HBO has announced the air dates for its miniseries adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novel The Casual Vacancy, with the British slice-of-life drama set to premiere in a two-night block in late April. The first two hours of the miniseries, produced in association with BBC One, will debut in the States on April 29, with the third and final hour airing the following night.
Of course, British viewers won’t have to wait nearly as long to see this take on Rowling’s tale of bitter infighting, class warfare, and vicious rumors during an election in a small English town. The Casual Vacancy will air on BBC One on February 15, more than two months before its American debut. We’re sure our American readers will be perfectly patient, however, getting their fill of Vacancy star Michael Gambon with a quick re-watch of The King’s Speech or The Fantastic Mr. Fox, without resorting to the dark magic of Internet piracy. (This reference to magic fulfills our legal responsibility to mention that Rowling also wrote the Harry Potter books.)