Good Omens

Based on the book by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens is a fantastic watch. Available on Amazon Prime, it stars an incredible ensemble cast that includes Michael Sheen, David Tennant, John Hamm.

Sheen and Tennant play an angel, Aziraphale, and a demon known as Crowley. They have been around since the beginning of time but now must work together to stop Armageddon. The problem is that they are supposed to make sure it actually happens. But they've grown to like their lives on earth and would rather not see it destroyed!

Good Omens is narrated by Frances McDormand, who plays God. And the tale starts 11 years ago when Crowley's one job, is to ensure that a baby boy, the son of Satan, is swapped out for the baby (called Warlock) of an American diplomat. But he unwittingly bungles the job. Satan's baby, now called Adam, ends up with a rather nice couple who lead very unassuming lives in a little English village.

That nugget of information only comes to light, when 11 years later, Warlock shows no signs of having any powers. Realising their mistake, Aziraphale and Crowley must track down the real son of Satan if they want to prevent the end of the world. Mixed into the plot is a witch who is following the prophecies of her ancestor.

In the meantime, Adam is coming into his powers. The four horsemen of the apocalypse have been summoned and the countdown to Armageddon has begun.

Good Omens is exactly how you would envision a Terry Pratchett novel coming to life. It is quirky, offbeat and brilliantly witty. The seriousness with which Beelzebub (Anna Maxwell Martin) and the Angel Gabriel (John Hamm) regard the task is in stark contrast to the incompetence of Sheen and Tennant. So overall what you get is a comedic and absurd tale about humanity and good versus evil. I genuinely can't imagine that it could have done any better.