Every HBO Miniseries Ranked Worst To Best

34. Empire Falls (2005)

The New Pope
HBO

Based on Richard Russo's acclaimed novel of the same name, Empire Falls comes complete with a intriguing set-up and impressive cast, including Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Newman, but struggles to find its footing.

It's a shame, too, because the story has all the hooks needed for an epic and compelling multi-narrative drama, but it's well-claimed that good books don't make good adaptations. Despite a striking lead performance from Harris and some brief stabs at themes such as memory and family, Empire Falls falls frustratingly short of the mark, and really deserved better.

Contributor

Aidan Whatman hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.