The internet tells me that J.K. Rowling's novels written as Robert Galbraith are getting filmed, which I knew already.... and that they've cast Tom "Athos" Burke as Cormoran Strike, which I hadn't known.

Um. Err. Can't see it? I mean, yes, he can brood, but he's too thin and too good looking by far, and can he do matter of actly no nonsense? From the descriptions, I was imagining a slightly younger Phil Glenister. He'd have been perfect both physically and in terms of acting force and charisma. No news about who's going to play Robin that I've heard.

Secret hope for character who hasn't actually appeared in the novels yet but gets referenced lots: if Mick Jagger Strike's notorious glam rock star father with multiple offspring ever should show up in the tv series, can he be played by Bill Nighy? Alternatively, Dennis Waterman. And for the literary agent from the second novel, Lesley Sharpe.

Above all: dear scriptwriters, don't make the mistake Sarah Phelps did with The Casual Vacancy and take away any bite the novels have. It's not that I think JKR's writing is perfect, absolutely not, but the tv adaption of The Casual Vacancy threw away so much of what made the novel interesting in favor of bland jollinesss; do not want.

...am still trying to get my head around the idea of Burke as Cormoran Strike. Ah well. Maybe he'll surprise me: it has happened before, with several actors.

In which Sarah Phelps, the scriptwriter doing the adaption, confuses me with one particular choice while the rest mostly work for me, and so do the actors with one arguable exception.

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...in 2013, 2014 or thereabouts:

1.) Wolf Hall. Why not A Place of Greater Safety, damm it? Riding on the Tudor craze with a much better novel as the basis, but since Cromwell's pov is a great part of what makes the novel, I'm not sure this will work in the medium of a tv show in the same way. And they need to find a very good actor for Cromwell, though the BBC has a good track record there. I also hope for a good Wolsey.

2.) War of the Roses Cousins series, aka the one about the war of the roses from the women's pov. Which would thrill me as a premise, except it's based on Philippa Gregory's novels. I've read them. Um. They're better than her Tudor ones? But still not very good. Her Elizabeth Woodville, who is, I take it, to be the central character of the show, is an example of how love for a character can actually result in making the character less interesting. See also: her Catherine of Aragorn and Mary Boleyn. (By comparison, the Elizabeth Woodville from Sharon Penman's The Sunne in Splendour, who isn't meant to be the heroine of the tale, is a wonderful example of a morally ambiguous, layered character, just as interesting as her also layered husband, Edward IV. Gregory's Elizabeth of Perfect Perfection pales by comparison.) To be fair: ironically enough I thought Philippa Gregory manages a genuinenly interesting Richard III., neither the Evil McEvil of Tudor tradition nor the White Knight of Misunderstoodness. Also, for all that I dislike her making Elizabeth and her mother have actual magical powers, the scene where Elizabeth Woodville and her daughter, Elizabeth of York, put a very specific curse of what's supposed to happen to the one guilty of killing her son(s), and indeed all his descendants, impressed me because as she goes on you realise that the curse comes true.... through the fates of the Tudor dynasty. I.e. young Elizabeth of York has inadvertendly sealed the fate of her own children and their children. Anyway, there are adaptions that transcend their source material (the first season of Dexter was definitely one of those), and maybe this will happen with the War of the Roses series, too. Here's hoping.

3.) A Casual Vacancy, based on J.K. Rowling's novel. This I can see work very well as a miniseries. It's an ensemble story told in multiple povs, which will suit the tv format and offer a lot of good roles. It also offers the kind of terse social commentary that goes with a lot of good British tv. I wonder whether, say, Jimmy McGovern adapting it would be too much of a good thing (i.e. McGovern's anger + Rowling's anger in this particular novel), or whether he'd balance the polemic with the humanity. Or maybe it will be several scriptwriters. I know that RTD isn't doing anything but Wizards & Aliens because of his partner's health situation, but maybe an episode or two?

4.) American Gods. Neil Gaiman mentioned in his blog a month or so ago that preparations are still ongoing. I'm continuing to look forward to the result, whenever it will be broadcast.