Oliver Twist (2007 TV miniseries)

Oliver Twist
Genre	Drama
Directed by	Coky Giedroyc
Produced by	Sarah Brown
Written by	Sarah Phelps
Based on	Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Starring	William Miller Adam Arnold Tom Hardy Timothy Spall Julian Rhind Tutt
Music by	Martin Phipps
Cinematography	Matt Gray
Country	UK
Language	English
Original channel	BBC1
Release date	2007
Running time	180 minutes
No. of episodes	5 (2 in the U.S.)

Oliver Twist is a 2007 British television adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, written by Sarah Phelps and directed by Coky Giedroyc. It consists of five episodes, broadcast on BBC One from 18 to 22 December 2007. It aired on PBS' Masterpiece Classic in the United States on 15 and 22 February 2009, in two ninety-minute installments.^[1][2] In Australia, ABC1 also opted to air this series as a two-part special each Sunday at 8:30 pm from 20 December 2009.^[3]

Differences

The adaptation makes several major alterations to the plot of the source material, which include both alterations of events as well as familial relationships.

Rose Maylie is living with Mr Brownlow, and she addresses him as "uncle", but explains that he is in fact her guardian who took her and her sister, Agnes, in when her mother died. Her sister has been missing for many years, and the search for her has been ongoing. Mr Brownlow is now a part of the overall family tree, since Edward Monks is made his grandchild. As in the book, Monks becomes aware that Oliver is his half-brother, born to the missing Agnes who had a relationship with his father, and seeks to end his life so that there is no competition to his inheritance. As a result, Oliver is ultimately revealed to be Mr Brownlow's grandchild, in addition to being Rose's nephew and Monks' half-brother, as in the novel.

Nancy is even more of a mother figure to Oliver than in the original novel, the famous musical version or especially, the David Lean film version, in which she does not even express any concern at all for him until after she and Sykes bring him back to Fagin's. In the 2007 version, she is seen constantly looking after him and tending to his needs (she even kisses him tenderly at one point, stopping just short of telling the boy that she loves him).

After being shot in the house which Sykes attempts to rob, Oliver is taken back to Fagin's lair to recover, rather than being nursed back to health in the countryside by the Maylie family, as in the novel. It is Nancy's informing Rose, and a highly sceptical Mr Brownlow, of Oliver's whereabouts that results in her demise at the hands of Sykes. Her ghost continues to haunt him when he returns to London with Oliver, resulting in him choosing to hang himself in the sewers as a means of escaping the London crowds who chase him.

Meanwhile, Monks' murderous motive is discovered by Mr Brownlow and Rose; he is disowned and sent to the West Indies, and Oliver, escaping the clutches of the crazed Sykes, returns to the Brownlow household, and is welcomed. It is the Artful Dodger, rather than Oliver, who visits the condemned Fagin in prison, and goes to his public execution. Sykes's dog finds Dodger and the two disappear into the crowds together. Fagin has genuine concern for Oliver in this version.

Cast

• William Miller as Oliver Twist
• Julian Rhind-Tutt as Monks
• Edward Fox as Mr Brownlow
• Adam Arnold as The Artful Dodger
• Tom Hardy as Bill Sikes
• Sophie Okonedo as Nancy
• Morven Christie as Rose Maylie
• Timothy Spall as Fagin
• Gregor Fisher as Mr Bumble
• Sarah Lancashire as Mrs Corney
• Anna Massey as Mrs Bedwin
• Nicola Walker as Sally
• Rob Brydon as Mr Fang
• John Sessions as Mr Sowerberry
• Michelle Gomez as Mrs Sowerberry
• Connor Catchpole as Pearly

Episodes

No	Title	Length	Writer	Director	Airdate
1	"Episode 1"	60 minutes	Sarah Phelps	Coky Giedroyc	18 December 2007
2	"Episode 2"	30 minutes			19 December 2007
3	"Episode 3"				20 December 2007
4	"Episode 4"				21 December 2007
5	"Episode 5"				22 December 2007

Ratings

Episode	Viewers (millions)
1	7.82
2	5.67
3	6.10
4	6.34
5	8.17

Notes

1. ^ All-star cast announced for BBC adaptation of Oliver Twist, BBC (25 July 2007)
2. ^ Hemley, Matthew Drop the Dead Donkey duo creates new BBC1 comedy, The Stage (11 July 2007)
3. ^ "ABC1 Programming Airdate: Oliver Twist (episode one)". ABC Television Publicity. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/200912/programs/ZY9821A001D2009-12-20T203000.htm. Retrieved 02-10-2010. 

External links

• Official website
• Oliver Twist at the Internet Movie Database