Les Miserables (BBC Miniseries)

Yes, the Valjean magic money tree must be quite impressive.

We know he was given stuff to sell by the Bishop - but to use that (and not the candlesticks) to set up a factory and produce a lifetime supply of money in 3 years is somewhat unbelievable.

It is just one of the things we have to accept without thinking too deeply about it. Just as we have to accept all the extraordinary coincidences in the narrative.

My only exposure prior to this tv series was watching the film a few years back, I got to the end and turned to my friend and said 'when was I meant to cry?' (everyone had told me I would cry) and she looked at me as the heartless person I clearly was. Just finished episode 3 and Cosette has just said whilst on the run 'my feet hurt', 'i'm cold' and I've thought, 'get a grip, you were wearing no shoes, worked to the bone (but appeared hopeless at sweeping) and underfed a moment a go, you softened up fast'. but then she collapsed and it turned out I was heartless again.
I do like Dominic West, there's a lot to root for his portrayal and this character especially contrasted against the seemingly heartless policeman. I rather rolled my eyes at Fantine, heartless again, and love our dastardly duo from the inn, glorious those two.
As not familiar with the musical I don't miss the songs and am enjoying playing 'oh look it's so and so, this is cast well, pretty much every little character is awash with acting talent.
There are things I am curious about that perhaps reading the book would answer but I suspect that is a task beyond me so will just go with this for now.

It is - but not more than twice as long!

I don't care too much for Cosette in the musical, but my goodness she is an annoying little brat in this isn't she?

Definite reminders of the 2013 film in tonights episode but I think that was unavoidable.

Was the budget so low that they could only afford to build the roof a couple of inches above their heads?

I mentally add my own soundtrack throughout every week!

Javert's "how do you do, fellow kids" approach to going undercover in the barricade was absolutely hysterical!

Her and Marius are both totally wet, but she did look absolutely beautiful in the garden scenes where she was meeting him in secret. All flushed and confuddled with first love. Remember feeling like that? No me neither 😐

I thought it was very well acted though. 

Has Ellie Bamber done much stage work? She must be in line for the next West End Juliet?

I am a huge fan of both the musical and the novel. For me, Les Miserables is the best musical in the entire universe. I also love the novel but I admit to having skipped most of the sewage descriptions.

As I don't often watch TV, I am not a good judge of TV dramas, but I am enjoying the current BBC series. I like the fact that some of the details I love so much in the novel are there in the series. For instance, the fact that Gavroche looks after other little street kids is one of my favourite parts from the novel. So, I was very happy to see such a scene in the TV series.

At the same time, by watching the TV drama, you realise how well the essence of the novel is condensed into the musical version. The genius of the creators.

I think Erin Kellyman has been really impressive in this. I'd only seen her in Raised by Wolves before, but she's got something of the late Charlotte Coleman about her - a captivating presence on screen. She makes the older actors seem a bit panto-ish, tbh. And Joseph Quinn is as fab as hoped, a more human and nuanced Enjolras than the rather one-note heroic blonde of the novel/musical. I thought his expression on the barricade as the troops made their Zulu-like advance, and that exchange of glances with Javert over Mabeuf's body were some of the strongest moments of this episode.

Javert is still an issue, though - his characterisation and dialogue keep reminding me of that Kate Beaton cartoon. I think maybe it would have been better if they'd started this series like one of the film versions I saw when I was a kid (the Antony Perkins one?), with Jean Valjean stealing the bread and his prison sentence, punishment piling on punishment and the long animosity with Javert growing. I can see why TV makers might think beginning a series with half an hour of pure misery would be a viewer turn-off, and maybe they'd be right, but by beginning the series at the end of his sentence, with JVJ already brutalised, I think we've lost that sense of perspective. I just remember, watching it as a child, how much more invested I became in their story when it was presented that way.

(And yes, I know - Hugo opens with the life story of the bishop!)