The Casual Vacancy: Season 1

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Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Ratings

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5.5	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

HBO | BBC One | Season Premiere Date: April 29, 2015

Summary: The miniseries based on J.K. Rowling's non-Harry Potter novel is set in the English village of Pagford where parish council chairman Howard Mollison (Michael Gambon) battles Barry Fairbrother (Rory Kinnear) over turning the charity Sweetlove House into a spa. When Barry dies suddenly, a heated election exposes the secrets of many of the villagers.

Genre(s): Drama, Movie/Mini-Series

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E3. Episode 3
Air Date: April 30, 2015
tbd
S1:E2. Episode 2
Air Date: April 29, 2015
tbd
S1:E1. Episode 1
Air Date: April 29, 2015

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Critic Reviews

Uncle Barky Ed Bark

Apr 28, 2015

Screenwriter Sarah Phelps has deftly adapted Rowling’s novel into a cautionary, metaphorical tale that pulls its weight and measuredly draws one in. Read full review

Emily Nussbaum

Apr 27, 2015

The result is a warmer story, streaked with satire rather than marinated in it. Perhaps the greatest contribution comes from the performance of someone who barely appears: Rory Kinnear (best known as the Prime Minister in the pig episode of “Black Mirror”), whose Barry is a poignant, meaningful figure, a do-gooder whose loss is real for the town’s most vulnerable residents. Read full review

Clark Collis

Apr 27, 2015

Like the book, the miniseries can come across less as a believable depiction of a community than as a collection of grotesques, despite the best efforts of its top-notched cast to give their roles three dimensions. The one major exception is Terri's daughter, Krystal, a fully fleshed-out character played to perfection by newcomer Abigail Lawrie. [1 May 2015, p.50]

Nancy DeWolf Smith

Apr 27, 2015

The Casual Vacancy was riveting while it lasted. When it was over, though, I wanted to stick a fork in my face. Read full review

Gail Pennington

Apr 29, 2015

Writer Sarah Phelps has done her best, but short of throwing out Rowling's characters and plot, there was no real way to make The Casual Vacancy bearable. Read full review

Verne Gay

Apr 28, 2015

By losing the emotional core of the film essentially after the first act--the death of Kinnear's saintly Fairbrother--the film spends the next three-plus hours trying to fill the void. Fools rush in to fill it, but because most of them are treated with such contempt, or pity, none can or possibly could. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Apr 28, 2015

There are so many characters, frankly, that Casual Vacancy spends virtually all of the first hour just introducing them. The second expands upon that somewhat, before the third finally seeks to bring a measure of tragic resolution to it all, while leaving a number of threads a bit too casually dangling. Read full review

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User Reviews

GinaK

May 3, 2015

To my surprise, I enjoyed this miniseries very much. I didn't intend to, but I binged on it last night and was never bored once. Perhaps this was because of the superlative acting, especially by Julia McKenzie. I agree that the story did not have a lot of charm, like many of the shows onTo my surprise, I enjoyed this miniseries very much. I didn't intend to, but I binged on it last night and was never bored once. Perhaps this was because of the superlative acting, especially by Julia McKenzie. I agree that the story did not have a lot of charm, like many of the shows on Masterpiece theater, but rather gave a look at what village life is really like in Britain where they wrestle with social issues just like we do in the States, but which you will never find even hinted at on Midsomer Murders. The entire cast and crew (director, screenwriter, etc.) did a great job making Rowling's characters come alive. I didn't read the original novel, which I believe is a satire, but this production seemed more human comedy and serious than satiric.… Expand

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Knighthawk81

Apr 30, 2015

When you hear a story is based on a novel by J.K. Rowling, you can't help but think of "Harry Potter." What set that apart wasn't just the magic, it was the building of worlds and characters. By comparison, "The Casual Vacancy" is hollow. It's about the untimely death of a man in a smallWhen you hear a story is based on a novel by J.K. Rowling, you can't help but think of "Harry Potter." What set that apart wasn't just the magic, it was the building of worlds and characters. By comparison, "The Casual Vacancy" is hollow. It's about the untimely death of a man in a small town, and the squabble about who will replace him on the town council. The first two parts aired last night, and by the end of the first hour it was still unclear who these people are and why we should really care, and that's a problem.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Cmpr

May 9, 2015

I quite enjoyed the book but the HBO adaptation missed the whole point of the book. It had a great cast but the characters could have had so much more depth. It seems it was a poor choice to condense this into a three hour series. A longer series would have allowed more of the original storyI quite enjoyed the book but the HBO adaptation missed the whole point of the book. It had a great cast but the characters could have had so much more depth. It seems it was a poor choice to condense this into a three hour series. A longer series would have allowed more of the original story to emerge.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Seasons & Episodes

60

Series Overview
Season 1

60
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: April 29, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E3. Episode 3
  Air Date: April 30, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E2. Episode 2
  Air Date: April 29, 2015
- tbd
  S1:E1. Episode 1
  Air Date: April 29, 2015