Poll: Rate THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES Teaser Trailer

The Shannara Chronicles airs January 2016! And almost exactly a week ago, MTV aired the teaser trailer for the TV series.

In that week, the video has been viewed more than 700,000 times on YouTube and easily over a million views on all platforms. That’s pretty impressive. And I think that’s partially due to many of you sharing the trailer with your friends and family who might not know what Shannara is.

Today is Friday though. It’s time for a poll. And what better poll than to ask you all what you thought of the teaser!

So vote below! And post any comments you might have now that you’ve had time to watch—and probably re-watch—it!


Shawn Speakman

, , ,
, , , , , ,

81 responses to “Poll: Rate THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES Teaser Trailer”

  2. I’m very much looking forward to the show, I’ve been a huge fan for many years but I thought the trailer fell short. I would have liked to see more character content and dialog

  3. As a ‘teaser’ it is brilliant. Leaves everyone who has seen it wanting to see more.

    Personally, as someone who was worried about this adaptation I can’t wait for more trailers and the show to start.

    I would expect that future trailers to show the characters, their roles and personalities in more detail and if that matches the visuals shown here then we are all in for a terrific time.

    I sent to this trailer to six fans of fantasy fiction and/or past Dungeons and Dragons players, only one of whom has actually read Shannara (the fools!) and they all replied with positive comments and genuine interest in seeing the show.

  5. Amazing! I wish I wouldn’t have seen it, because now I CAN’T wait.. I am embarressed to say my daughter said I was jumping around like a school girl. lol

  6. I’m so glad this is going to be a series, because the quality of the trailer does seem like it should have been a movie!! Thankyou

  7. Wow…and wow. Did I say wow?

    Years ago, I was speaking with a friend of mine and we were lamenting why Tolkien couldn’t just live (and write) forever. He asked me if I’d ever read any of Terry’s stuff. I hadn’t.

    The rest they say…

    Will be rereading Elfstones between now and January in HUGE anticipation of the movie. Never thought there would be a reason to watch MTV ever again…:)

  8. I wouldn’t have such a problem with this show if it would not give away suchassively important plot points in the first five seconds of the teaser trailer. Discovering that the Four Lands is in fact our world thousands of years in the future and that the Word and Void series is linked to the Shannara series is one of the most epic and beloved literary moments of my life. And for Terry and Shawn and everyone else to say that this show will increase quality readership of the books is absolitely ridiculous. The reason this show was ever even considered is money, pure and simple. To capitalize on yet another soon to be ruined fantasy genre-defining series.

    • For the astute reader, right from the middle of The Sword of Shannara, it is clear that the Four Lands is our future.

      Also, there is no argument that TV shows and movies — no matter how poorly done — increase readership of said books exponentially.

      • First of all, i said QUALITY readership. I have no doubt that the reprint of Elfstones with the bland cover emblazoned with the MTV logo will sell like hot cakes. Secondly, for the astute reader, it’s apparent that the Four Lands was home to some long past civilization. Not once did Terry ever write, “…and so Wil and Allanon hung a left at the ruins of the Space Needle on their way to Paranor.

        • What is a “quality readership?” Define it please.

          The MTV Comic-Con exclusive cover for The Elfstones of Shannara is gorgeous. Here is a link: https://terrybrooks.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cover-elfstones-sdcc.jpg

          And no, Wil and Allanon didn’t take a left at the ruins of the Space Needle because neither would have known the name “Space Needle.” If you are so upset that the ruins of the Old World are in the TV show when the ruins of the Old World were in the books, you’d better not watch the TV series. Because it is clear you are looking for something that doesn’t exist in either reality. Cheers.

          • Just like when you read Terry’s books you have to have an open and imaginative mind. The same is going to go for the tv show!

          • Man, it’s like debating a wall. I see your point, sure, but think about it, why would the space needle still be perfectly intact, but not even a trace of other buildings around it? There’s some pretty major architecture going on up there, and no way could the space needle be spared when nothing else was in the conflagration at the end of the Genesis series. The would be quality readersip (that is people who would read more than just the promotional reprint if you’re too confused by the term) would have been much better suited had the show featured general ruins of a long lost civilization in place of actual iconic landmarks. But that’s not in MTV’s best interests; rest assured they’re in it for the short term, squeeze as much capital out of this series as we can mentality.

          • Why would the Space Needle be intact indeed. I can see your point despite it not bothering me. The Four Lands are the Pacific Northwest as surmised in Genesis of Shannara and featuring a relic from Seattle works for me despite it being highly unlikely that the Needle would survive for so long. A testament to the Needle’s architects and builders, perhaps. I’m willing to overlook it because it’s not indicative of the quality of the TV show. Not to mention having such a recognizable feature in the Four Lands helps differentiate THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES from Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings, which in my opinion is a very good thing.

            I was responding more to your “this ruins the big surprise that the Old World is our world” statement. For me and many other people, it was clear from the middle of Sword that the Four Lands is our world in the future. Others feel the same way. So showing it is not a big deal at all.

            When it comes to your last point, actually, MTV is not in this for a short term. How would that serve their best interests to put all of this money into the project — more money than any other network offered by double — and then have it only be a short term effort? Your logic is flawed. I can assure you that MTV and the creators are in this for more than one season and they have large plans both in scope and size of season. But the viewership must come out for that to happen. We will see if it does.

          • Other buildings survived. The space needle is laying against another building and there are other buildings in the shot. Re-watch the trailer. Quit complaining! Looks like an awesome TV series, that I for one have been waiting for a very long time as a serious book fan. GoT TV series is awesome and it does not follow the books very closely. This TV series will do the same.

        • As to Your issue of the Space Needle , You might refer to ” Armagaddon ‘s Children ” . Terry refers to The Hammering Man as the Meeting place . Also the Underground City of Seattle . There are many other subtle reference in other books . Terry does like to keep Us guessing .
          And again What is a quality readership . I have almost a full 1 st edition collection of Terry s works. I also have used , book club , and paperback I read for the enjoyment time and again to save My 1St the risk of damage . Let Me ask You again what defines a quality readership .? I will not have any problem with updated covers . Though I truly enjoy all of the originals.
          My suggestion to You would be , relax a bit , read and enjoy what ever makes You happy . I for one am so looking forward to Terry s wonderful works finally making it to TV with a possibility of the big screen at a later time . Excitement run amok.

          • I’m well aware of the references to the past civilization throughout his first few series, especially walker boh finding the ruined city with the maw grint, the company aboard the jerle shannara finding antrax on the continent across the sea, etc. so the more i read of these things the more apparent it became that this vast and ancient civilization was in fact our world. But now people who might want to read the books after seeing the show will be aware of this fact from the start instead of discovering it for themselves. That’s my issue. And by quality readership i mean people who will actually read the entirity of terry’s works and be able to have a coherent and meaningful discussion about them, something i haven’t found much of on here (including this site’s moderator who claims that terry’s such a mediocre, transparent writer that this huge reveal 20some books in the making is obvious to “an astute reader” halfway through book one).

        • ” Not once did Terry ever write, “…and so Wil and Allanon hung a left at the ruins of the Space Needle on their way to Paranor” hahahaha now THAT would be classic!

      • I honestly didn’t know the Four Lands was our future until I read Running with the Demon. Better late than never I guess:).

        • Who in their right mind pays to produce/film a television show in which they don’t want to make money off of said show? Of course it’s about money. This isn’t hurtful to my sensibilities. Anyone involved in the show wants to make money. Obviously. Hell, should the show do well collector’s will be making money.

          You are unhappy with the television adaptation already. It’s to be expected I suppose. This has been happening for a long time in the tawdry relationship between books and tv/movie adaptations. And I get it, Cider House Rules on the big screen was a huge let down for me. Movies can’t be 5 hours long. Can’t put everything in at once. But, your complaints are about a teaser trailer with no talking.

          There are way too many questions, for me anyways, left unanswered by that teaser trailer. And that’s a good thing. I’m willing to wait and see what the what’s up is. I don’t know if timeliness are in synch between book and show. I don’t know what episode the space needle is in. I don’t know what backstory they are going to use in the show to provide explanations for the landscape. I don’t know a lot about the show. You know why? It’s a teaser trailer of an adaptation of a fantasy story in which things have to change to accommodate all viewers. Not just the ones who have been reading him since 1984. I have been patient for 31 years, I think I can be patient for 6 more months.

          I have more complaints about Lord of the Rings/Hobbit and Game of Thrones than I do about this teaser trailer. Might have something to do with having watched the movies/episodes then voicing my opinions.

          • Looks like I posted to look like I was responding to you Joe. It was for Josh. Apologies.

      • I’ve read all of Terry’s work. Elfstones probably 4-5 times throughout the years. The trailor looks pretty good / interesting and can’t wait to see the show air.

        Allanon was always one of my favorite characters and I would have liked to have seen him depicted at his 7 feet in height. His height added to his intimidating / menacing qualities and for any character encountering him, this would be significant in generating first impressions and reactions. To me it just diminshes him a little. I’m not sure why they didn’t make him taller. The actor they chose for him is probably just fine – he did a great job in the Hobbit movies. I know Terry aproves of him. Would it not have been easy to make him 7 feet tall? Just use the same camera technology as was used in Lord Of The Rings with the Hobbits to give a false appearance of size.

        Anyways I’ll wait and see like everyone else. Hopefully Manu Bennett nails Allanons personality and other traits!

    • I just wanted to say that from one fan to another, I’m actually quite excited about the TV series and have high hopes for it. I picked up on the reference to the fact that the Four Lands were in fact our own world in the distant future while reading The Sword of Shannara, as did my father who is also a huge fan of the series. I was a bit surprised that you did not come to the same conclusion until a few books later.

      I also quite liked the inclusion of the Space Needle — it really defines the setting (the old Pacific Northwest) and differentiates it from other similar fantasy series right away, which is a good thing. I’m not sure why you are worried about viewers finding out the truth about the setting. Honestly, it is likely that many new readers for the series may not begin reading the books until after the season ends, so they will already know the ending of Elfstones.

      The people who will come back to read the books afterwards aren’t people who want to know the end of the story, or more about the setting. The people who will pick up the books will be those who fall in love with the world and the story and those who develop an appetite for more. That, to me, is exactly what quality readership is. Those who are hungry to read the books, to immerse themselves in that world.

      It doesn’t matter what edition you have or when you bought it. My copy of Sword is an old, beat-up library copy that accidentally got soaked by water when my room flooded, and is now warped. I will let you in on a secret, though: I don’t keep it around for its handsome looks. I keep that book because of the world contained between its covers, and because of the memories of reading at 3 AM, curled up in bed, trying not to wake my parents when I was twelve. I may have been a bit young to read it, but I was spellbound right away and have been ever since. If I ran across words I didn’t know, I would simply look them up in a dictionary. Shannara is quite likely THE reason that I am the avid reader and writer that I am today.

      I will partially agree with you that MTV has a huge financial interest in this, but I would argue that because of this it is in their best interest to do this series well. If they don’t, they will have have spent a fortune and have no chance to recoup their investment. Why would they risk that? As far as Terry goes, I think it is probably fair to say that he is definitely not in this for the money. He has several internationally best-selling books, therefore I would guess that he probably lives pretty comfortably. The fact that he has waited this like (after rejecting previous offers to adapt the Shannara series) also supports the fact that he is not just doing this for the money.

      You are always free to think what you want, but I think that it is extremely foolish and immature of you to make an opinion of a television show without ever having watched the series itself. If you are so scared to see Shannara through another person’s eyes then, as Terry has said “you will always have the books”. No one is forcing you to watch it.

      I for one will be watching it and telling all of my friends and family all about it in the hopes that they will watch it along with me. I all ready have one friend who is going to start reading the series this week just from the excitement that my conversation and the teaser have generated.

      • When I referred to My copies , My point was that I have well loved , well used copy’s and those I collect . My books I read have loose bindings bends cat teeth marks on the corners ect . I love them dearly and would not trade them for the world . But it s all good . Terry has helped Me and My Children through some hard times with His wonderful stories . And I am very excited for more be it books , or made for TV . Terry did mention that the TV series was not going to be the exact book . Makes Me want to see it even more . Keep up the good work Terry . And Thank You so much .

    • Josh, the Earth’s current geography very plausibly became Shannara geography due to the Gypsy Morph’s creating the great fracture to swallow the demon army. His magic was vast and wild, enough to reshape a world. The results could be partly random keeping the Space Needle semi- protected, even as Mt Rainer covered most of the northwest in ash and lava. Add in some nuclear winter and the world of 4000 ADish might look very different. Seeing a part of Seattle ruined nothing for me, i’ve read all the books. A brand new fan, looking at that scene knows this is the future, but they don’t know how the world got that way. There is still a mystery element.

  9. I was sceptical about MTV doing Shannara. I mean, how can a station dedicated to trashy reality series possibly do justice to my favorite books?…however, the trailer has me excited. I was excited about the books becoming a series and even more so now. Living in Seattle in the middle of July, its almost sacrilege to be waiting for January!

  11. I picked 3 stars because I saw some things that I don’t remember being in the book. But I am still curious and antisipating the show. Hoping that all will turn out okay.

  12. Five Stars! I was really blown away by the scope and scale of the trailer… which means only good things for the tv series! I was afraid the tv series was going to be college students playing LARP… but i’m glad that I was wrong. Can’t wait for this to be released on DVD and Blu Ray! But that would be after the series has aired on MTV!

  13. Overall I am very impressed, never thought I’d see the day. I am curious as to why Allanon is depicrd so drastically different than in the books. Other minor picks have two to with the hair of the two main female leads? Eretria’s hair was curly in the books and more impotantly Ambere’s was read. The look of these charactersvwas so well fleshed out in the book (s) I bet most readers have very similar mental images of them. So much detail has been given to other aspects of the story, more difficult aspects, that achieving the look of these three characters seems fairly simple. IMO, altering Allanon’s look would have been like updating Harry Potter from glasses to contacts for his film.

    • Curly hair doesn’t matter. And Amberle doesn’t have red hair in the book (the cover featured her that way but that’s not what color of hair she has in the book). She has chestnut hair. Please re-read the books to check.

      About Allanon, what isn’t right except his height? Because if you say hair color or age or any such thing I’m just going to point you right back to the book and chastise you for believing artwork over text. haha

      • Well for some, perhaps many, as I’ve seen it brought up on other discussion sites, the hair does matter. Perhaps not for the actual story but visually it alters what has been established before. I’ve read other comments on this site alone that miss Eretria’s curly hair. True the book shows Amberle’s hair to be red and I’ll admit that it has heavily influenced my mental image of her but I don’t think it’s inconsistent with the book. That artwork has been the best sourced depiction of her in color prior to this production. Also chestnut hair is described as being a combination of reddish and brown coloring. Which is more dominant is probably left to the reader. It’s hard to tell from the brief glimpses in the trailer but I didn’t detect any red in Amberle’s hair..

        My point was that, and I doubt I’m alone, the images, as glimpsed in the trailer, of the three people I mentioned differ from the source writings and in some case the drawings. Just as Mr. Brooks, I would imagine, approved of the artists interpretation of his work in previous drawings and paintings for the books he has also approved of the interpretation of the film makers. It wasn’t a criticism just curious as to why the deviation from earlier depictions?

        • If you think curls in hair matters to the personality of the character, then we will have to agree to disagree. What matters to me is the PERSONALITY of the character and CURLS do not affect said personality. As for Amberle, no, it clearly states in the book that she does not have red hair. She has chestnut hair, just like actor Poppy Drayton. I know the definition of chestnut and I’ve met her.

          But why would that even matter? If they get everything else right about the character but Eretria doesn’t have curls, does that ruin the character for you? Ruin the entire adaptation for you? Geez, if it does, do not watch the TV series. Please. I beg you. Because if you can’t even get over these tiny little changes, the bigger changes to the storyline alone are going to make it a terrible experience for you.

          When it comes to art, Terry had no approval in the 1970’s and 80’s and even in the 90’s. So no, your point is invalid when it comes to him and the art. Just throw the art that you’ve seen out the window. It largely was not based on the text of the books as I’ve already illustrated (Amberle doesn’t have red hair, Allanon is not an old man in Elfstones, etc.). You are right about one thing though: Terry approves of almost everything he’s seen so far, especially the actors and the characters they portray.

          • Shawn, I have to say I don’t know where to start. This thread began by asking fans to rate the trailer. I did, four stars, and was very complimentary in my initial comments about the trailer. My concerns were only in the altered appearance. I asked for clarification and you provided it. I did not realize Mr. Brooks had no say in the artwork, an assumption on my part and an incorrect one. Still how many of his fans have direct access to Mr. Brooks or the actors portraying these characters.

            Look I’ve read EOS when it came out as a teenager and probably half a dozen times after that as a young adult. To be honest I haven’t read that story in close to 15 years but try to read the new ones as they are published. I’m a casual fan when compared to you. Still I’ve been a loyal one and I find it odd that my questions generated such heated replies from you. It would appear that I have been properly chastised and invited not to watch the show once it is aired by his webmaster. Mr. Brooks, via his writings to fans and the few videos I’ve watched, seems to be a pleasant and warm individual. I’m wondering why his webmaster comes across, at times, as condescending?

          • Pretty simple, really:

            Michael: Amberle has red hair.
            Shawn: No, Amberle has chestnut hair. Not red hair. Don’t trust the cover of the book.
            Michael: No, Amberle has red hair and Poppy Drayton doesn’t.

            Paraphrased but that’s how that conversation went. So yes, I’m going to be condescending because either you are purposefully not listening or you truly believe Amberle has red hair when the text clearly states otherwise. As I said, if this bothers you and I fully mean this in the most sincere way possible, then you shouldn’t watch the show. Because if hair color or hair style bothers you enough to gripe about it, then the other changes are really going to bother you.

            I don’t say this to be mean, by the way. At all. I think there is a certain sub-set of Terry’s readers who should not watch the TV series. Because they are going to be expecting a paint-by-the-numbers adaptation and The Shannara Chronicles is not it.

            Happy Friday.

          • That’s just it I wasn’t griping but commenting on what I perceived as inconsistencies. In my initial post I even indicated that it was a minor matter. In my second post I even admitted I had combined the artists interpretation of the characters with the authors and that I was mistaken about the amount of influence the author had on the artwork.

            I hardly agree of your summary of my comments but who can say how things will be interpreted over the internet? Not much more to be said than “Have a pleasant weekend.”

          • Five stars!!! Allanon’s hair looks as though it’s gonna be almost a high and tight!!!! Obviously so it can allow those glyphs, or wardes to be visible on his neck!!! Its pointless to argue over hair color and length changes. It doesnt change whats important.

      • Shawn you have to see where we are coming from, we are all long time supporters of Terry and lovers of this incredible world he has created for us to escape into its magical pages when our own world is not enough, you have to understand the frustrations when people change the very things we liked so much about this story

        You say amberle is an elessedil and was trained at an early age to wield a sword, this is absurd, not supported by the text, it completely changes her character

        you ask what isn’t right about allanon besides his height, in elfstones he is described in the text as “a tall man well over 7 feet… black robes wrapped around his spare lean frame” his face “craggy and lined shadowed by a short black beard… and hair cut shoulder length”

        the changeling a girl? will it turn into manx to spy on eventine or will think of a better character for it to impersonate

        Keal Pindannon? will he be the general of the army or will he be cut out to give ander a better role like stee jans was

        What is frustrating is that it would be so EASY to get the small details right (there is no possible argument against that) but someone thinks it would be a better story their way, following this rhetoric I wouldn’t be surprised if will gets a new last name because ohmsford might not sound good enough for the MTV guys

        Micheal you are not alone there are like minded fans

  15. Amazing but need to see more of Allanon, more of the demons and most importantly the reaper please

  16. The trailer is clearly better than what most fans were expecting and will hopefully get rid of some of the hate against MTV. I’m not sure whether Gough and Millar introducing Shannara as a fantasy series about three young teens who have to embark on an epic quest is a good synopsis. Whilst this may be true for Elfstones (and therefore Season 1), people who hear this and decide to pick up a different book in the series may be a bit disappointed and confused over the different characters in each individual series.

  17. I think that’s great that you are trying to answer people’s concerns shawn but it has to get tiring. If your latest poll suggests anything, it’s that the majority are in favor of the show or at least giving it a chance. Don’t feed the trolls, you’ll never make them happy. It’s like the 100% perfect life theory. You could have no illness, no poverty, no homeless, no hunger, all the cars and homes and toys people could ever want…and you would still have 5-10% of the people complaining about it. It’s your choice, of course, but at this point promote it but you don’t need to defend it any longer. And I say all this being one of the skeptical, yet open minded, readers when this all came about.

  18. Five stars! I will not lie, I almost broke down into happy tears when I saw the teaser. It really brought all of this home for me. I grew up with Shannara and have been hopelessly spellbound by it ever since. This is my favorite book series of all time, by my favorite author of all time, and seeing the scope of this adaptation left me with goosebumps. I will definitely be looking forward to another trailer or trailers, but I can say without a doubt that this left me impatient for January to come. We do not have MTV, but we will be getting it just for this. I for one really loved the inclusion of the Space Needle — I think it really puts the world in perspective and differentiates it right away, which is excellent. Seeing the Ellcrys in all its glory gave me chills, in a very good way. To say that I am excited would be a serious understatement!

  20. I thought the trailer was really awesome. I don’t understand why there are so many complaints about trivial things like Amberle’s hair color or Allanon not being 7 feet tall. Who wants an exact rehashing/retelling of the book? Is sure don’t – we have the books and they are the best fantasy fiction ever made in my opinion. There are many talented people working on this TV show and Mr. Brooks has had lots of input to keep the storyline intact. He never has let me down in the past with the books and I doubt he will on the tv show either. I am really looking forward to The Shannara Chronicles. It’s going to be great and bring new fans to the Four Lands. I can’t wait until January!

  21. I think the trailer looks awesome! Can’t wait til January. It’s unfortunate that some people seem to need a paint by number, word for word adaptation, or nitpicking about minor little details. Loved the book, don’t see the need for a word for word, play by play. I was a little skeptical about it being on MTV, but after seeing the traile, it’s clearly being taken seriously, by talented people. I don’t care what channel it’s on, as long as I can tune in!

  22. Love the tease trailor. Can’t wait for January to come around. Would like to see more of Allanon and definitely the reaper!!! I just hope the series doesn’t look too sci-fy

  24. I just have to say, from reading the comments here, I find it interesting how angry a few fans seem over this. I’m in no way pointing a finger, and completely understand, and even agree with some of those points. However, I’m trying to figure out the reason for these feelings.

    Guys, as passionate as we may feel about Terry’s story, we don’t own it. It’s not our place to say what belongs and what doesn’t, that right is Terry’s and the people he’s entrusted it to. I’d say he’s earned it. No, I don’t think Allanon should have a mohawk and be 5’9″, but it’s not going to stop me from watching it. We can all keep the story the way we’ve enjoyed it all these years in our minds, nobody is trying to, or can, take that away. Did Terry sell the series to MTV for money? Well, of course, I’d assume that played a part. Isn’t that a primary motivation for every one of us? I’m sure another part of it is having his creation reach as many people as possible, which is something I’m sure most of us would do as well if we were fortunate or talented enough to be in that position.

    So, to each his own, but I’m not going to sweat the small stuff. I’m willing to reserve judgement until I have a chance to watch it. And when I do my like or dislike will largely depend on if I feel it’s a sellout or a proper artistic interpretation. I doubt hair color, length, or amount of curls will play in.

    • Nice post Luke. I have to say I am surprised at some of the comments and finger pointing going on. It’s just a poll for gods sake. There’s plenty of other sites concerning the four lands where whining and arguing make for a fulfilling day. As far as the trailer goes I love it and have enjoyed watching first reactions on youtube. I’ve read these books so many times why in the hell would I want a straight adaption. That would be boring. Been there done that. I’m ready for a new angle and a different point of view. I’m excited for everything ive seen and if they ruin it then I’ll still be waiting for the next book.

      • No, but if you’ve read ‘The Word and The Void’ series, as well as Terry’s ‘Genesis of Shannara’ series, which pre-dates all the others, you’d definitely see that apocalyptic pic of the Space Needle.

      • I overwhelmingly agree with you on this, Kinsler. As a fantasy fan it’s pretty damn incredible that we are seeing more of our favorite books make it to the screen. And if doing that means there will be changes I’m willing to accept that. I’m excited for the television version of Elfstones. Haha, As a Marvel comic reader I see differences all the time in the movies. Yondu should be a Guardian (3k) not a Ravager. Vision didn’t lift Thor’s hammer. Scarlet Witch/Quicksilver are not Inhuman. And I’m cool with it. I get it.

        • thanks peter, like many fans i luv me some shannara. and by the way shawn spugt i’ve read them all many times, more like studied. i despised lotr books … luvd themovies. how bout got? couldn’t stand them, luv the shows. as far as allanon is concerned, watch spartacus and try and keep your emotions when u see he and andy whitfield together. this is a powerful cast. my kids are shannara names and this show is important to my family. not speaking to u peter, but if fans are gonna bitch, bitch quietly. go cry to the other sites where shannara sparks agendas and shoulders to cry on. this page is for fans not boobs…unless theyre amberles. was that bad? please dont ban me shawn.

  26. To use a Shannara analogy, it felt like watching my pet Roc go out and fly on its own for the first time. Whether Allanon is short or Amberle has the wrong color hair or Eventine Elessedil played a Dwarf in another movie is beside the point to me. Even though I am only one reader and I don’t claim to own Shannara in any way, I still take pride in it. I’ll be watching MTV for the first time since 1987 this January.

  27. Been waiting for a screen adaption of shanara for years. And it looks brilliant cant wait until January

  28. I am very, VERY excited about this series. I think the adaptation is going to be perfectly within the spirit of Terry’s book. Notice I said spirit and not letter people. No book can be perfectly translated to the screen. And yes, I’m with Shawn. This will result in a huge increase to the readership, especially since the other books won’t see their own treatment right away. My son is reading sword right now, and will be through Elfstones just in time for the show. We can hardly wait. Someone insinuated that this was only done as a way to capitalize on the resurgence of fantasy in media form. On the contrary, lovers of Shannara have been wanting this for quite some time, and with people like Favreau attached I think we are in for a real treat! Bravo!

  29. I was actually nervous when I clicked the trailer, just hoping it wouldn’t be terrible (I know, I tend to be a pessimist). It blew me away how good it was, and it was just a teaser. It definitely has moved to one of my most anticipated new series.

  30. Shawn, I am so excited about the quality of this teaser. I gave it five stars. I began reading These books when I was just a kid when Sword first came out, and have waited so long for this, I am sharing it with everyone I can. My concerns were not with any minor or even larger changes in an adaptation. It has always been that when it finally happened, that Terry would be very involved and that it would be a high quality production. Obviously, that is the case. I am not sure how many times Terry, and you, have said that this will not be a paint by numbers adaptation. I do not care about hair color or curls or the length of hair, I care that it is an awesome representation of Terry’s incredible vision of the future. Congratulations to Terry and everyone involved, from what I have seen, it has exceeded my expectations and I see no reason to believe it will not be fantastic!

  32. Lots of Pre-Shannara winks… boats, collapsed monuments, which I like as I always felt Shannara was based in the future which we later found to be true. Looking forward to it!!! Would love to see John Ross and Nest Freemark on the big screen. A stranger walking round with a staff with runes carved into it, and a grandmother who has vodka for breakfast, hows that not interesting?

  33. This is the first I’ve heard of this. It is pretty exciting. The world looks great in the teaser trailer but I didn’t really get a feel for the characters or exactly where the series is going to start. However, as a teaser trailer, it did what it was supposed to do and peak interest. I’m glad you are doing this, Terry. I hope that the series follows more along the lines of Game of Thrones and not Legends of the Seeker, as in a follow-through story and not episodic.

  34. I voted five stars! I haven’t read the books yet, but bought the original trilogy only a few minutes after watching the trailer. I’m looking forward to January and all the other plans MTV has for the show.

  36. All of this discussion about hair, height or scenery reminds me of the comments about how Shannara is pronounced. As Terry has told me at one of his book signings “It is up to the reader as to how it is pronounced”. He said that the reader’s imagination is what makes the characters or locations come to life. How I saw Amberle, Allanon or Eventine in my mind will not be the way they actually are in the series. Now we are going to actually see the characters and scenery. This seems to upset some because, I think, they feel their interpretation is the only possible way things should be. Watch the series with an open mind and enjoy the fact that we are seeing what we have been waiting for for years.

  37. I really hope this series is going to be aired in Canada! I have been an avid fan of the Shannara series since they were first released. For me, Shannara is much more fasinating than Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. Shannara is the only series that I have read over and over again, too many times to count! And no TV series or movie can catch the entire essence of the books mainly because I put my own visualization into the story as I read. And simply because there is so much detail in the books, it would take decades to recreate all that is in the books. As for the characters I would have to assume that it would be very hard to find a 7ft tall dark craggy actor, right? I still have my imagination though so I can picture the characters how I want. I am just so excited that this series is being created and I hope it is available to watch in Canada 🍁, I can hardly wait for January!

  38. Loved the teaser….been reading the books since I was 12. I knew from the middle of Sword Of Shannara that this was based in our future , hell Allanon gives a whole recounting of the events in one chapter…if I can get that at the age of 12 then i’m sure most folks can.
    Anyway, I love the entire series of books and I cant wait to see it on screen.