Harry Potter: 5 Things the HBO Series Needs to Get Right to Win Over Fans

This new Harry Potter series has a lot of things going for it. The idea of a project that can capture much more than the movies is great, and using cutting-edge technology to sell the magic is also exciting.

But there are also a lot of risks. The books and movies are so beloved that anything less will be hated, and the financial commitment to making TV the size of about 7 books is staggering, so it has to be good.

If HBO wants to satisfy die-hard book purists while hooking a new generation of viewers, the new Harry Potter series must get these five elements right.

Let's dive in.

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1. Embrace the B-Plots and Hogwarts Life

Part of the pleasure of the books, as they get longer, is the many side characters and subplots that build such a full world. The TV series has lots of time to explore this stuff, and it should.

I'm talking about hangout episodes where we dig into S.P.E.W. (the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare), Peeves the Poltergeist, the Marauders' backstory, and the detailed unraveling of Tom Riddle’s past through the Pensieve in Half-Blood Prince.

I want it all.

There are a lot of ways you can make this unique and interesting by showing not just the exciting magic but the mundane things like OWLS and the changing of the seasons.

2. Nail the Tone Shift Across the Seasons

We've talked about how the tone in Potter changes over the course of the movies, and part of that is that they didn't have all the books when they started making them.

Well, they have all the hindsight now, so there has to be a balance between what you'd do in the first seasons and what you'd do later. Know when to shift, and make sure you can grow with the show by watching it, too.

Yes, this is a kids' show. Yes, there has to be magic and wonder, but as things get darker the deeper you go, they need to make that feeling more gradual and also let it mature with time.

3. Give Snape and Dumbledore Their Full Complexity

Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Alan Rickman brilliantly brought the film versions of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape to life. But now that we have more time to develop the characters, I'd like to see them get their own episodes and dig into who they are.

With John Lithgow stepping into Dumbledore’s robes, HBO has a stellar performer who can balance warmth and eccentricity with the cold, calculating strategist. Let him be his own version of this person and give him time to do it.

The more complicated task is Paapa Essiedu, who takes on one of modern fiction's most challenging roles.

Snape is a dichotomy of two worlds, and I'd love to see him in more depth in this series, especially over the decade it may take to tell these stories.

'Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone' Credit: HBO

4. Change the Books

Yeah, I like to throw a curveball once in a while. We all know what's coming. We have them ovies and the books. Switch it up. I don't want just diverse casting; I want a change in the story that gives us a wider look at the world today.

What can you do to surprise us? There are little details, like making Harry bound by dark magic or an unbreakable vow to perform in the Triwizard Tournament or die, that would fill a plot hole in the books: why the teachers let him do it.

And also, big things like: can you switch up plotlines or characters or ideas to make this feel unique and exciting?

Be bold and be brave.

5. Get the Aging Right

This TV show will follow young actors from childhood to adulthood, like the movies and TV shows that carried a generation.

Casting Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Arabella Stanton (Hermione), and Alastair Stout (Ron) to carry the franchise was a great start.

But they need to shoot in a way that keeps up with the kids again, capitalizes on them doing the earlier books while young, and gets them into the content in the future.

At its core, it is a show about the messy reality of childhood friendship and growing up.

Let these young actors show real flaws and be natural as they disappear into these roles. And let them grow with the show, too.

The audience awaits this and more with bated breath.