With the nostalgia-induced worldwide attractions and Ultimate DVD Collections settling in, one thing has become very clear for fans of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter franchise- the series as we know it is over. Far from letting it all end on a downer, though, we should look ahead to what the Potter lore can do for us in the future, just as Peter Jackson is bringing us new LOTR goodness every Christmas for the next three years! Our suggestion? The next obvious route for the Potter franchise to go down would undoubtedly be that of the television industry- throughout the course of the seven novels and eight films, there were plenty of untapped storylines that could very well thrive and flourish on the small screen with the faith of a strong studio. Indeed, it's hard to think that the cash wouldn't be there for the taking, especially given the confidence ABC have had in commissioning a pilot for the similarly blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe recently. Here, then, are a host of magical suggestions for the paths telly writers could take in their creation of a Potter TV spin-off- heck knows, this industry has carried off stranger and more shocking things before...ten seasons of a man learning to fly, anyone?
8. Weasley's Real Deal
For all its strengths (well, for its strengths- the teen angst drama tested the boundaries of this writer's patience), The Half-Blood Prince made one fatal flaw in its execution both on the page and the big screen: where did Weasley's Wizard Wheezes go? Sure, we headed back to Hogwarts for another year, but what I want to know is whatever became of Fred and George's neat shop on Diagon Alley after Harry and company left the establishment for darker and raunchier adventures aplenty. Indeed, James and Oliver Phelps don't seem to have got up to much since the Potter film adaptations reached their climax, so the opportunity for them to return for further magical romps would certainly be welcome. Their own TV spin-off needn't be confirmed to their first business affair, either: why not take things roadside and do what Dickinson has done to the booming world of magical gizmos? The Weasley twins always appeared to have strong financial minds for wizarding affairs in the novels and movies, so that sense of propriety could easily carry through here. How would this last past one season, I hear you ask? We could see flashbacks to the days before Fred's pesky demise in the premiere run, then perhaps move to present day 2013 for the second set of episodes, to an altogether different time where George is forced to handle business matters alone, with alternating cameos from Potter B-Listers like Luna and Dean Thomas alongside a realistic arc dealing with the economic depression. Because hey, no-one ever said modern telly
had to be uplifting...