Another Great Expectations. Why?

SueDoku

If you want to really immerse yourself in an absolutely wonderful Dickens adaptation, may I recommend the BBC's 'Our Mutual Friend'? I'd never read the book, but was completely captured by this - and it's now my favourite Dickens novel.
It's also a throwback to the days when the BBC could actually give time to adaptations, so that the whole story is here - acted quite wonderfully by a stellar cast 🙂
Our Mutual Friend [DVD] amzn.eu/d/ixyqevv

Yes, I saw this not long ago. It's part of my Charles Dickens collection which has 8 stories. I think I'll watch another one!
Charles Dickens Collection on Amazon

I remember an excellent adaptation of Great Expectations shown back in the late 70s with Juliet Stevenson and Gerry Sundquist (who sadly committed suicide some years later).

There was a wonderful version of Our Mutual Friend back in the 70s or 80s I think. Jane Seymour was in it and Leo Mckern, John McEnery, Lesley Dunlop and Nicholas Jones.

Well, I was on the iPlayer tonight and decided to take a look. I hadn't planned to watch as I knew exactly what it would be like and I was spot on. We had OC hamming it up as Miss Havisham in a ridiculous outfit that no-one would ever have worn. As usual, dark filters on the cameras and everything drowning in CGI. They had ramped up the fantasy element so much it bore no resemblance to real life or real people. The BBC has really lost the plot when it comes to period drama. And they used to do it so well in the 1990s when it was actually believable.

OH and I were talking about this very recently, bewailing the lack of classic dramas that used to be regularly shown, and repeating the same old, same old.
We are watching nevertheless, but yearn for some more dramatisations of classical literature - maybe more Hardy or some of the lesser-known Dickens.
Heartily sick of being offered endless game or reality shows, short health programmes which patronise and offer no insights, just very superficial stuff.
Personally I'd like more in-depth programmes about archaeology, history, health/the human body - just a few suggestions.

BBC 4 often has very interesting programmes. Worth a look on the
i-player.

Rowantree I agree that they should plunder some more works of literature both classic and contemporary.

The BBC have become risk averse in my opinion, with one eye on “the global market” whatever that is ..and the other catering to “younger audiences” who apparently have a short attention span when in comes to in depth content.

Frankly I think they should cease using this as an excuse because I pay my license fee in the hope that at least some of their entertainment and some of their educational output will appeal to me; and on the whole it does. There are enough channels to cater for all demographics but they could and should do much better by cutting back on these self praising,back slapping, aren’t we just brilliant interludes cum commercials for their stuff.
In depth would be one of the BBCs’ best selling points along with no adverts.

Dickensian WAS magnificent: superb casting, authentic costumes and interiors, skilful melding of several texts to delight any Dickens fan. Why on earth was a second series not commissioned? The Peaky Blinder writers’ version of GE a disappointment from start to finish.

I have recently ordered my favourite version which is the 6 part mini-series from 1989 starring Anthony Hopkins and Jean Simmons. This was widely acclaimed as being the best version ever made, and the closest to the book. It's over 5 hours long which allows for greater exploration of the characters, and how can you go wrong with Anthony Hopkins as Magwich and the wonderful Jean Simmons as Miss Haversham (see picture). She plays her as bitter but vulnerable, and with kindness at the core. This was a lovely touch as she was Estella in the 1946 version.

This has never been released on DVD except in German, but if you change the language back to English then hey presto! It's 5 hours of pure relaxation, no dark fantasies and CGI, just real people with real emotions.
Great Expectations 1989 in German

I don't know if it's just me but I'm literally finding this painful to watch. If you didn't watch it tonight's episode showed us endless lessons in being a gentleman (which I don't remember in the book), long conversations in very 21st century language, and much discussion of slavery, the ivory trade and drugs. It seemed to last for ever and was so BORING! For light relief we had Mrs Gargery calling Joe up to the bedroom for a good whipping, Pip being shut in a room with a local prostitute and Estella and Miss Havisham smoking opium. And everyone is STILL calling Pip Pip Gargery when his surname is Pirrip.

Rowantree

OH and I were talking about this very recently, bewailing the lack of classic dramas that used to be regularly shown, and repeating the same old, same old.
We are watching nevertheless, but yearn for some more dramatisations of classical literature - maybe more Hardy or some of the lesser-known Dickens.
Heartily sick of being offered endless game or reality shows, short health programmes which patronise and offer no insights, just very superficial stuff.
Personally I'd like more in-depth programmes about archaeology, history, health/the human body - just a few suggestions.

BBC4 has better offerings.
Ive missed most of Bettany Hughes latest series (recorded it) but we saw the episode on Oman and it was fascinating.

Mrs Gargery wasn't whipping her husband. It was Mr Pumblechook in exchange for cash.
In the book they disappear together and this new production reads between the lines.

Sorry I missed Mr Pumblechook in the dim lighting.

Deedaa

Sorry I missed Mr Pumblechook in the dim lighting.

That made me laugh!
😂

I switched off tonight’s episode after quite a short time. I don’t think I’ll bother with the rest.

This series needs another title as the storyline is only loosely based upon the original Dickens. I can't be bothered watching any more.

I watched the first episode, and was disappointed. It bore only a passing resemblance to the book. I didn't watch tonight's episode, and I won't bother with the rest.

It's Stephen Knight's interpretation of the Dickens novel, what he thinks Dickens might have been thinking but couldnt write.

But how does he know what Dickens was thinking?

It's a load of old balderdash. And boring too.

It's a load of old balderdash. And boring too.

👏👏👏👏

This production seems to have no redeeming features whatsoever and bears no resemblance to reality. Ghastly dark fantasy and the overuse of CGI makes everything look fake. And what are they even wearing? Clothes that no-one wore ever, which look like they raided the dressing up box.

I’ve only seen the trailers. It was hyped up on one of morning news programmes, and I was not impressed by what I saw, it looked so far removed from the novel, so didn’t bother watching it.
As an aside what is CGI an abbreviation for?

CGI is computer generated images, which is all the crappy dark fake scenery you see everywhere which looks so unreal.

I know from Tale of Two Cities that Dickens was interested in France and the French language, but I don't remember any of that learning French stuff in Great Expectations?

It's used all the time now especially by Hollywood, and I can't stand it. It's obviously easy and cheap to use instead of filming in actual places using proper scenery and real people.

Joseanne

I know from Tale of Two Cities that Dickens was interested in France and the French language, but I don't remember any of that learning French stuff in Great Expectations?

It's so long since I read it but no, I don't remember either.

Why has Estella got a London accent - she was supposed to be 'upper-class'?