Jonathan strange & mr norell

RLJ Entertainment, £14.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray)

There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with the BBC television adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – much of it is quite impressive – but somehow the magic has sadly gone missing en route to the screen. Certainly, the BBC deserves praise for placing this alt-history costume drama in the Sunday night ‘heritage’ slot; however, the slow start and uncertain finale may have done TV fantasy more harm than good, with viewing figures halved by the climax. The middle instalments of this seven-episode mini-series are where it springs into life, especially in the Napoleonic wars where magic is used as both a defensive and offensive weapon. Elsewhere, things are rather slow and somewhat dull for a drama dealing in magic. Bertie Carvel is great as naturally talented magician Jonathan Strange, while a slightly miscast Eddie Marsan gets the short end of the stick as the government-approved magician who wants to keep the secrets of the unexpected magical revival to himself. The warring pair is surrounded by a colourful supporting cast, featuring such notables as Marc Warren, Paul Kaye, and Sam West. Wallander writer Peter Harness faced a tough task in adapting the sprawling source novel that had already defeated attempts at a film version, while Sherlock and Doctor Who director Toby Haynes was a safe pair of hands. Even so, the material has resisted being brought to truly magical life on screen. Brian j robb 6/10