On Jan. 13th, 2017, a beloved childhood series came to life when Netflix released “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” The book series and now Netflix original, written by Lemony Snicket himself (the pen name for Daniel Handler), illustrates the struggles of three unfortunate orphans Violet (Malinda Weissman), Klaus (Louis Haynes) and Sunny (Presley Smith) after a tragic incident. The children use their creativity and intellect to navigate through horrifying situations including a suspicious guardian/actor, Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris), trying to inherit their fortune; a financial advisor oblivious to danger surrounding them; and a host of relatives who seem to further complicate their lives. 

In 2004, Brad Silberling took a shot at recreating the beloved boom series in a movie starring Jim Carry and Meryl Streep. The movie included the first three books of Handler’s series but after airing, plans for the sequel became inoperative.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, it was revealed that, “In 2014, Netflix approached Handler to once again try to adapt the series, and with season 2 already underway, it appears as if all 13 books may finally see the dismal light of day this time.”

Handler himself wrote the screenplay for the Netflix series and has heavy involvement with the show. Handler originally wrote the script for the 2004 movie however after Barry Sonnenfeld left the film, Handler’s original script was rewritten. Nonetheless, Netflix told Handler that “[They thought] episodic television might be a better way to do [the series].”

In an interview with Paste Magazine, Handler admits that, “one thing that’s different about writing for TV … is that you write a part for a script, then you get an actor, and they inhibit it in a different way …” Handler not only had a say in what happened as far as the script went, but he also had say in the details of the show, such as the costuming for the kids.

This show’s stylistic features take inspiration from Wes Anderson and Tim Burton. In the same interview, Handler explained that the reasons the Baudelaire children wear bright colors to contrast the grey and gloomy background was because they’re “apart from even the world that they’re in. They wanna go to the beach when it’s gray and cloudy day. They are not participating in the adult society around them.”

One of the most intriguing aspects of this show is Lemony Snicket’s (Patrick Warburton) involvement. In an interview with Yahoo, it was revealed that “Sonnenfeld and Handler made the decision to insert Warburton [as Lemony Snicket] into the middle of the action, although he pointedly doesn’t interact with any of the other players as they go through the motions of this grimly amusing tale.” Warburton’s dry delivery proves effective as her propels the action and provides viewers with even more details of the Baudelaire’s misfortunes.

Although the theme song may tell you otherwise, you should not “Look Away” from this amazing series.