The Charles Dickens Collection - 8 Classic BBC Adaptations (2012)

The perfect way to celebrate the author's 200th birthday, submerge yourself in classic BBC Dickens dramatisations that, like the great novelist's work, have stood the test of time.
The majesty of Charles Dickens' storytelling is captured in this DVD boxset that brings together BBC dramatisations of eight of the acclaimed author's classic novels. From the touching 1985 dramatisation of the semi-autobiographical Oliver Twist to the moving A Christmas Carol that sidesteps mawkish sentimentality and instead, offers viewers an affecting and sincere drama, each TV adaptation will delight fans of the author – and win over a generation of new ones. Starring a wealth of celebrated actors including Maggie Smith, Bob Hoskins, John Mills and many more, the Charles Dickens Collection celebrates the author's work with authentic and beautifully-played mini TV-series from a broadcaster that is world-renowned for its adaptations.

Did You Know?
• The dramatisations were produced between 1977 and 1999
• The 1999 adaptation of David Copperfield stars Daniel 'Harry Potter' Radcliffe as the young Copperfield
• The adaptations have been showered with awards; A Tale of Two Cities won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series; Our Mutual Friend scooped a host of awards and nominations at the BAFTA TV Awards in 1999 including Best Design and Best Drama Serial; and David Copperfield saw Maggie Smith awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

What's In The Box?

• 32 hours of classic drama spread across 12 DVDs

•The Pickwick Papers (1985) - Discs 1 & 2

Synopsis:
The Pickwick Papers is a twelve-part BBC adaption of The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, first broadcast in 1985. It starred Nigel Stock, Alan Parnaby, Clive Swift and Patrick Malahide, with narration spoken by Ray Brooks.

IMDB

Cast:
Nigel Stock - Mr. Pickwick
Clive Swift - Mr. Tupman
Alan Parnaby - Mr. Snodgrass
Jeremy Nicholas - Mr. Winkle
Ray Brooks - Narrator
Phil Daniels - Sam Weller
Patrick Malahide - Mr. Jingle
Milton Johns - Mr. Perker

•Oliver Twist (1985) - Discs 3 & 4

Synopsis:
In a storm, in a workhouse, to a nameless woman, young Oliver Twist is born into parish care where he's overworked and underfed. As he grows older his adventures take him from the countryside to London, through harsh treatment, kindness, an undertaker, and a thieves' dens, where he makes friends and enemies. But all the time he is pursued by the mysterious Monks, who hires Fagin to turn Oliver into a thief. Oliver is rescued by chance and kind friends. But it's a puzzle of legitimacy, inheritance, and identity that Oliver's friends must attempt to unravel before Monks can destroy Oliver.

IMDB

Cast:
Ben Rodska - Oliver Twist
Eric Porter - Fagin
Lysette Anthony - Rose Maylie
Michael Attwell - Bill Sikes
Pip Donaghy - Monks
Amanda Harris - Nancy
David Garlick - The Artful Dodger
Godfrey James - Mr. Bumble
Frank Middlemass - Mr. Brownlow
Julian Firth - Noah Claypole
Miriam Margolyes - Mrs. Corney
Dominic Jephcott - Harry Maylie

•A Christmas Carol (1977) - Disc 5

Synopsis:
It's the end of December and professional miser Ebenezer Scrooge absolutely despises this time of the year. He thinks Christmas is all humbug. He doesn't buy his nephew's talk of Christmas being a kind time, thinks it's absolute madness his servant Cratchit wants a day off and sends away collectors of donations for the poor penniless. It's also the time of the year in which his companion Jacob Marley died seven years ago. When he is all alone, he suddenly sees Marley again, in the door handle, in a tile, a bell suddenly rings. Humbug, thinks Scrooge. But then Marley really appears for him and tells him he should change his life. He warns Scrooge he will be haunted by three spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

IMDB

Cast:
Michael Hordern - Scrooge
John Le Mesurier - Marley's Ghost
Bernard Lee - Ghost of Christmas Present
Patricia Quinn - Ghost of Christmas Past
Paul Copley - Fred
Clive Merrison - Bob Cratchit
Zoë Wanamaker - Belle
Christopher Biggins - Topper

•Martin Chuzzlewit (1994) - Discs 6 & 7

Synopsis:
A well loved BBC adaptation of one of Charles Dickens lesser read novels. It revolves around some very greedy and selfish relatives who are all after the failing old Martin Chuzzlewits money. He is surrounded by all these sycophantic relatives that he truly despises whilst ill, each one only interested in getting their hands on his estate.

IMDB

Cast:
Emma Chambers - Charity Pecksniff
Julia Sawalha - Mercy Pecksniff
Keith Allen - Jonas Chuzzlewit
Philip Franks - Tom Pinch
Tom Wilkinson - Seth Pecksniff
Paul Scofield - Old Martin Chuzzlewit
Peter Wingfield - John Westlock
Ben Walden - Young Martin Chuzzlewit
Pete Postlethwaite - Tigg Montague
Maggie Steed - Mrs. Todgers
Lynda Bellingham - Mrs. Lupin
John Mills - Mr. Chuffey
Elizabeth Spriggs - Mrs. Gamp
Graham Stark - Nadgett
Joan Sims - Betsy Prig
Sam Kelly - Mr. Mould
Julian Fellowes - Dr. Jobling
David Bradley - David Crimple

•David Copperfield (1999) - Disc 8

Synopsis:
Charles Dickens' haunting semi-autobiographical tale of a boy who is sent away by his stepfather after his mother dies but manages to triumph over incredible adversities.

IMDB

Cast:
Emilia Fox - Clara Copperfield
Pauline Quirke - Peggotty
Maggie Smith - Betsey Trotwood
Daniel Radcliffe - Young David
Trevor Eve - Murdstone
Michael Elphick - Barkis
Alun Armstrong - Dan Peggotty
Patsy Byrne - Mrs. Gummidge
Zoë Wanamaker - Miss Murdstone
Ian McKellen - Creakle
Bob Hoskins - Micawber
Imelda Staunton - Mrs. Micawber
Paul Whitehouse - Pawnbroker
Ian McNeice - Mr. Dick
Nicholas Lyndhurst - Uriah Heep
Dawn French - Mrs. Crupp
Joanna Page - Dora Spenlow
Tom Wilkinson - Narrator
Colin Farrell - Milkman
Cherie Lunghi - Mrs. Steerforth
Clare Holman - Rosa Dartle
Thelma Barlow - Mrs. Heep

Extras:

Special 'Making of' feature.
30 minutes of the original score composed by Rob Lane.

•A Tale of Two Cities (1980) - Disc 9

Synopsis:
A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it ranks amongst the most famous works in the history of literary fiction. The BBC produced another eight-part mini-series in 1980 starring Paul Shelley as "Carton/Darnay", Sally Osborne as "Lucie Manette" and Nigel Stock as "Jarvis Lorry".

IMDB

Cast:
Paul Shelley - Charles Darnay / Sydney Carton
Ralph Michael - Doctor Manette
Sally Osborne - Lucie Manette
Vivien Merchant - Miss Pross
Nigel Stock - Jarvis Lorry
Judy Parfitt - Madame Defarge
Stephen Yardley - Defarge

•Great Expectations (1999) - Disc 10

Synopsis:
Young Pip is expected to become a blacksmith, but, hating the soot and smoke, he secretly dreams of becoming a gentleman. When he meets the mysterious Miss Havisham and her haughty niece Estella, Pip is confident that his dream is to come true.

IMDB

Cast:
Ioan Gruffudd - Pip
Justine Waddell - Estella
Charlotte Rampling - Miss Havisham
Selina Cadell - Sarah Pocket
Emma Cunniffe - Biddy
Bernard Hill - Abel Magwitch
Terence Rigby - Pumblechook
Clive Russell - Joe Gargery
Lesley Sharp - Mrs Joe
Donald Sumpter - Compeyson

•Our Mutual Friend (1998) - Discs 11 & 12

Synopsis:
The tongues of London high society gossips begin to wag when John Harmon –a young man whose inheritance depended on his marrying a woman he had never met– is found dead in the River Thames. The fortune passes into the hands of the working-class Boffins, who take into their new home both Bella Wilfer (Harmon's would-be bride), and a mysterious secretary known as Rokesmith. Meanwhile, Lizzie Hexam, the daughter of the boatman suspected of Harmon's murder, is pursued by two suitors: obsessive and self-righteous Bradley Headstone and roguish and lethargic Eugene Wrayburn. An expansive and varied cast of characters create an epic intertwining tale.

IMDB

Cast:
Paul McGann - Eugene Wrayburn
David Bradley - Rogue Riderhood
Anna Friel - Bella Wilfer
Peter Vaughan - Mr. Boffin
Pam Ferris - Mrs. Boffin
Steven Mackintosh - John Rokesmith
Keeley Hawes - Lizzie Hexam
Anthony Calf - Alfred Lammle
Doon Mackichan - Sophronia Lammle
Margaret Tyzack - Lady Tippins
Kenneth Cranham - Silas Wegg
Timothy Spall - Mr. Venus
David Morrissey - Bradley Headstone

Extras:

Dickens: The Final Chapter - a documentary about the novel.
30 minutes of the original score composed by Adrian Johnston.