Summary
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, Rovi
Additional Information
Subjects |
Dickens, Charles,
-- 1812-1870
-- Television adaptations.
Orphans -- England -- Drama. Actions and defenses -- England -- Drama. Procedure (Law) -- England -- Drama. Murder -- Investigation -- England -- Drama. Television programs. Fiction television programs. Television series. Television mini-series. Television adaptations. Television melodramas. Thrillers (Television programs) Video recordings for the hearing impaired. |
Publisher | [London?] : [New York?] : Burbank, CA :BBC Video ;2009 Distributed by BBC Worldwide Americas ; Distributed by Warner Home Video, |
Edition | Special ed., widescreen. |
Other Titles | Bleak House. |
Contributors |
Dickens, Charles,
1812-1870. Davies, Andrew, 1936- Stafford-Clark, Nigel. Chadwick, Justin. White, Susanna. Anderson, Gillian, 1968- Armstrong, Alun. Brooks, Charlie, 1981- Clarke, Warren, 1947-2014. Collins, Pauline, 1940- Dance, Charles. Davis, Philip, 1953- Gorman, Burn, 1974- Harrington, Richard, 1975- Kelly, Matthew, 1950- Kennedy, Patrick, 1977- Lawson, Denis. Lynch, John, 1961- Maxwell Martin, Anna, 1977- McGowan, Alistair, 1964- Mulligan, Carey, 1985- Parker, Nathaniel, 1962- Press, Natalie. Reid, Anne. Richardson, Ian, 1934-2007. Speer, Hugo. Tarbuck, Liza, 1964- Vegas, Johnny, $$d 1971- West, Timothy. Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. Bleak House. British Broadcasting Corporation. WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.) Deep Indigo Productions. BBC Video (Firm) BBC Worldwide Americas, Inc. Warner Home Video (Firm) |
Participants/Performers |
Gillian Anderson, Alun Armstrong, Charlie Brooks, Warren Clarke, Pauline Collins, Charles Dance, Phil Davis, Burn Gorman, Richard Harrington, Matthew Kelly, Patrick Kennedy, Denis Lawson, John Lynch, Anna Maxwell Martin, Alistair McGowan, Carey Mulligan, Nathaniel Parker, Natalie Press, Anne Reid, Ian Richardson, Hugo Speer, Liza Tarbuck, Johnny Vegas, Timothy West. |
Language |
English With optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired (SDH). |
Notes |
Title from container. Originally broadcast on BBC television in 2005. Based on the novel by Charles Dickens. Special features include: interviews with Gillian Anderson, Denis Lawson and Charles Dance; commentaries with Andrew Davies, Nigel Stafford-Clark, Justin Chadwick and Susanna White; photo gallery. |
System Details |
DVD9; NTSC; region 1; widescreen (16:9) presentation; Dolby Digital stereo. |
Description |
3 videodiscs (465 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. |
ISBN | 1419880861 9781419880865 |
Other | Classic View |