If you are wondering why some people are upset about the news about BBC America's the Watch, this is why.

Terry Pratchett, besides being a writer who quite frankly should have won the Booker and Nobel before his death, was a humanist. A great one.

He couldn't write soppy women to save his soul, thank goodness, and his female characters were always strong, even if you thought they would not be.

Take for instance, Ysabell, adopted daughter of death who at first glance may appear to be a spoiled brat, but who knows how Death works things, without whom Mort would have failed. Take the Witches, take Angua, take Sybil Rankin.

It's true that Angua is the sterotypical glorious woman, but she is also a killer werewolf who has trouble with clothes (because they rip when you change). But she is far more than that.

What Pratchett did with his characters, even those based on types - Sybil Rankin is a variation of the British woman is a member of the SPCA, is make than more than. Sybil, though not a physical fighter, was still a fighter.

She just did so in a different way. More importantly, she was not a traditionally beauty - she was bald, she wore worksman's clothes, she was fat, and she was older. She was the lady of the manor who worked in the pigsty.

By choosing to make Sybil younger, sexier, skinner and Batman - the writers/creators have the series have ruined everything about Sybil that endeared her to readers.

It's great that the cast is diverse and has a non-binary actor as Cherry LIttlebottom. What is not great is that the show has taken a romantic lead that was not Hollywood type and made her Hollywood type.

Made her in most horrendous way possible. Yes, she was going to be better looking, but why both younger and skinner? Why Batman? Sybil was more than Vimes' match, she just didn't use axes.

What the photo of the watch does is take a character that played against type, that showed people who are not young and slim women still had value. The Watch series is saying the complete opposite.

One of the things Pratchett was so good at was showing that those who are not traditionally or HOllywood beautiful are just as important and have needs/desires as well. Thank of Nanny Ogg and her sex drive. Think of Granny and her lack of one.

By changing Sybil in such a way -younger and sexier - the creators are saying people like the book Sybil don't matter, that the purpose of the Watch - the little man doing it as opposed to the heroic manly hero- doesn't matter.

The creators are saying that people who found themselves or shadows of themselves in the books don't matter unless they are good looking. They could have made Sybil, Vimes age and sexy. Or younger and fatter. OR better yet, if they were brave, like she is

But they chose to make her younger, beautiful, and kick ass. And considering that is Angua as well, the creators are saying that that is the only type of woman who matters in a story.

Pratchett wrote overweight/heavy/fat women very well. So well. And the creators just shat on that.

Since this is getting lots of likes - someone else called Sybil in the photo Batman first.

that person was @Le0nMCP