Fans of the BBC's beloved 1995 period drama Pride and Prejudice searching for similar shows are in for a treat, as another BBC production is being lauded as 'better than Pride and Prejudice'. Streaming free on BBC iPlayer, the critically acclaimed period drama Bleak House is based on Charles Dickens' serialised novel, originally published in instalments between 1852 and 1853.
A Masterpiece by Andrew Davies
The impressive 15-episode BBC series has been penned by Andrew Davies, with Justin Chadwick and Susanna White at the helm as directors, and features a stellar ensemble cast brimming with Britain's finest acting talent. Bleak House aired on BBC One from October 27 to December 16, 2005, earning widespread critical praise and audience adoration.
The BBC's version spans approximately eight hours and successfully encompasses the majority of storylines and characters from Dickens' original work. With a cast including Gillian Anderson, Anna Maxwell Martin, Timothy West, Charles Dance, Carey Mulligan, Patrick Kennedy, Denis Lawson, Lisa Hammond, Sheila Hancock and Di Botcher, among others, the period drama has been described as an 'extraordinary triumph of the decade' by audiences, receiving tremendous acclaim from both critics and viewers.
Plot and Reception
The official synopsis reads: 'Secrets abound in this 2005 television adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel. Fortunes hang in the balance, awaiting the outcome of a legal case in the Court of Chancery in Victorian London. Meanwhile, the trials and tribulations of those awaiting the case's outcome weave through Dickens' indictment of the chancery system.'
One critic drew comparisons with Pride and Prejudice, ultimately crowning Bleak House the winner: 'In devising this tantalising adaptation, screenwriter Andrew Davies equals, even surpasses, his masterly version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.' Another reviewer said: 'How could it not be splendid television? I have said before that Dickens and television were made for each other.'
Viewer Praise
A glowing IMDB user review says: 'Extraordinary. Sheer brilliance at work here as Dickens' multi-stranded plot is woven into a magical TV production. Bleak House works on every single level, and certainly left this viewer alternately gripped or moved. Casting is absolute perfection, right down to the minor characters. So one of the BBC triumphs of the decade, and unmissable in every respect!'
Another impressed viewer shared: 'Great expectations entirely justified. There is so much to treasure here - not least from the seemingly unending parade of well-known (to British audiences, at least) faces on parade. In short, the finest TV adaptation of a Dickens novel ever made and another triumph for Andrew Davies and the BBC.'
One fan heaped praise on the 'extraordinary' production: 'When I saw Andrew Davies was the screenwriter, I knew it would be good; after all, he did write the script for Pride & Prejudice, my favorite movie and perhaps the BBC's most well-known production. I really can't say more than the summary title: extraordinary!'
Meanwhile, one user review said: 'Wonderful adaptation of a masterwork. I've been an avid reader of Dickens since I was about 12 and Bleak House is one of my favourite works by this superb novelist. Therefore, I had some reservations about this series, especially because it's really difficult to put such a major work to screen. I need not have feared: everything here is just about perfect. If only television could offer us more of such superb and intelligent entertainment! I think I should immerse myself in the book now and then re-watch this high caliber period drama - it's one of the best.'
Another fan of the show added: 'Best film I've ever seen. This mini series is so exquisitely produced and filmed, that it would be impossible to name just one of the actors or actresses that makes Bleak House nothing less than brilliant. I watched the whole series in two days and it is indeed the best film I've ever watched in my life. The film scenes, the clothes, the acting: all flawless. Some times I cried, some times I felt chills crawling up my back, and sometimes I laughed. No movie has ever touched my heart such as this one. I think Charles Dickens himself would have been pleased with this film.'
Bleak House can be streamed free of charge on BBC iPlayer.
