The series will air on BBC One in 2014, although the number and length of the episodes is yet to be decided.

J.K. Rowling commented: “I’m thrilled that the BBC has commissioned The Casual Vacancy. I always felt that, if it were to be adapted, this novel was best suited to television and I think the BBC is the perfect home.”

Danny Cohen, Controller of BBC One, said: “It is thrilling to be bringing the work of J.K. Rowling to BBC One audiences. J.K. Rowling’s story-telling is of course peerless in its popularity, and I am looking forward to collaborating with her. This project highlights the ambition and scale of BBC One Drama, as well as the ability of modern television to attract the world’s biggest talent and most exciting creative ideas.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller of BBC Drama, added: “We are thrilled to bring J.K. Rowling’s extraordinary tapestry of modern Britain to the screen. It’s a book of such richness that through humour, social commentary and above all fantastic characters, says something insightful and entertaining about the country we live in.”

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