Updating a classic

Stars shine bright in ‘Les Misérables’

By Francis Babin TV Media

We are currently living in the era of superheroes — whether on the big or small screen, they are unavoidable. It seems like every month a new series or film is released featuring a costumed protagonist using his or her superhuman powers to save the day. Even if there are many interesting stories being told (see last year’s “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse”), 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 abun dance of superhero sagas, but some how we are still drawn to them. Some tales are just compelling, they numerous mediums, including dozens of films. PBS’s new miniseries 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. After serving a brutal prison sentence for stealing bread in order to feed his sister’s children, vive in post-revolutionary France. They are joined by Adeel Akhtar (“Counterpart”) and Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Crown”) as Monsieur and Madame Thénardier, respectively, Derek Jacobi (“Murder on the Orient Express,” 2017) as Bishop Myriel and a bevy of other ultra-talented actors. Adapted by Andrew Davies (“House of Cards”) and directed by Tom Shankland (“The Missing”), the

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At the Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter Press Tour, awardwinning screenwriter Davies spoke to the stunned crowd about his disdain for what most consider one of the greatest stage musicals of all time: “I absolutely 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 stories like “Les Misérables,” he saw something in the source material that called to him, specifically the cat-and-mouse relationship between the two leads. Moreover, he was not intimidated by the renowned 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 anoth-

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especially different

The six-part miniseries features 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 people, making it incredibly relevant to today’s world. These decisions were made not only to differentiate it from its predecessors, but to make the story resonate 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 considered 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 inspirational arc of destitution, struggle and redemption is as captivating now as it was when the novel was published 157 years ago. If we take a close look around us, we will find real human beings that mirror the characters of Valjean, Javert, Fantine, Cosette and the Thénardiers in our everyday life — these characters are not just abstract concepts or caricatures, but depictions of real qualities and struggles found in the lives of men and women that we know personally. On Sunday, April 21, take a trip through time with a new episode of “Les Misérables,” on PBS.

After getting pulled over by the police, a man in South Carolina attempted to cover the smell of alcohol on his breath by spraying his mouth with — get this — Axe body spray. And you thought the worst thing you could do with Axe body spray was put it on your body.

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— Alicia Kapeesha