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HBO’s adaptation of The Casual Vacancy would be far less of an event were it not for the source material’s world-renowned author: J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame. Rowling wrote The Casual Vacancy, a decidedly adult tale of bourgeois apathy and class warfare set in the picturesque English village of Pagford, as her first book without wands and witchcraft. The differences are stark, from the pervasive unpleasantness of the characters to the dour, unsatisfying culmination of their stories.
Still, it’s near impossible to consider the volume without attempting to identify any sliver of shared DNA, so chew on this – The Casual Vacancy is a series built around an entire town of Muggles, all lacking the magic or morality of Rowling’s Hogwarts-approved heroes. Not all of them are as blatantly noxious as the Dursleys, but even the...
HBO’s adaptation of The Casual Vacancy would be far less of an event were it not for the source material’s world-renowned author: J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame. Rowling wrote The Casual Vacancy, a decidedly adult tale of bourgeois apathy and class warfare set in the picturesque English village of Pagford, as her first book without wands and witchcraft. The differences are stark, from the pervasive unpleasantness of the characters to the dour, unsatisfying culmination of their stories.
Still, it’s near impossible to consider the volume without attempting to identify any sliver of shared DNA, so chew on this – The Casual Vacancy is a series built around an entire town of Muggles, all lacking the magic or morality of Rowling’s Hogwarts-approved heroes. Not all of them are as blatantly noxious as the Dursleys, but even the...
- 5/1/2015
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
The second episode of HBO's new miniseries, "The Casual Vacancy," begins with a funeral. As the people of Pagford, a bucolic English village set amid burbling streams and emerald meadows, pour into the old stone chapel at the center of town, the set piece emerges as a microcosm of their fractured community. Conservative parish council chairman Howard Mollison (Michael Gambon) sports an ornate necklace; doctor Parminder Jawanda (Lolita Chakrabarti) wears a lavender sari; angry, abusive working man Simon Price (Richard Glover) hides behind dark Aviators; simpering school reformer Colin Wall (Simon McBurney) puffs on his inhaler. Though sketched in broad terms, the sequence is nevertheless a provocative clash of race and class as seen through the veneer of propriety, and no one is quite innocent except for the man in the coffin. A potent, tragicomic parable of austerity Britain, "The Casual Vacancy," adapted by Sarah Phelps from J.K. Rowling's novel and directed by.
- 4/28/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy is her first book for adults, and the first trailer for an upcoming HBO adaptation of it makes that abundantly clear. “Look at my tits,” one character crows as others drop F-bombs, drink, smoke, fight each other and generally get up to other Nsfw shenanigans. Whether that’s an accurate representation of the plot or a sneak peek meant to be exceptionally shocking remains to be seen.
The three-part miniseries has certainly assembled enough strong performers to put it on any self-respecting TV snob’s radar. With Michael Gambon, Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Monica Dolan and Julia McKenzie, not to mention unproven actress Abigail Lawrie, in the cast, and Jonny Campbell sitting behind the camera, it could stand a chance of awards attention in the coming Emmy season – provided that screenwriter Sarah Phelps has captured the jet-black humor of Rowling’s novel.
The three-part miniseries has certainly assembled enough strong performers to put it on any self-respecting TV snob’s radar. With Michael Gambon, Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Monica Dolan and Julia McKenzie, not to mention unproven actress Abigail Lawrie, in the cast, and Jonny Campbell sitting behind the camera, it could stand a chance of awards attention in the coming Emmy season – provided that screenwriter Sarah Phelps has captured the jet-black humor of Rowling’s novel.
- 3/27/2015
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Yesterday, the first trailer for the upcoming miniseries, The Casual Vacancy, arrived to deliver a brief glimpse into the seedy underbelly of a small English village. A dark, moody teaser that began with the faces of its cast dappled with glorious summertime sunshine, things soon soured in the final few seconds. For those expecting an adult retread of Harry Potter be warned; this looks set to stray far from creator J.K. Rowling’s magical roots.
Along with the delivery of the teaser came word of the show’s UK release, which is now extended to include details of its U.S. release. The three-part adaptation will be made available to American audiences via HBO in April. Parts one and two are scheduled to debut back-to-back on Wednesday April 29th, followed by part three the next night, Thursday April 30th.
Based on the 2012 novel by Rowling, the show stars Michael Gambon,...
Along with the delivery of the teaser came word of the show’s UK release, which is now extended to include details of its U.S. release. The three-part adaptation will be made available to American audiences via HBO in April. Parts one and two are scheduled to debut back-to-back on Wednesday April 29th, followed by part three the next night, Thursday April 30th.
Based on the 2012 novel by Rowling, the show stars Michael Gambon,...
- 2/4/2015
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Though J.K. Rowling hasn’t been stingy about giving Harry Potter fans ever more to whet their insatiable appetites, her post-Potter work has almost scoffed at the idea of witches and wizardry. Her first follow-up novel The Casual Vacancy was a profane satire of British class and politics in a story about a councilman who suddenly passes away and is in need of a replacement via an election.
BBC One has adapted the book into a three-part miniseries toplined by Dumbledore himself, Michael Gambon. Though the show does not yet have a confirmed air date, the first trailer for the series has arrived. Here’s the trailer, and read the full plot description of the show via BBC One below:
The Casual Vacancy centres on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. Behind the pretty façade however, is a town at war: rich at war with poor,...
BBC One has adapted the book into a three-part miniseries toplined by Dumbledore himself, Michael Gambon. Though the show does not yet have a confirmed air date, the first trailer for the series has arrived. Here’s the trailer, and read the full plot description of the show via BBC One below:
The Casual Vacancy centres on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. Behind the pretty façade however, is a town at war: rich at war with poor,...
- 2/3/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Since the last Harry Potter film landed in 2011, fans of franchise creator J.K. Rowling have clung to the possibility of further magical exploits for Harry and co. While Rowling is hard at work scripting Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, which will centre on a young magician named Newt Scamander, it’s only set in the same world and won’t feature the original trio. So perhaps a more satisfying dose of Rowling’s creative output can be found in the next screen adaptation of her work, The Casual Vacancy.
A wholly different undertaking than the Hogwartsian adventures littering her most popular series of books, The Casual Vacancy stems from one novel. And it’s aimed at adults. Adopting a somewhat more mature style which caters to a different demographic, the BBC has now adapted the book into a three-part miniseries. `
Based on its story, it’s about as...
A wholly different undertaking than the Hogwartsian adventures littering her most popular series of books, The Casual Vacancy stems from one novel. And it’s aimed at adults. Adopting a somewhat more mature style which caters to a different demographic, the BBC has now adapted the book into a three-part miniseries. `
Based on its story, it’s about as...
- 2/2/2015
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Harry Potter star Michael Gambon is reuniting with the author on whose books the movies were based, J.K. Rowling. Gambon will topline the HBO/BBC three-part miniseries The Casual Vacancy, the adaptation of Rowling’s follow-up book to the Harry Potter series. Also starring in the mini are Keeley Hawes (Line Of Duty), Rory Kinnear (Skyfall), Monica Dolan (Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa), Julia McKenzie (Notes On A Scandal), and Rufus Jones (Bil). Directed by Jonny Campbell from a script by Sarah Phelps, Casual Vacancy centers on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. Behind the pretty façade, however, is a town at war: rich vs. poor, teenagers vs. parents, wives vs. husbands, teachers vs. pupils. Gambon plays Howard Mollison, owner of the Pagford delicatessen; Dolan plays Tess Wall; McKenzie plays Howard’s wife, Shirley Mollison; Jones plays Howard’s son, Miles Mollison; Hawes plays Miles’ wife,...
- 6/6/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
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