We started watching this last night, as folk who have both read the books (well, most of them, at least) and enjoyed the Jim Carrey movie (despite its not-insignificant flaws).
Two episodes in (out of the eight episode series) and we are hooked. It's everything I'd expect from the originals and more, with Neil Patrick Harris as the horrid Count Olaf, Patrick Warburton as Greek Chorus Lemony Snicket, and a faboo supporting cast that includes the trio playing the Baudelaire children. It's deeply depressing, on the face of it, but so stylish and over the top and clever that it you can almost forgive a story with a perpetual unhappy ending.
There are some variations from the books (more as back plot), and I'm curious to see how those progress. There are also some strong (thanks to Barry Sonnenfeld) hints of The Addams Family in how some of the material is presented. But it's all been triffic fun so far, if such a gloomy tale of doom and woe can be called fun.
Look away, look away.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. NPH only gets better as you go. And the twist at the end.