Get Ready for The Shannara Chronicles

MTV has taken on a massive task bringing The Shannara Chronicles to television tonight. What are these chronicles, you ask?  This is post-apocalyptic fiction from author Terry Brooks, just in case you haven't seen enough in such series as The 100, Revolution, Into the Badlands, The Walking Dead, and others. Yet this story includes elves and Orc-like creatures, and was filmed in New Zealand.  Now it sounds like Lord of the Rings.  And it involves the preservation of an important tree.  Avatar?  And deadly games.  Hunger Games?  However, executive producer Alfred Gough said it is closer to Star Wars.  Maybe it is a little of everything. This trailer may help.

Here is a summary of the second book in the The Sword of Shannara Trilogy, The Elfstones of Shannara, from which this story comes: 

The magical Ellcrys tree is dying, loosening the spell that bars the Demons from enacting vengeance upon the land. Now Wil Ohmsford must guard the Elven girl Amberle on a perilous quest as she carries one of the Ellcrys’ seeds to a mysterious place where it can be quickened into a powerful new force. But dark on their trail comes the Reaper, most fearsome of all Demons, aiming to crush their mission at any cost.

Brooks wrote multiple trilogies and dozens of books, so the supply of material is endless if the story takes off. So if you want to see what MTV can do with this story, pull up a chair and enjoy the show.  Maybe it will weave its way between all those other tales and turn out to be be something truly unique.  

Update: After watching the first five episodes I can say it's a worthwhile tale even if the acting is shaky at times and the storyline already a little repetitive.  For example, the shape-shifter's abilities make a sham of any defenses and should have ended the story in the second episode. And the seed, as well as the related quest with humans, elves, a "wizard" and others, is too reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings.  And yet, the series has some appeal and odd twists to keep it interesting. For instant, who thought a superfund site would wipe out a demon? I guess I will stick around for a little while longer.