BLEAK HOUSE 2005

UK | BBC1-WGBH Co-Production in association with Deep Indigo

RUNNING TIME: 30 minutes (and 1 at 60 minutes) | NUMBER OF EPISODES: 15 | AIRDATES:  27 October – 16 December 2005

WRITER: Andrew Davies | NOVEL: Charles Dickens | EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Laura Mackie, Sally Haynes, Rebecca Eaton | PRODUCER: Nigel Stafford-Clark | DIRECTOR: Justin Chadwick

Bleak House, an adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel and set in Victorian times, centres on two grown-up orphans who are the subject of a contested will and are staying with their ward’s guardian at his home – the Bleak House of the title – whilst the matter is settled. Other characters come into play including greedy lawyers and society

beauties with long hidden secrets and the story is told in a soap-opera like form in twice-weekly half-hour instalments.

When repackaged for overseas broadcasters (for example the ABC in Australia) the show was reformatted to 8×50 minute episodes. Stephen Pile of the Daily Telegraph commented that “This gorgeous and exhilarating new series was like watching Dickens filmed by the director of Spooks, with the latest nervy, pacy, zooming camerawork

fashionably on show – this was an impressive and beautiful translation of a Victorian soap opera into contemporary television terms”.

Stunning to look at and riveting to watch Bleak House succeeds on so many levels, a beautiful costume drama of the kind that the BBC does best and a thrilling drama with a story to equal any modern day fast paced thriller.

The serial won the following BAFTA awards: Best Actress – Anna Maxwell Martin • Best Drama Serial • Best Costume Design • Best Set Design • Best Editing

cast

GILLIAN ANDERSON as Lady Dedlock

CHARLES DANCE as Mr Tulkington

DENIS LAWSON as John Jarndyce

ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN as Esther Summerson

PATRICK KENNEDY as Richard Carstone

CAREY MULLIGAN as Ada Clare

TOM GEORGESON as Clamb

TIMOTHY WEST as Sir Leicester Dedlock

BURN GORMAN as Guppy

HUGO SPEER as Sergeant George

PAULINE COLLINS as Miss Flite

PHILIP DAVIS as Smallweed (“Shake me up Judy”)

LOO BREALEY as Judy

NATHANIEL PARKER as Harold Skimpole

ALUN ARMSTRONG as Bucket

JOHNNY VEGAS as Krook

ANNE REID as Mrs Rouncewell

LATIE ANGELOU as Charley Neckett

LILO BAUR as Hortense

SEAN McGINLEY as Snagsby

WARREN CLARKE as Boythorn

MATTHEW KELLY as Old Mr Turveydrop

BRYAN DICK as Prince Turveydrop

DERMOT CROWLEY as Mr Vholes

ALISTAIR McGOWAN as Mr Kenge

CHARLIE BROOKS as Jenny

IAN RICHARDSON as Chancellor

MICHAEL SMILEY as Phil Squod

EMMA WILLIAMS as Rosa

HARRY EDEN as Jo

TONY HAYGARTH as Gridley

PETER GUINESS as Coroner

RICHARD GRIFFITHS as Mr Bayham Badger

JOANNA DAVID as Mrs Badger

TIM DANTAY as Mr Rouncewell

SHEILA HANCOCK as Mrs Guppy