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Charles Dickens' classic novel, which has been brought to the screen at least six times in the past (including a modernized adaptation released in 1998), is committed to film once again in this production for television by the BBC. Pip is an orphan who lives with his older sister and her husband Joe, a blacksmith. Pip is occasionally sent to visit Miss Havisham (Charlotte Rampling), an eccentric old crone who lives in a huge but filthy mansion and is always dressed in a decrepit bridal trousseau. Miss Havisham has a ward, a lovely young woman named Estella, with whom Pip is immediately smitten. However, Pip is convinced a boy of poor circumstances could never win her heart, which fills him with a desire to better himself. While economics would dictate a fate as Joe's assistant, one day Pip receives a message from a lawyer named Jaggers -- an anonymous benefactor has made it possible for Pip to leave the blacksmith's shop and pursue a gentleman's education in London. Pip (played as an adult by Ioan Gruffudd) soon moves to the city, where he hopes to gain knowledge, wealth and the affections of Estella (Justine Waddell). This version of Great Expectations made its American premier on the PBS cultural series Masterpiece Theatre, where it was shown as a three-part miniseries. Mark Deming
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A trio of orphans becomes embroiled in a mysterious and long-running lawsuit in this sprawling BBC adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel. A legend in the legal circles of Victorian London, the messy inheritance case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has been trickling through the courts for years with no end in sight. Nobleman John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) has seen the case destroy more than one life, so when he becomes guardian to three young people -- beautiful Ada Clare (Carey Mulligan), Ada's cousin Richard Carstone (Patrick Kennedy), and her devoted companion, Esther Summerson (Anna Maxwell Martin) -- he vows to shield them from its pernicious effects by bringing them to the safety of his estate, the eponymous Bleak House. Richard, however, becomes obsessed with the unattainable Jarndyce inheritance, to the detriment of his career and mental health. Esther, meanwhile, remains haunted by her origins; the product of a scandalous pregnancy, she was raised by her aunt and knows nothing about her dead mother's identity. Meanwhile, imperious noblewoman Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson) plots to hide the evidence of her own mysterious past -- a quest that leads her to the intrigue surrounding Jarndyce and Jarndyce. She is but one of dozens of characters who find themselves drawn into the lawsuit's web of corruption, blackmail, and murder. Bleak House debuted October 27, 2005, on BBC One. It received its U.S. premiere on January 22, 2006, on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, where the 15 British episodes were combined into six longer blocks. Britain's Royal Television Society named the series Best Drama Serial of 2005. A previous adaptation of Dickens' novel ran on Masterpiece Theatre in 1985. Brian J. Dillard
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As directed by Coky Giedroyc and originally screened on the BBC, this epic adaptation of Charles Dickens' second novel, the classic 1838 tome Oliver Twist, checks in at just under three hours. In the principal roles, it stars William Miller as Oliver, Timothy Spall (Intimacy) as Fagin, Adam Arnold as The Artful Dodger, Rob Brydon as Mr. Fang, Tom Hardy as Bill Sykes and Ruby Bentall as Charlotte. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
Screenwriter Andrew Davies' adapts Charles Dickens' tale of struggle and hardship in 1820s London. Returning to England after many years abroad, Arthur Clennam (Matthew Macfadyen) sees a sparkle in the eye of diminutive young seamstress Amy Dorrit (Claire Foy). But "Little Dorrit" works for his mother, and in digging for the truth about the mysterious girl he winds up at Marshalsea Debtors Prison. There, he discovers that the specter of debt follows the object of his affections like an oppressive shadow. Jason Buchanan
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A young girl and her doting grandfather flee from a vicious debt collector and a mysterious stranger in this made-for-BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale. Deep in the heart of London, Little Nell Trent (Sophie Vavasseur) lives with her grandfather (Sir Derek Jacobi) in his Old Curiosity Shop. There, dust-coated treasures cover the walls, and line the shelves. But Little Nell's grandfather is a compulsive gambler, and eventually his debts become so large that the malevolent Quilp (Toby Jones) seizes the shop. Desperate, Little Nell and her grandfather flee the city. But no matter how far they run, it seems like Quilp and the mysterious stranger are always hot on their heels. Jason Buchanan
From the Studio
Step into Dickens' lively world in these BBC adaptations with Nell and her grandfather in The Old Curiosity Shop; Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson) in Bleak House; Arthur Clennam (Matthew Macfadyen) in Little Dorrit; Fagin (Timothy Spall) in Oliver Twist; and Pip (Ioan Gruffudd) and Miss Haversham (Charlotte Rampling) in Great Expectations. A must-have for your collection, plus "making-of" extra feature.
From the Studio
Acclaimed screenwriter Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Bleak House) crafts an all new Dickens adaptation starring Tom Courtenay, Matthew Macfadyen, and newcomer Claire Foy. This gripping new series brings to life Dickens's powerful story of struggle and hardship in 1820s London. When Arthur Clennam (Macfadyen) returns to England after many years abroad, his curiosity is piqued by the presence in his mother's house of a young seamstress, Amy Dorrit (Foy). His quest to discover the truth about "Little Dorrit" takes him to the Marshalsea Debtors Prison, where he discovers that the dark shadows of debt stretch far and wide in a web of desperation and deceit. Filled with humorous yet tragic characters, Little Dorrit is a stirring rags to riches story, exposing the underbelly of nineteenth century British society as only Charles Dickens can.
From the Studio
This gripping and emotionally powerful adaptation from one of British television's most exciting new screenplay writers (Sarah Phelps) breathes new life into the popular Dickens story. On a dark and stormy winter's night in a miserable, dank room, lit only by a few candles, Oliver (William Miller) is born into a life of poverty and misfortune. Growing up in a workhouse, watching the suffering and cruelty endured by the boys at the hands of his masters, Oliver decides he wants more and sets out for London. There he meets the Artful Dodger (Adam Arnold), Nancy (Sophie Okonedo), Fagin (Timothy Spall) and the boys and gets the first warm welcome of his life -- unaware that this kindness requires its own type of payment to be collected by the evil Bill Sykes (Tom Hardy). A chance meeting with Mr. Brownlow (Edward Fox) and Rose (Morven Christie) sees Oliver's fortunes change. But there are those unknown to Oliver determined to ruin and destroy his life! Oliver Twist originally aired in 2007 on BBC1 in the U.K., and came to the U.S. through PBS's Masterpiece Classic series.
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