Series Review: "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (2017-19).

"Secrets will be revealed, one unfortunate event at a time" in A Series of Unfortunate Events. This black comedy-drama web television series developed by Mark Hudis and Barry Sonnenfeld, and based on Daniel Handler’s children's novel series of the same name (under the pen name Lemony Snicket). The series follows the extraordinary Baudelaire orphans who face trails, tribulations and the Count Olaf in their fateful quest to unlock long-held family secrets.

Handler's thirteen-novel series (1999-2006) achieved success, and had been optioned for a cinematic adaptation before their initial publication. Sonnenfeld, who has expressed his love for the series, was originally slated to direct a film adaptation, and had hired Handler to pen the adaptation. However, Sonnenfeld left the production and Handler was fired by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks. While the film was eventually completed and released in 2004 by Brad Silberling, sequels became unlikely. Both Sonnenfeld and Handler still wanted to adapt the series, and with the onset of streaming, believed this was a better method of presenting the series. Sonnenfeld approached Netflix with the idea, and they agreed. In November 2014, Netflix announced plans to adapt the book series into a series. By September 2015, Netflix announced Sonnnenfeld and Handler as director and executive producers, as well as Mark Hudis as showrunner. However, in January 2016, Hudis had left the project, with no replacement showrunner. The first season consists of eight episodes, with two episodes adapting the first four books. Handler considered this more in line with how he had written the books in the manner of a serialized melodrama. In January 2017, Handler revealed that the second season would consist of ten episodes adapting the fifth through ninth books. A third season would adapt the remaining novels of the series. In March, Netflix revealed the series had been renewed for a second season. In April, the series was renewed for a third season, which was confirmed to be the final season. In early December 2015, an open casting call was announced for the roles of Violet and Klaus Baudelaire. In January 2016, after an extensive search, Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes were cast. In addition, Neil Patrick Harris was cast as Count Olaf. Patrick Warburton, K. Todd Freeman, Presley Smith, Lucy Punch, Avi Lake, Dylan Kingwell, Will Arnett, Cobie Smulders, Nathan Fillion, Allison Williams, Joan Cusack, Don Johnson, Catherine O'Hara, Rhys Darby, Tony Hale, Richard E. Grant, and Morena Baccarin rounded out the cast. Principal photography took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The cast have well-rounded and balanced performances as the beloved characters and did them justice, unlike the cast from the film adaptation. Not that they did a bad job.

More fun, dark, fascinating and less comical, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is born again for a new generation. One of the virtues of getting to make a show out of the books is the opportunity to expand the world of those books, to give each character his or her due. In this, Sonnenfeld, Hudis and Handler does exactly that.

Simon says A Series of Unfortunate Events receives:

Also, see my review for Men in Black 3.