19 Series of Unfortunate Events T-Shirts

“Reading is one form of escape. Running for your life is another.” -Lemony Snicket

This week, A Series of Unfortunate Events drops on Netflix. I for one have never been so excited about getting depressed (well, maybe not since the last time I saw The Cure in concert). And it sounds like Netflix is going to do this one right (unlike the movie which, honestly, I didn’t even bother seeing). Instead of cramming three of the books into one movie, they are spreading out each book into two episodes. The first season will have eight episodes and cover four of the books. (Does that math add up? I don’t have my calculator.)

What’s even more exciting is that Neil Patrick Harris is playing Count Olaf (no, not the snowman, or one of Snoopy’s long lost brothers). When I heard this bit of casting news, I couldn’t think of a better actor to take on Olaf’s many persona’s. Harris has the theater background that is sure to help him have fun with the character without going over the top (hopefully).

As for the roles of the misfortune Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, they will be played by fairly newcomers. Which is fantastic. I hope the series is a success and we get to see all thirteen books adapted and watch the actors grow with the roles like we watched the characters grow in the books.

Another fun bit of casting new has Patrick Warburton playing author Lemony Snicket. Who is a character in the story himself, as well as the author who dedicated the series to his deceased love, Beatrice.

A Series of Unfortunate Events is kind of a goth/emo kid primer. What the stranger kids went on to read after they finished the Harry Potter series. So one may wonder, why would I want to tune in each week to watch the doom and gloom life of these three sad orphans? Because it is sure to be fun, like a Tim Burton film times ten. And with any luck, it’ll make you feel better about your own life.

So if they do end up getting through all thirteen books, that means we have at least eighteen more episodes to look forward to. Though, like other young adult series, the books get larger as the series goes on, so two parts may not be enough to cover everything. Some may run into three or four. I don’t want to get too excited, but we may have many unfortunate years ahead.

I also hope that they use some of the music the The Gothic Archies created for the soundtrack. In case you are unfamiliar with it, The Gothic Archies is Magnetic Fields lead singer’s side project. For his third album, The Tragic Treasury, he wrote a song for each one of the Series of Unfortunate Events books. They are just as darkly humorous as the books. It would be great to hear them pop up in the series.

Here’s hoping for a rainy night very soon so we can pop some popcorn and binge watch the tragic tale of Violet, Claus & Sunny. And though we’ll want to see Count Olaf be foiled, I can’t wait to watch Neil Patrick Harris chew up the scenery (and Sunny, too!)

And you can carry some sorrow with you with all these cool Series of Unfortunate Events T-Shirts I dug up for you!