Harry Potter TV Series: Just what die-hard fans have waited for with bated breath

When I first learned about the Harry Potter television series, I was very enthusiastic and felt content that this was finally happening. I’ll bet many other Potterheads also felt the same. Max's (previously HBO Max) move to create a long-running television show based on the Harry Potter books is something I have wanted for a long time. Earlier there were only movies being made and a two-and-a-half-hour movie can barely scratch the surface of a 500-page, detail-rich book. 

My journey with Harry Potter began in the early 2000s when I was not even ten. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone was playing on Pogo TV for the first time, and from 7 pm to 10 pm on a Saturday, I sat glued to the television set.

Now, I have a tattoo of the Deathly Hallows. 

For the uninitiated, here is a simple breakdown of Harry Potter without any spoilers. It is the story of a boy whose parents were killed by the villain, Lord Voldemort, when Harry was a toddler. The seven Harry Potter books delve into how the hero joins the wizarding world, how Voldemort returns, and what Harry goes through to finally finish Voldemort. 

Fans are still disappointed and dissatisfied with how Warner Bros. handled the movies. Many witty characters and incredible scenes were left out, even entire chapters, like Hermoine's tryst with the Society for Protection of Elvish Welfare, the Hogwarts kitchen, and the whole chapter of the Muggle Prime Minister in the Half Blood Prince. 

Not only were portions left out, but there were also many bizarre anachronisms in the movies that don’t even happen in the books!

Harry Potter movies: A money-spinner for Warner Bros. 

But, it’s time to accept the bitter truth now, especially since the Harry Potter TV series presents the potential for redemption.

The movies were only a brilliant way to rake in millions of dollars for Warner Bros. They weren’t a true testament to the books. It wouldn’t even be an understatement to say that Warner Bros cared more about the money than how ardent Potterheads would feel while watching the books they love getting ripped apart on the big screen. 

However, in Warner Bros. defence, three hours is barely enough to capture the magic and the detail-rich nature of a Harry Potter book. And, there is another point I want to make here. When the movies were made, nobody knew how the story would play out in the final few books. 

That's not the case now. 

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The producers have access to the entire source material and they can easily weave a compelling narrative, which doesn't even have to be linear. Max has devised a way to bring Harry Potter into the new age of long-running television shows. 

Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max content, had said, “We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the wizarding world. In partnership with Warner bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new max original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.” 

The words “deep dive into each of the iconic books” elate me. One of my deepest longings could maybe come true. Based on this statement, I can only hope that Max plans to bring to life every word written in the Harry Potter books. 

Oh, so much room for creativity! 

The best part is that the entire storyline is now in the open. Now that Max has the complete source material, the producers could exercise creative liberty to start the series at any point. Starting at Gordic's hollow, where the chain of events was put into motion by Voldemort himself, would be fitting and apt. 

An opening shot of a signpost that says, “Welcome to Gordrics hollow.” The black flowing robes and a close-up shot of Voldemort walking into the frame, twirling his wand. Cut to a mailbox that says ‘The Potters.' We also know that the Potters had a cat, so this could fit into the scene too.

You get the idea? 

The TV series doesn't necessarily have to follow the timeline set in the books. The first few scenes from The Sorcerers' Stone, all the way up to Dumbledore leaving Harry outside the Dursleys’ house in Privet Drive could be the entire pilot. The possibilities are endless. Max is only limited by imagination and creativity. In the end, fans want to see the seven Harry Potter books brought to life. 

Max plans a decade-long Harry Potter TV show 

According to reports, Max says the Harry Potter television series could run well into a decade. It means that the show would culminate sometime after 2035. Every book could be a season and every chapter an episode. 

It could dive deep into the minute details of the wizarding world and its characters. It would ensure that many characters who missed out on making it to the big screen get their due-like Peeves the Poltergeist. 

Max is ready to invest billions of dollars and a decade into developing a Harry Potter TV show. It only shows that the Harry Potter fandom is alive and excited. It means that although the entire story is out, Max still believes Harry Potter is worthy of being made into a television show. 

However, Max must still figure out how they will woo the younger generation. It has to get the current generation of kids obsessed with the show, and then it will be a true success.

They must figure out how to get children born circa 2015 excited about the TV show. They can't only bank on the hopes that parents, who were young adults when the books came out, will pass on the craze and get their kids hooked.

Harry Potter is a turn-of-the-century series. In an age of decreasing attention span, keeping teenagers interested in a TV series that could run for a decade is a challenging task.  

And, of course, there are no new plot twists, but that doesn't mean this won't be a successful show. It's all about the execution and giving old-age Harry Potter fans what they have wanted for nearly three decades—a long-running TV show which remains faithful to the original books and brings it into the modern era.

Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.


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