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Message: <blockquote data-quote="trappedslider" data-source="post: 8809812" data-attributes="member: 41932">As Stuart Lee notes in <a href="https://bodleianshop.co.uk/products/great-tales-never-end" target="_blank">The Great Tales Never End</a>, Tolkien had a conflicted view of the BBC, but his first direct involvement was with Terence Tiller who produced a <a href="https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_(1955_radio_series)" target="_blank">BBC adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in 1955/1956</a>. Tiller and Tolkien worked quite collaboratively on the show's content, with Tolkien accepting the need to make significant changes and cuts to the narrative (including songs and poems). Even though Tolkien thought, “Here is a book very unsuitable for dramatic or semi-dramatic representation. If that is attempted it needs more space, a lot of space”, he did at least recognize “But I suppose all this is good for sales” and provided some praise for the treatment.He later declared in negotiations with Forrest Ackerman on film rights, “Stanley U[nwin]. &: I have agreed on our policy: Art or Cash. Either very profitable terms indeed; or absolute author’s veto on objectionable features or alterations.” I will leave readers to decide for themselves whether <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tolkien-family-in-quest-for-lord-of-the-rings-tv-rights-amazon-netflix-6shrcdbsg" target="_blank">the sale of the rights in 1969 for £100,000</a> (£2 million in today’s money), plus 7.5% royalty interests, represents an aversion to adaptations, or to cash.So Christopher, who many would recognize as an authority on his father’s thoughts, is apparent in his own mind about what he feels about The Lord of the Rings films. But note, he did not not comment on what he thinks Tolkien’s views of the films would have been.We also have no first-hand evidence that Christopher Tolkien’s resignation as a director of the Tolkien Estate Ltd related to the Amazon deal <a href="https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07842430/officers" target="_blank">THE TOLKIEN ESTATE LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK</a> however, there were reports the family was not united around Christopher Tolkien's positionIn the famous Letter 131 to Milton Waldman where he talked about his thinking behind his legendarium, Tolkien said, “I would draw some of the great tales in fullness, and leave many only placed in the scheme, and sketched. The cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama.”EDIT: It honestly seems like Christopher took the Alan Moore approach toward his father's legendarium.</blockquote>

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