H. G. Wells has a sterling reputation based on a handful of brilliant works he composed between 1895 and the turn of the twentieth century. My favorite is THE INVISIBLE MAN, but others may prefer THE TIME MACHINE, THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, etc.Some of Wells' views were noxious. He was a long-time socialist and a believer in eugenics and dominant races. Several of his later books were pedantic over his theories of racial hygiene, as well as his obsession for developing a single world government. All this makes some of his later work unreadable today.Wells also composed numerous short stories. Though these are of variable quality, some are among the best creepy stories in the English language."The Infinite Worlds of H. G. Wells" is a three-part series culled from Wells' short stories. Wells himself is portrayed as an active participant in these weird events. Sometimes his role is vital to the stories, at other times his presence is tangential. The series has a framing device of Wells as an old man during World War Two, looking back over his long career and relating some of the strange things that occurred to a young journalist -- who herself might not be all she seems.Wells is presented as an eager young man desperately trying to mature as a successful author, balancing it with his growing love for a woman he calls Jane (though that is not her real name). The unsavory fact that Wells left his first wife for Jane, and he had several affairs and illegitimate children outside of his marriage to her, is fortunately by-passed for this dramatization. Only Wells' sunny side shines through here.Wells and Jane come off as a likable young couple whose worse strain comes from the bizarre situations they and their friends lurch into.Though some of the stories contain tragedy, the stories presented here come off as largely comic, as if Wells were a nineteenth century Douglas Adams. The stories are neatly rewritten to accommodate the author, and to make sure most have charming or happy endings. Strangely, one story that originally had a happy ending is played here for tragedy. And just be careful, if you are inordinately fond of dogs.The series is good for anyone who wants to add a little pleasant and ultimately unimportant weirdness to their lives.If you want to look ahead an see how the stories are altered from the originals, the stories dramatized include "The New Accelerator", "The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper", "The Crystal Egg", "Story of Davidson's Eyes", "The Truth About Pyecraft" (changed much for the better) and "The Stolen Bacillus."

Happily, the screens - small and large - have (mostly) been kind to H G Wells. I'm a fan so I attribute it to the charming quality of "human-ness" and compassion that ran through his writing (and not just his sci-fi either). I'll keep clear of the Time Machine remake and the tragedy of casting Guy Pearce in the lead. What's intriguing is that H G Wells himself has often been written into period pieces as a character - always a sensitive new-age kinda guy - and why not?- he really was years ahead of the time he lived in. And "Infinite Worlds" does it well. The screenwriters do not let Wells' short stories down as they weave a gentle romance and equally gentle humour in with stories like The Stolen Bacillus, The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes and others. The period style is light and the well-directed cast play their parts with none of the embarrassment that often dogs smaller productions. Add a soundtrack that matches the mood of "Infinite Worlds" and you've got a warm evening's viewing (or two - the version I saw was in three parts on cable and even without the ads it was a few enjoyable hours worth).

I happened to watch this miniseries over the course of two nights on the Hallmark Channel and what a joy it was! The script was very well-done. All the supporting characters were nicely developed with very few light touches. The two main characters of H. G. Wells and his scientist wife were really charming. Their story of courting was told so effectively in parallel with the main storyline of various mysterious events. The period details were faultless and lively. I almost felt I was there with all of them! And the most important of all, the stories themselves (6 in total) gave me the kind of pleasure and fun mixed with curiosity that I used to feel two decades ago as a child, reading Jules Verne books and dreaming of those faraway exotic worlds and adventures. Thanks to everyone involved in this production.

I managed to catch most of this 3 part mini-series on Hallmark just a couple of days ago, and I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since. I feel that it's a really great movie, partly because of the great special effects and interesting phenomenon mentioned, and also because of the relationship between the lead characters in the movie. For all those science buffs out there, this would definitely be a good show to watch and tease your little grey cells somewhat. Even though the characters in this show are mostly fictitious (except for H.G. Wells himself, of course), I feel that it's still worth watching if not for the science, then for the romance.