Cor, that was great! Only seen the first episode so far, and I should declare an interest, as the producer (Sarah Brown) is the exec with whom I've been developing my Teen Drama thing, but I was very impressed: Sarah Phelps' script was pleasingly shorn of yer usual (admitedly authentic) Dickensian whimsey/sentimentality, whilst subtler things like the lighting and soundtrack, two elements that the BBC either do really well (some episodes of Doctor Who) or get horrribly wrong (most other episodes of Doctor Who) were spot on.
And it's lovely seeing Julian Rhind-Tutt being evil. I always knew he had it in him.
Weird, I'm in Iceland with the in-laws and we're watching Oliver Twist on the TV right now... except I think it's the Roman Polanski film version.
ReplyDeleteSpooky.
I like evil Julian, I wonder how much he enjoyed putting his fingers up Mr Bumble's nose!
ReplyDeleteI've only seen one episode because I don't like book adaptations/period dramas. But I agree that this was better than most. It felt rather like Eastenders in costume (and was written by an Eastenders writer)and the contemporary dialogue often made me laugh. My favourite was "Don't think much of yours, mate."
ReplyDeleteI actually found old Bacon Rhind more appealing than he was in Green Wing. I could almost see why so many women fancy him. Not quite, but almost.
It takes some doing to create a character even more evil than Bill Sikes.
ReplyDeleteI now demand Series 3 of GW be written where Mac turns into serial killer.
You can call him Bacon Rhind!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOr even 'can't'. Damn my fingers for typing too fast.
ReplyDeleteI thought the Oakum Boy in episode one was the most talented of the child actors. I felt his pain as he was dragged away by Rab C Nesbit.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Timothy Spall, but I can't see him as Fagin myself. And every Dickens adap I see from now on will be in the context of Bleak House, which is a tall order.
ReplyDeleteStill, I'll take a look at it over the next few days.
I thought this version of Oliver Twist was terrible. It absolutely stinks! The dialogue was totally different from the book, using some modern expressions like 'Up Yours' that were not used in Victorian times and the Artful Dodger calling Oliver 'Nollie'. A made-up town called 'Mudfog' that was never in the book. This was a total diversion away from what Dickens wrote. The background music was horrible - almost like modern rock with guitars and drums - not appropriate. This was a new low for the BBC - a terrible production - absolute rubbish. The 1985 series with Eric Porter as Fagin is far superior being true to the book.
ReplyDeleteoh julian rhind-tutt as Monks was absolutely lovely.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this adaptation. OOfffff, monks..