Today I noticed that the well publicised onscreen reunion of the Harry Potter cast was already showing on NowTV (HBO Max in the US). Straight away, I turned it on and was keen to see what it involved. Beginning with a cute opening sequence involving some of the big stars, I was totally ready to go down Diagonal Alley again and be completely absorbed in the world of Hogwarts and wizardry.

Without giving anything away, I can say that this programme was largely filmed at the Harry Potter Tour location in Watford. Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint were joined by various other actors and directors to sit around and chat about the experience of making these fantastic movies. For me it was a reminder of my own visit to the studio tour back in 2012, making me want to go once again.

Some of the insights into the filming of all eight films were fascinating and quite revealing. Many recollections were emotional too. Sadly some important cast members have passed away since filming. In particular, Richard Harris (Dumbledore) and Alan Rickman (Snape).

Worth Watching

Seeing Chris Columbus talk about how he started the movie franchise off and seeing snippets of the auditions from the main cast was intriguing for me as an avid viewer. Each director gave a different piece of magic to the films and guest actors added sparkle and energy. The first films were very light and as the movies developed the material got darker, as Emma, Rupert and Daniel grew up.

I was moved to tears by this lovely programme. It was really well put together and brought back so many memories from the incredible books and the magical movies. I was sad that Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton and Michael Gambon didn’t appear in this reunion, as they were very important to the franchise and were among my personal favourites.

I totally recommend checking out this TV show as it really brings back the wonder of the characters and storylines which J K Rowling initially created in 1996. The actors provide interesting recollections and funny anecdotes. It is a visual treat and made me want to start watching the movies over again (for the umpteenth time).

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