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Season 1 – The Casual Vacancy

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58% Tomatometer 33 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
"The Casual Vacancy" is a three-part miniseries adaptation of the novel by J.K. Rowling. The story is based on the lives of the residents living in the fictional English village of Pagford. It's home to a market square and ancient abbey, but what lies behind the idyllic surroundings is a community at war over the legacy of Sweetlove House. Parish Council Chairman Howard Mollison argues for an end to the legacy but is opposed by council member Barry Fairbrother, whose impassioned speech outlines Sweetlove's importance. When Fairbrother suddenly dies, the "casual vacancy" on the council soon becomes the catalyst for a clash that rocks the village.
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The Casual Vacancy — Season 1

The Casual Vacancy — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

HBO's adaptation of J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy is mostly dull, heavy-handed, and predictable, although it possesses a few touching moments.

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Critics Reviews

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William Thomas Empire Magazine A socially conscious story of greed and alienation that is depressingly believable. Rated: 4/5 Nov 6, 2017 Full Review Martin Hoyle Financial Times A Midsomer-perfect rural village teems with vivid characters, some of whom verge on caricature, covering the whole range of class, respectability and crookedness. Rated: 4/5 May 2, 2017 Full Review Katy Waldman Slate I appreciated the miniseries' willingness to reach beyond moral satire. There are glimmers of big cosmic tragedy in this Vacancy. May 8, 2015 Full Review Randy Dankievitch TV Over Mind Yet The Casual Vacancy is still an engaging watch, an ambitious series of images, stories, and characters only undercut by the show's running time and source material. Mar 5, 2020 Full Review Jasper Rees The Arts Desk Michael Gambon and Julia McKenzie are a delicious treat as nakedly scheming social clamberers... Rated: 4/5 Jul 24, 2018 Full Review Pat Stacey The Herald (Ireland) A good cast wasted on complete tosh. Oct 17, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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johann m AVERAGE BUT TRAGIC! A three-part miniseries adaptation of the novel by J.K. Rowling. The story is based on the lives of the residents living in the fictional English village of Pagford who fight for the spot on the parish council after Barry Fairbrother dies. It is an engaging story but the great amount of characters with different motivations lack screen time and some do not have any character development at all. It is really evident they condensed the novel into three hours and the result was not very good. However, Michael Gambon and Julia McKenzie give terrific performances with their cheeky and shameless characters. The ending is quite tragic, but it has a good conclusion for the whole story. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Casual Vacancy — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Michael Gambon

Howard Mollison

Keeley Hawes

Samantha Mollison

Rory Kinnear

Barry Fairbrother

Julia McKenzie

Shirley Mollison

Joe Hurst

Arf Price

Sonny Ashbourne Serkis

Paul Price

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Feb 15, 2015 Part 1 A sudden death creates chaos in the town of Pagford over a pivotal empty seat on the parish council; Howard and Shirley Mollison push their son to run for election; Simon looks to capitalize on a family tragedy; Terri struggles with addiction. Details Episode 2 Aired Feb 22, 2015 Part 2 The town comes together to mourn at Barry's funeral; candidates for Barry's council seat find their secrets revealed; Miles worries about his wife's behavior; Howard is plagued by visions of his own mortality. Details Episode 3 Aired Mar 1, 2015 Part 3 The results of the election are revealed and the Sweetlove House matter is decided; Miles gets a shock at home; Samantha and Shirley have a confrontation about their family; another tragedy rocks the town of Pagford. Details

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The Casual Vacancy — Season 1

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Season Info

Director
Jonny Campbell
Screenwriter
J.K. Rowling, J.K. Rowling, Sarah Phelps
Network
BBC
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Feb 15, 2015