Making kids miserable has never been so much fun – or looked so good – as in an exquisite new television adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The orphan saga, the first season of which debuts on Friday on Netflix with eight hour-long episodes, brings to life an unforgettable visual and emotional universe led by Emmy- and Tony-winning star Neil Patrick Harris.
As the greedy Count Olaf, who dons many disguises in his lust for lucre, Harris performs every dirty deed imaginable to enrich his bank account at the expense of his three young charges, the intelligent and innovative Baudelaire siblings: 14-year-old Violet (Malina Weissman), 12-year-old Klaus (Louis Hynes) and clever, sharp-toothed infant Sunny (Presley Smith). They end up in his shadowy mansion when he adopts them after their wealthy parents perish in a fire.
“One of the main reasons I signed up for this is because what I think Netflix does so well is that it allows the creative process to happen without many constraints,” says Harris. “They let us create this world, which I find just visually exquisite.”
An acclaimed Broadway talent, Harris starred for nine seasons as the rascally Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother (2005 to 2014), more than a decade after childhood success as the titular teen doctor on Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989 to 1993).
“[Olaf] is on a hell-bent crusade to become very wealthy through the Baudelaires’ misfortune,” he says.
“He realises quickly that they have a lot of money [and] if he can only find a way to get of rid the children, or marry the children, or somehow become their guardian, then he has access to that.”
Olaf and the children are surrounded by a wide range of eccentric characters brought to life by memorable guest stars, including Joan Cusack (Shameless), Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek), Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage), Don Johnson (Miami Vice), Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) and Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show). Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld, Rules of Engagement) provides the voice of the narrator, Lemony Snicket.
The TV series is based on the books by American author Daniel Handler, who uses Snicket as his pen name. Making his fictional young heroes miserable has proven to be a gold mine for the writer.
A Series of Unfortunate Events – which debuted in 1999 with The Bad Beginning and now includes 13 books – has sold more than 65 million copies and been translated into 41 languages.
It was previously adapted as a movie in 2004, starring Jim Carrey as Count Olaf. Although well received, a hoped-for film franchise failed to materialise. Now Netflix plans to adapt all of the books.
Harris spent two-and-a-half hours in the make-up chair each day to be transformed into the pointy-nosed, sinister Count, who holds sway in a world that is far richer and more detailed than what was possible in a two-hour film.
“I just really like what Daniel [Handler] wrote, and so I want to honour it as best I can,” says the 43-year-old actor.
“So in coming up with this character, I just wanted to make sure that it looked as similar to the drawings that are in the book as possible, which is very angular and very dark and very tough.”
K Todd Freeman, a veteran actor familiar to fans of the Batman movie The Dark Knight and TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, plays Mr Poe, a blundering banker who handles the children's estate. He wants to help them but is often fooled by Count Olaf's disguises and schemes.
“He is the most well-intentioned … and ineffectual person on the planet,” says Freeman. “Everything he does, for the most part, ends up wrong.”
While there was a passion to honour Handler's vision, "we wanted to create our own world that is unique to these books: gloomy, dark, overcast", says executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black, Pushing Daisies).
“We wanted the sky to be painted. We wanted the light to be beautiful. We didn’t want anything that felt naturalistic,” he adds.
From Olaf’s dismal and decrepit mansion and the vast Lake Lachrymose to the machinery-filled Miserable Mill and Uncle Monty’s snake-filled “Reptile Room”, each lavishly detailed location is a universe unto itself.
“[At first], I imagined I would be mostly acting on green screens with tennis balls, having to be told what that snake will look like,” says Harris. “And then we arrive here every day to a brand new set, and there’s 40 snakes – and they’re real.”
• Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events will be available on Netflix on Friday, January 13
artslife@thenational.ae
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
COPA DEL REY
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
