【Germany Archives】

Neil Gaiman has given us many good screen adaptations of his books. Stardust,Germany Archives Coralineand American Godsare all the progeny of his frankly obscenely rich imagination, but the upcoming Good Omens will be the first adaptation for screen of his and the late Sir Terry Pratchett's cult hit (although there is a cracking BBC radio version).

The pressure is definitely on for Gaiman. Quite apart from the usual fan-pressure exerted by those of us eager for any scrap of information as to how production is going, the series carries a deeper meaning for Gaiman.

Terry Pratchett died in 2015 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease, and asked in a letter delivered to Gaiman posthumously that he get their joint work made for TV. It's normal for creators to want the best possible version of their work broadcast to the world, but I imagine never more so than when fulfilling a promise to a departed friend depends on the outcome.

Well, if this morning's anything to go by, he's on the right track. Gaiman tweeted the following image to his many followers.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Not the most informative of tweets, to be sure. A mere four minutes later, however, Gaiman panned out to show us Tennant and Sheen in full costume, ready to film the opening scene.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Normally I try to maintain at least the veneer of journalistic objectivity but HOT DAMN I LOVE THIS PHOTO!

I'm not the only one either, fans have been responding positively and in a few cases Gaiman has been reacting. Adorably.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

I know I should reserve judgement for when the series actually goes out, but much like the hosts of Twitter-fans, this picture fills me with optimism. When I heard of the casting of David Tennant and Michael Sheen in the roles of the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale I literally whooped. They're superb actors, capable of both comedy and menace, so I can imagine no better pairing.

Moreover, Pratchett's former assistant and close friend Rob Wilkins (who still mans Pratchett's official twitter account) has said that Pratchett would be happy with the casting. He told The Guardianthat in conversation before his death they had discussed the ideal Aziraphale and Crowley and that David Tennant's name had been on the list.

The rest of the cast is also filling out nicely, with Jack Whitehall (Bad Education, Fresh Meat), Michael McKean (This is Spinal Tap, Better Call Saul) and Miranda Richardson (a.k.a Rita Skeeter, Made in Dagenham) all recently added to the roster. According to Gaiman's Twitter they have also cast the part of Dog.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

I sincerely hope that Gaiman keeps us updated, and I fully expect he'll have many more occasions for proud grins before long.