A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW: A Room of One's Own, A Heart Full of Others (Ep. 52)

In episode 52, we welcome back Ben Vanstone (ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL), showrunner, executive producer, and writer for the much-anticipated drama series, A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW (Paramount+ SHOWTIME). The 8-part series is based on author Amor Towles’s internationally bestselling novel of the same name (one of the podcast's recommended 2023 Summer Reads.) The story centers on the life of Count Alexandre Rostov, played by Ewan McGregor, who, in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, finds that his gilded past has placed him on the wrong side of history. Spared immediate execution, Count Rostov is banished by a Soviet tribunal to an attic room in the opulent Hotel Metropol and threatened with death — that is he will be shot – if he ever sets foot outside again. As the years pass and some of the tumultuous decades in Russian history fold outside the hotel’s doors, Rostov’s reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. As he builds a new life within the walls of the hotel, he discovers the true value of friendship, family, and love. Download the transcript for Epsiode 52 from this link. PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. 0:08 - A Gentleman in Moscow series synopsis and intro to Ben Vanstone 3:30 - Adapting a best selling novel for TV, creative choices and maintaining the novel's spirit 9:01 - Expanding character relationships while honoring the novel 14:10 - Diverse casting, recreating Hotel Metropol without going to Russia, creative collaborations with the production crews 20:58 - Kadinsky and Russian expressionism as inspiration for show titles 23:02 - Relationship and humanity in the face of adversity and change STAY ENGAGED with HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH THE BOSTON SISTERS SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform LISTEN to past past podcasts and bonus episodes SIGN UP for our mailing list SUPPORT this podcast on Spotify or SHOP THE PODCAST on our affiliate bookstore. Thank you for listening!