Taika Waititi's New TV Show Based On 1981 Fantasy Film Becomes Streaming Success

Summary Time Bandits, a new TV show by Taika Waititi, is a streaming success, ranking highly among other popular shows.

Critics praise the show's family-friendly take on the classic film, while audiences remain divided on its diverse cast.

With a mix of comedy and drama, the show's future success and renewal for a second season remains uncertain.

Taika Waititi's new TV show, Time Bandits, has become a streaming success. Created by Waititi, Jemaine Clement, and Iain Morris – based on the 1981 fantasy adventure film directed by Terry Gilliam – the new Apple TV+ series follows an unlikely alliance between a band of thieves and an 11-year-old history buff as they embark on a dangerous quest to rescue his family, and save the world at large. The Time Bandits show cast includes Lisa Kudrow, Kal-El Tuck, Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Charlyne Yi, Rachel House, and Kiera Thompson.

Now, after airing only four episodes, Waititi's new TV show has become a streaming success. Time Bandits finished fifth on Reelgood's Top 10 TV shows chart and ninth on their Top 10 overall chart for the week of July 25-31. In terms of TV shows, Time Bandits finished below The Bear, The Decameron, House of the Dragon, and Presumed Innocent. Check out the full Top 10 lists below:

What Critics & Audiences Are Saying About Time Bandits

It's Acclaimed By Critics, But Divisive Among Audiences

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Waititi's new TV show is based on the 1981 film of the same name, which is regarded by critics as a classic time-travel fantasy for its imaginative set designs and DIY special effects that render a vibrant and unique world, resulting in a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews for the Time Bandits TV show praise the new take which trades the original film's quirks for a more family-oriented approach, offering a lively adventure that becomes increasingly captivating as it progresses, resulting in a slightly lower, but still strong 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Related Time Bandits Ending Explained Terry Gilliam's imaginative fantasy film Time Bandits stretched the boundaries of what was possible in movies, and its ending left many questions.

However, the Time Bandits TV show has proven to be much more divisive among audiences, as indicated by its 50% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes from 100+ ratings. Any time a beloved or classic property is remade, it's bound to be divisive among those who cherish the original, which is certainly responsible for some of the backlash against the Time Bandits TV show. However, some of it is racist backlash directed toward the TV show's diverse cast, which includes Rwandan, Asian-American, and New Zealand actors.

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Despite some backlash from audiences, the show is critically acclaimed and popular on streaming. However, at the time of writing, Time Bandits has only aired four episodes, and with six more, it remains to be seen if the fantasy adventure series can maintain this high degree of quality throughout its first season, with two new episodes airing every Wednesday on Apple TV+. If it does, Time Bandits should be renewed for a second season, which Waititi and Clement are already in the process of writing.

Source: Reelgood