Peace across Middle-earth is in danger of being disrupted as signs and portents point towards the return of evil forces.

Returning to the same landscape as a hugely successful movie trilogy, which in turn was followed by a far less beloved trilogy, is a risky move. It could go either way – continue the downward spiral evidenced by the overlong The Hobbit saga, or show that as with The Lord of the Rings there’s still a rich seam of epic tales to tap into. Luckily, Amazon’s expensive new series veers more towards the latter, introducing us to new characters and adventures, while still feeling familiar enough to be authentic to the original movies.

We begin in a bucolic, sun drenched landscape, with children frolicking by a stream, a young Galadriel (played in the movies by Cate Blanchett) learning from her brother an important life lesson. Then begins the journey of a legion of elves into a war that would last centuries. Now an adult, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark, Saint Maud) continues a quest to hunt down Sauron. She’s convinced that he’s still alive and leaving messages for his followers, but eventually she’s forced to give up the hunt. This is all within the first 17 minutes, a hefty pre-credits sequence that unpacks a lot of story.

Things then slow a little as we start to meet different races in different locales – the secretive Harfoots (one of the three races of Hobbits), the Elves, and the men. We’re introduced to the key characters in each location, giving us time to building up an understanding of their needs and challenges before bringing in the darkness. It’s a technique that worked well enough for Game of Thrones – characters from different realms sharing a common goal from great distances, and at no point does this abundance of new characters feel overwhelming.

Director J A Bayona (A Monster Calls) teases out the humanity in showrunner J D Payne and Patrick McKay’s script, ensuring that we’re never overcome by the glorious New Zealand locations or impressive visual effects. The first episode finishes with the arrival of a giant from the skies, which is immediately picked up in the second instalment. Having established the characters in the opener, Bayona doesn’t hesitate in pushing the story forward in all of the territories under the spotlight, including a terrifying orc attack.

The key to this show’s success will be in convincing viewers that this isn’t another unnecessary prequel to The Lord of the Rings (we’ve had our fingers burnt before) and so far the signs are good. Familiar (albeit recast) characters provide a link to the established universe, as do the locations and creation designs. Throw in a main theme by Middle-earth maestro Howard Shore and we have a classy, well-produced package that honours its heritage while pushing its own narrative.

Verdict: Classy, big budget, event TV that comfortably sits in the Middle-earth cinematic universe. 8/10

Nick Joy