BBC America is Teasing us about the Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell Miniseries

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The new Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell cover

The new Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell cover. This cover is available now. The miniseries, not quite yet.

BBC America has been doling out information on the upcoming Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell miniseries with a miserly care.

First of all, they have finally revealed a month for the series! According to Bloomsbury Publishing’s Facebook page, the seven-part series will air in May. If we wait long enough, surely someone will reveal the day and time as well!

It stars Eddie Marsan as Jonathan Strange and Bertie Carvel as Jonathan Strange (This comes from the official page). Other notable cast members include: Marc Warren as The Gentleman with Thistldown Hair, Ariyon Bakare as Stephen Black, Enzo Cilenti as Childremass, Alice Englert as Lady Pole, Vincent Franklin as Drawlight, John Heffernan as Lascelles, Edward Hogg as Segundus, and Paul Kaye as Viniculus.

It is based on the superlative Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by by Susanna Clarke. It is set in nineteenth-century England where magic used to work, but where practical spells have not been done for long enough that everyone believes them now impossible. Magicians sit and discuss the theory and history of magic rather than doing it. Then two magicians of very different temperaments bring practical magic back, to sometimes disconcerting results. It is written in the style of a nineteenth-century novel and successfully captures the voice and feel of such novels without being a pastiche.

There is more than enough happening in the novel to make for an entertaining miniseries, but I suggest also reading the book which, in addition to being very well written in general, has some very entertaining footnotes that are not likely to show up in the miniseries.

Also, they released the tiniest possible teaser trailer several months ago. I’m still waiting for more!

For more information go to: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Official Bloomsbury Publishing’s site on Facebook.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell TV on Facebook
BBC America’s Page
IMDB

There is also the jonathanstrangeofficial.tumblr.com/ where, at the moment, some of the book’s more memorable quotes are on display.

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