A Long-Running Hit

Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables� has something for everyone: love, sex, crime, redemption, rage, political upheaval and religion. So it’s no wonder there have been more than 24 film and television adaptations of the novel produced, as well as an award-winning London and Broadway musical.

The latest version of the 1862 French novel premieres Sunday on Fox Family Channel. The lavish four-hour drama features France’s biggest star, Gerard Depardieu, as Jean Valjean, a peasant who serves a lengthy jail sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. John Malkovich is at his coolly evil best as Javert, a police inspector who, believing criminals are incurable, relentlessly harasses and pursues Valjean. Virginie Ledoyen (“The Beach�) plays Valjean’s beloved adopted daughter, Cosette.

“Les Miserables� is noticeably several notches above Fox Family Channel’s original movies, which have run the gamut from thrillers (“The Spiral Staircase�) to light comedies (“Special Delivery�).

Tom Halleen, Fox Family’s senior vice president of prime time programming and development, says the French producers of “Les Miz� were looking for an American partner and approached Fox Family. The cable network was immediately attracted to the project, especially since Depardieu and Malkovich were attached.

“It’s not often that you can access talent of such high caliber,� says Halleen.

Fox Family is pulling out all the stops for “Les Miz.� “I am very much an event programmer in my mind-set, which means you create a series of events on your schedule and promote those events,� Halleen says. “The scope of ‘Les Miz’ is so far above what we have done before, it elevates it to a very high profile as well as a recognizable event.�

“Les Miz� fascinates audiences, says Halleen, because it tells a powerful tale of redemption. But “at its core, it’s a story about a father’s love for his daughter. That is a tremendous element and is especially highlighted in the second half of our miniseries.�

The film was shot in both French and English. The American TV version, however, is four hours shorter than the one for French television. The missing four hours are filled in - with mixed results - by voice-over narration.

Halleen says there were lengthy conversations about whether Fox Family should air an eight-hour version before deciding on just the four hours. “We felt creating a singular night event is the best route to go as opposed to stretching it over four different nights. We made the decision [before filming began] over a year ago that we would fill in some of the holes through the voice-over.�

Malkovich and Depardieu are just the latest in a long list of acclaimed performers who have starred in “Les Miz� movies over the decades:

* Noted stage star Maurice Costello played Valjean in the first filmed version of Hugo’s novel back in 1909.

* Oscar-winners Fredric March and Charles Laughton illuminate the screen in the 1935 blockbuster directed by Richard Boleslawski. March is splendid as Valjean and Laughton chews the scenery as only he can as Javert. Rochelle Hudson plays Cosette and Florence Eldridge (who was married to March) is her ill-fated mother, Fantine.

* A very young Marcello Mastroianni has a tiny part as a revolutionary in the well-respected 1947 Italian version, “I Miserabili.� Gino Cervi is Valjean and Valentina Cortese plays both Fantine and Cosette.

* The terrific Michael Rennie, best known from “The Day the Earth Stood Still,� is a dignified Valjean and Robert Newton is Javert in the 1952 version directed by Oscar-winner Lewis Milestone.

* The French film icon Jean Gabin is perfectly cast as Valjean in the lengthy 1957 French-language version, which also stars Bernard Blier (the father of director Bertrand Blier) as Javert.

* Richard Jordan shines as Valjean in CBS’ 1978 version of “Les Miz,� which was directed by Glenn Jordan. Anthony Perkins is on hand as Javert, and the supporting cast includes such acclaimed veteran stars as Cyril Cusack, Claude Dauphin, Sir John Gielgud, Ian Holm, Flora Robson, Celia Johnson and Joyce Redman.

* French superstar Jean-Paul Belmondo gives one of his best performances in Claude Lelouch’s unique 1995 French-language version, which is set during the Nazi occupation of the country during World War II.

* And Liam Neeson and Oscar-winning Geoffrey Rush breathe life into Valjean and Javert, respectively, in Bille August’s 1998 film feature, in which Claire Danes portrays Cosette.

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“Les Miserables� parts 1 and 2 air Sunday beginning at 7 p.m. on Fox Family Channel. Part 1 airs again Wednesday at 8 p.m. and Part 2 Thursday at 8 p.m. on Fox Family Channel. The network has rated it TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children).