Entertainment NOW

TV Media Weekly | April 20 - 26, 2019 By Francis Babin TV Media W e are currently living in the era of super- heroes — whether on the big or small screen, they are unavoidable. It seems like every month a new series or film is released featur- ing a costumed protagonist us- ing his or her superhuman pow- ers to save the day. Even if there are many interesting stories be- ing 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 abundance of superhero sagas, but somehow we are still drawn to them. Some tales are just compelling, they speak to us. It's why Superman, Robin Hood, Tar - zan, Sherlock Holmes, Jean Valjean and other famous liter- ary characters will never truly go away. The characters and myths are fascinating, timeless and, in the hands of creative people, can be perpetually reinvented. On Sunday, April 21, "Les Mi- sérables" is back with a new ep- isode on PBS. First published in 1862, Victor Hugo's magnum opus has since been adapted into multiple languages in nu- merous mediums, including doz- ens of films. PBS's new minise- ries 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 upcoming Japanese version on the way). Dominic West ("The Affair") takes a break from playing slimy, unlikable characters to portray the ex-convict Jean Valjean. Af- ter serving a brutal prison sen- tence for stealing bread in order to feed his sister's children, Valjean struggles for redemp- tion and tries to lead a normal life during a tumultuous time in French history. Along with West, David Oy- elowo ("Selma," 2014) stars as Javert, the scene-stealing police inspector who makes it his mis- sion 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-revo- lutionary France. They are joined by Adeel Akhtar ("Counter- part") and Oscar winner Olivia Colman ("The Crown") as Mon- sieur and Madame Thénardier, respectively, Derek Jacobi ("Murder on the Orient Ex- press," 2017) as Bishop Myriel and a bevy of other ultra-talent- ed actors. Adapted by Andrew Davies ("House of Cards") and directed by Tom Shankland ("The Miss- ing"), the latest "Les Misérables" miniseries does not include any of the world-famous songs from the legendary stage musical, but instead opts to focus on the origi- nal source material of Hugo's novel. It looks and feels like no other adaptation, and is especial- ly different from the last major "Les Mis" production, Tom Hoop- er's 2012 blockbuster film. At the Television Critics Associ- ation (TCA) Winter Press Tour, award-winning screenwriter Da- vies spoke to the stunned crowd about his disdain for what most consider one of the greatest stage musicals of all time: "I ab- solutely hated the musical," he said, adding that he wanted to rescue what he considered to be a great book. While the gifted scribe doesn't typically adapt sto- ries like "Les Misérables," he saw something in the source material that called to him, specifically the cat-and-mouse relationship be- tween the two leads. Moreover, he was not intimidated by the re- nowned novel like many others have been: "I thought I wanted to have a go at it. I'm an old man, I don't get scared. I've faced down many great books. This is just an- other great book." The six-part miniseries fea- tures 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 peo- ple, making it incredibly relevant to today's world. These deci- sions were made not only to dif- ferentiate it from its predeces- sors, but to make the story reso- nate with audiences. Jean Valjean's extraordinary journey of redemption during a time of civil unrest has become amazingly important in today's world. As previously mentioned, PBS's "Les Misérables" deals with many current problems in our society but also digs deep into themes that dominate our political discourse, such as class, inequality, wealth, the judicial system and the prison industry. "Les Misérables" is consid- ered one of the greatest literary works of all time from one of the greatest authors, and it's easy to see why. Jean Valjean's inspira- tional arc of destitution, strug- gle and redemption is as capti- vating now as it was when the novel was published 157 years ago. If we take a close look around us, we will find real hu- man beings that mirror the char- acters of Valjean, Javert, Fantine, Cosette and the Thénardiers in our everyday life — these char- acters are not just abstract con- cepts or caricatures, but depic- tions of real qualities and strug- gles found in the lives of men and women that we know per- sonally. On Sunday, April 21, take a trip through time with a new episode of "Les Mi- sérables," on PBS. Lily Collins as seen in "Les Misérables" Updating a classic: Stars shine bright in 'Les Misérables' 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" Encompass Credit Union 5 x 2" Expires 4/30/19

• Cover