This series is much better than almost every American fantasy series that has ever been put on the air. It's done very well, the acting is excellent, the effects budget looks like its pretty good, even though the series doesn't rely entirely on effects. I love the actors so far, and the story is actually touching. Visually, I love the art direction and the cinematography. My best comparison would be a fantasy Battlestar Gallactica (the new series not the old one). They use a lot of hand-held cameras which gives it a realistic effect. The series also doesn't rely on it's effects budget.
I used to watch Hercules and Xena when I was a kid, those series were fun, but they were never meant to be taken too seriously. This series on the other hand actually manages to be a fantasy series without being a parody and it actually shows that this team can make a real fantasy drama (Which makes me wish they'd done a better job with Hercules and Xena to begin with).
As long as you are not a huge and obsessive fan of the book storyline this series will probably work pretty well. There's some not to great moments, the scenes were the main character becomes the seeker, the naked wizard and the overuse of the main villain on camera were particular peeves, but worth overlooking. The pacing seems very quick, but overall this is still 2-3 times better than most of the garbage fantasy that's been made for TV in the last 20 years(including Hercules and Xena). Detractors have mostly been people who've become too attached to the book, so that should give you a good indication that most of the negative reviews here are biased because it doesn't match up with the book exactly and it's not overly gruesome or sexualized. But if you're interested in a decent story, played seriously, presented in a polished package and actually shot pretty well, this could be the series for you. I especially love the costume design on the bad guys, it has a really contemporary artistic style to it, and I should know because as a former fantasy illustrator myself I appreciate good design on all the visual elements. I've had a blast with what I've been able to catch of it so far.
I used to watch Hercules and Xena when I was a kid, those series were fun, but they were never meant to be taken too seriously. This series on the other hand actually manages to be a fantasy series without being a parody and it actually shows that this team can make a real fantasy drama (Which makes me wish they'd done a better job with Hercules and Xena to begin with).
As long as you are not a huge and obsessive fan of the book storyline this series will probably work pretty well. There's some not to great moments, the scenes were the main character becomes the seeker, the naked wizard and the overuse of the main villain on camera were particular peeves, but worth overlooking. The pacing seems very quick, but overall this is still 2-3 times better than most of the garbage fantasy that's been made for TV in the last 20 years(including Hercules and Xena). Detractors have mostly been people who've become too attached to the book, so that should give you a good indication that most of the negative reviews here are biased because it doesn't match up with the book exactly and it's not overly gruesome or sexualized. But if you're interested in a decent story, played seriously, presented in a polished package and actually shot pretty well, this could be the series for you. I especially love the costume design on the bad guys, it has a really contemporary artistic style to it, and I should know because as a former fantasy illustrator myself I appreciate good design on all the visual elements. I've had a blast with what I've been able to catch of it so far.