Meet Your Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell in the First Look at the BBC Miniseries
Stubby the Rocket
November 19, 2014 5:00PM

first look Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell BBC miniseries

The BBC has released the first promotional photo from its miniseries adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s Hugo-winning novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell! Here’s Bertie Carvel (Les Misérables) and Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, The World’s End) in-character as dueling magicians Jonathan Strange and Gilbert Norrell.

Marsan is a bit younger than we would have cast as Mr. Norrell, but there you have it! The seven-part series also stars Alice Englert (Beautiful Creatures), Marc Warren (The Musketeers, Wanted), and Charlotte Riley (Edge of Tomorrow).

The synopsis is likely for the first few episodes, as it seems to cover Volume I of the book:

Set at the beginning of the 19th-century, England no longer believes in practical magic. The reclusive Mr Norrell (Marsan) of Hurtfew Abbey stuns the city of York when he causes the statues of York Cathedral to speak and move. With a little persuasion and help from his man of business Childermass (Enzo Cilenti), he goes to London to help the government in the war against Napoleon. It is there Norrell summons a fairy (Warren) to bring Lady Pole (Englert) back from the dead, opening a whole can of worms...

The press release says only that Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell will air in 2015, though rumor has it the miniseries will come as early as January. In the meantime, join our Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Reread!

Image: BBC

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1. BornToPootle
Wednesday November 19, 2014 05:09pm EST
Crikey, I can really see Eddie Marsan in that role, despite the age. Don't recall Bertie from Les Mis (I've blocked most of the film out to be honest) but I shall await with slightly less dread than I was prepared for.
2. Steve, from the internet
Wednesday November 19, 2014 05:29pm EST
Eddie Marsan is generally excellent.
3. Filter99
Wednesday November 19, 2014 05:30pm EST
I saw Norell as more David Bradley or similar, but i will see how it goes
4. wknight79
Wednesday November 19, 2014 05:34pm EST
I'm guessing that's supposed to be the infamous "lost" Joshua Reynolds portrait of the two?
5. AnotherAndrew
Wednesday November 19, 2014 06:45pm EST
Charlotte Riley will be Mrs Strange, I take it. But who is to play Stephen Black?
7. shoggothy
Thursday November 20, 2014 07:48am EST
Not really feeling the Strange casting. For one thing, it's mentioned several times that his hair is red, or at least reddish. But really, Carvel's whole demeanor in this still just doesn't evoke Strange. He looks kind of tense yet eager-to-please, where the hallmark of Strange's personality is his general indifference. I always imagined him looking at the viewer sort of sarcastically, with one eyebrow just barely raised, like "really?"
8. katenepveu
Thursday November 20, 2014 07:49am EST
Stephen Black is to be played by Ariyon Bakare, per IMDB.

Textually Mr Norrell is "perhaps fifty" (chapter 22), which I found surprising as well, but the narrator says very early (chapter 2) that "he was the sort of man who had been old at seventeen," which likely explains people's impressions.
9. landofnowhere
Thursday November 20, 2014 01:10pm EST
Why are there cards scattered on the floor? I don't remember anything like this in the book.
10. shoggothy
Thursday November 20, 2014 02:04pm EST
I assume it's a reference to Childermass's tarot cards, which do play a reasonably important part in the book, at least for foreshadowing.
11. carmen webster buxton
Thursday November 20, 2014 04:35pm EST
I have always wnated to see what thistledown hair would look like! I wonder if Marc Warren will have to wear a wig?
12. Henrik Hansen
Friday November 21, 2014 06:07pm EST
Bertie Carvel will crush this. I saw him as Miss Trunchbull in Mathilda and he was absolutely superb.

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