Oliver Twist (1985– )

In a storm, in a workhouse, to a nameless woman, young Oliver Twist is born into parish care where he's overworked and underfed. As he grows older his adventures take him from the ... See full summary »

Stars:

Ben Rodska, Eric Porter, Lysette Anthony

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Ben Rodska	...	Oliver Twist (11 episodes, 1985)
Eric Porter	...	Fagin (10 episodes, 1985)
Lysette Anthony	...	Rose Maylie (10 episodes, 1985)
Michael Attwell	...	Bill Sikes (9 episodes, 1985)
Pip Donaghy	...	Monks (9 episodes, 1985)
Amanda Harris	...	Nancy (8 episodes, 1985)
Nicholas Bond-Owen	...	Charley Bates (8 episodes, 1985)
David Garlick	...	The Artful Dodger (7 episodes, 1985)
Godfrey James	...	Mr. Bumble (7 episodes, 1985)
David King	...	Giles (7 episodes, 1985)
Frank Middlemass	...	Mr. Brownlow (6 episodes, 1985)
Julian Firth	...	Noah Claypole (6 episodes, 1985)
Gillian Martell	...	Mrs. Maylie (6 episodes, 1985)
Christian Rodska	...	Barney (6 episodes, 1985)
Edward Burnham	...	Mr. Grimwig (5 episodes, 1985)
Carys Llewelyn	...	Charlotte (5 episodes, 1985)
Miriam Margolyes	...	Mrs. Corney (5 episodes, 1985)
Terry Molloy	...	Brittles (5 episodes, 1985)

Storyline

In a storm, in a workhouse, to a nameless woman, young Oliver Twist is born into parish care where he's overworked and underfed. As he grows older his adventures take him from the countryside to London, through harsh treatment, kindness, an undertaker, and a thieves' dens, where he makes friends and enemies. But all the time he is pursued by the mysterious Monks, who hires Fagin to turn Oliver into a thief. Oliver is rescued by chance and kind friends. But it's a puzzle of legitimacy, inheritance, and identity that Oliver's friends must attempt to unravel before Monks can destroy Oliver.

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Plot Keywords:

oliver twist | charles dickens | 1830s | tv mini series | children | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1985 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

360 min 30 min (12 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist (1980)

User Reviews

The nearest to the book that we'll ever get

The BBC really know how to 'do' Dickens.

From Dudley Simpson's haunting title music to Eric Porter's sinister Fagin, this is truest adaptation of the book that I know.

The production values are spot-on, capturing the filth and seediness of Dickens' London. Michael Attwell is the most menacing of Bill Sykes and Ben Rodska makes Oliver innocent without being too goody-goody.

If that were not enough, the length of the production (6 hours) means that, for once, the sub-plots are included and the main plots are laid out as Dickens wrote them.

If 6 hours is too long then David Lean still represents the safest bet but, for the purist, this will probably never be improved upon.