The Miniaturist (TV series)

The Miniaturist is a 2017 BBC television miniseries adaptation of the debut novel of the same name by Jessie Burton. The series was directed by Guillem Morales and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Romola Garai and Alex Hassell and first aired in two parts from 26–27 December 2017 on BBC One.[1] In America, it aired in three parts from 9–27 September 2018 on PBS's Masterpiece.[2][3]

The Miniaturist
Anya Taylor-Joy in the BBC series poster
Genre
Based onThe Miniaturist
by Jessie Burton
Written by
  • John Brownlow
Directed byGuillem Morales
Starring
Music byDan Jones
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes2 (BBC)
3 (PBS)
Production
CinematographyGavin Finney
Running time180 minutes
Production companies
  • BBC
  • PBS Masterpiece
  • The Forge Entertainment
Release
Original networkBBC One
PBS Masterpiece
Picture format2:1 1080p
Audio formatStereo
Original release26 December (2017-12-26) –
27 December 2017 (2017-12-27)
External links
Website

Plot

In 17th-century Netherlands, young Petronella "Nella" Oortman moves into an Amsterdam home that her new husband, Johannes, shares with his sister, Marin, and their two servants. She receives a cold reception from Marin and an indifferent one from Johannes, who provides her with a mysterious doll's house to occupy her time.

Cast

Episodes
No.EpisodeDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1Episode 1Guillem MoralesJohn Brownlow26 December 2017 (2017-12-26)N/A
2Episode 2Guillem MoralesJohn Brownlow27 December 2017 (2017-12-27)N/A

Production

The series was filmed on location in the Netherlands, with Leiden standing in for 17th-century Amsterdam.[4]

Reception

The Miniaturist received mixed to strong reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 75% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Handsome set pieces and exceptional performances help make The Miniaturist engaging enough, even if its version of events doesn't quite measure up to its mysterious source material."[5]

Caroline Framke for Variety praised the beauty of the series, but criticised it as overly long. "It's a shame that the series never quite gels, given how much it has going for it in terms of story, talent, and the truly spectacular production design and costuming that sets off the on location shoots with such style. But just like the dollhouse at its center, The Miniaturist is better at housing facsimiles rather than characters that feel real.[6]

Hanh Nguyen of IndieWire, who graded the series a B, criticised the series for weak character development — which made it seem as though "an episode has gone missing" — but that the series was still worth watching. "Despite Amsterdam thriving during this time, the series examines life in that society from the point of view of the misfits and marginalized. Defiance and bravery are necessary to face the ugliness that is presented, and it's a theme echoed in the characters' actions. The Miniaturist may feel raw and green, sometimes naively so, but in its awkward, otherworldly way champions hope and change, and that's rarely a waste of time."[2]

References
  1. Shepherd, Jack (26 December 2017). "The Miniaturist review: Not the BBC's strongest drama - but a tense watch nonetheless". The Independent. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. Nguyen, Hanh (9 September 2018). "'The Miniaturist' Review: PBS' Dollhouse Drama Is a Haunting and Exquisitely Crafted Surprise". IndieWire. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  3. Ali, Lorraine (8 September 2018). "Review: Magic and period drama meet in Masterpiece's 'The Miniaturist'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  4. Cumberbatch, Aimée Grant (26 December 2017). "5 things you need to know about BBC drama The Miniaturist". Evening Standard. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  5. "The Miniaturist: Miniseries". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  6. Framke, Caroline (5 September 2018). "TV Review: 'The Miniaturist' on PBS". Variety. Retrieved 12 January 2019.


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