but with a Sam Spade Private Eye twist. Despite the handsome & sensitive male lead, the series still appears to be girl friendly [perhaps because of the handsome & sensitive male lead]. There's plenty of ladies in key roles as well, both as cop/love interest and demons. Rated 12, it's probably aimed more at a family and younger teenager audience than the likes of 15 rated 'Supernatural'. This PAL region 2 DVD set has all 12 episodes from series one, and includes a few special features like 'the making off', deleted scenes and audio commentary & subtitles [English audio and English subtitles only]. It's colour widescreen, and the episodes run for 500 minutes [8.3 hours]. The only downside is that the SciFi Channel cancelled series two despite good ratings, and makers LionGate have now transferred to Canada, which is apparently unsuitable for production of The Dresden Files, although this never stopped the X-Files. So this excellent 2007 series is sadly the first and last. My daughter [14] adores the books and loves this TV series, and has even written to LionsGate and The SciFi Channel to try and get them to change their mind, but it seems unlikely that The Dresden Files will be resurrected. Unbelievable really, as 'The Dresden Files' in just one season look set to became one of the best TV programmes made - Bob and Harry are one incredible double act. So enjoy these twelve episodes, they're probably all you'll get. This short lived small screen version naturally hasn't got the depth of the original Harry Dresden books, so check out 'The Dresden Files' books as well, where the story continues.....

It's a very Nice, Original & Creative TV show . Considering the fact that if you've watched Supernatural, you've watched all!, This Tv serie is exceptional in its genre. Highly recommended for everybody. (English subtitles are available).