Making Les Misérables

Chris Carey’s producer credits include BBC miniseries River and Apple Tree Yard, but neither compare to the scale of the challenge of bringing Victor Hugo’s 19th century masterpiece Les Misérables to the screen.

Andrew Davies’ six-part adaptation of the classic novel retold the story of the cat-and-mouse relationship between Jean Valjean (Dominic West) and Javert (David Oyelowo), set against the backdrop of France at a time of civil unrest.

In this DQTV interview, Carey discusses the challenge of turning a 1,500-page novel into a six-hour series that spans 25 years and introduces multiple characters, all while keeping an eye on historical accuracy.

He also talks about the role of the producer on a series such as Les Misérables and explains why he thinks the drama will have a lasting legacy.

Les Misérables is produced by Lookout Point for BBC1 and Masterpiece on PBS in the US, and distributed by BBC Studios.

tagged in: Chris Carey, Les Misérables