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4 April 21 - 27, 2019 cover story
By Francis Babin
TV Media
We are currently living in the era of superheroes — whether on the big or small screen, they are unavoid- able. It seems like every month a new
Updating a classic
Stars shine bright in ‘Les Misérables’
El Dorado News-Times
considered one of the greatest liter- ary works of all time from one of the greatest authors, and it’s easy to see why. Jean Valjean’s inspirational arc of destitution, struggle and redemp- tion is as captivating now as it was when the novel was published 157 years ago. If we take a close look around us, we will find real human beings that mirror the characters of Valjean, Javert, Fantine, Cosette and the Thénardiers in our everyday life — these characters are not just abstract concepts or caricatures, but depic- tions of real qualities and struggles found in the lives of men and women that we know personally. On Sunday, April 21, take a trip through time with a new episode of “Les Misérables,” on PBS.
series or film is released featuring a costumed protagonist using his or her superhuman powers to save the day. Even if there are many interesting sto- ries being told (see last year’s “Spider- Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), it’s easy to see how someone can be afflicted
by a bad case of superhero fatigue. How many times can we watch Bruce Wayne become Batman?
We may complain about the abun- dance of superhero sagas, but some- how we are still drawn to them. Some tales are just compelling, they speak to us. It’s why Superman, Robin Hood, Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, Jean Valjean and other famous literary characters will never truly go away. The char- acters and myths are fascinating, timeless and, in the hands of creative people, can be perpetually reinvented.
OnSunday,April21,“LesMis- érables” is back with a new episode on PBS. First published in 1862, Victor Hugo’s magnum opus has since been adapted into multiple languages in numerous mediums, including dozens of films. PBS’s new miniseries marks the novel’s return to English television for the first time since 2000 (it has been adapted into Vietnamese and Spanish in the interim, with an up- coming Japanese version on the way).
the scene-stealing police inspector who makes it his mission to see that Valjean is never truly free, and Lily Collins (“The Last Tycoon”) plays Fantine Thibault, a factory worker and mother to Cosette (Ellie Bamber, “Nocturnal Animals,” 2016) who must resort to menial work in order to survive in post-revolutionary France. They are joined by Adeel Akhtar (“Counterpart”) and Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Crown”) as Monsieur and Madame Thénardier, respectively, Derek Jacobi (“Murder on the Orient Express,” 2017) as Bishop Myriel and a bevy of other ultra-talented actors.
Adapted by Andrew Davies (“House of Cards”) and directed by Tom Shankland (“The Missing”), the latest “Les Misérables” miniseries does not include any of the world-fa- mous songs from the legendary stage musical, but instead opts to focus
on the original source material of Hugo’s novel. It looks and feels
like no other adaptation, and is especially different from the last major “Les Mis” production, Tom Hooper’s 2012 blockbuster film.
The six-part miniseries features a modern take on the French classic. It showcases an ethnically diverse cast, various British accents, and focuses on rebellion, poverty and the day-to- day struggle of ordinary people, mak- ing it incredibly relevant to today’s world. These decisions were made not only to differentiate it from its predecessors, but to make the story resonate with audiences.
Jean Valjean’s extraordinary jour- ney of redemption during a time of civil unrest has become amazingly important in today’s world. As previ- ously mentioned, PBS’s “Les Mi- sérables” deals with many
current problems in our society but also digs deep into themes
that dominate our political discourse, such as class, in- equality, wealth,
the judicial system and the prison in- dustry.
“Les Mi- sérables” is
Lily Collins as seen
in “Les Misérables”
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Dominic West (“The Affair”) takes a break from playing slimy, unlikable characters to portray the ex-convict Jean Valjean. After serving a brutal prison sentence for stealing bread
in order to feed his sister’s children, Valjean struggles for redemption and tries to lead a normal life during a tu- multuous time in French history.
Along with West, David Oyelowo (“Selma,” 2014) stars as Javert,