Vanity Fair (1987– )

16 half-hour episodes. In the time of Napoleon, Becky Sharp, a poor orphan girl, schemes for money and position. Her most-used stepladder is her old school friend, Amelia Sedley. Both women... See full summary »

Stars:

Eve Matheson, Rebecca Saire, Simon Dormandy

4 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Eve Matheson	...	Rebecca Sharp (16 episodes, 1987)
Rebecca Saire	...	Amelia Sedley (15 episodes, 1987)
Simon Dormandy	...	William Dobbin (12 episodes, 1987)
Jack Klaff	...	Rawdon Crawley (12 episodes, 1987)
David Swift	...	Mr. Sedley (11 episodes, 1987)
James Saxon	...	Joseph 'Jos' Sedley (10 episodes, 1987)
Gillian Raine	...	Mrs. Sedley (9 episodes, 1987)
Benedict Taylor	...	George Osborne (9 episodes, 1987)
Shaughan Seymour	...	Pitt Crawley (8 episodes, 1987)
Philippa Urquhart	...	Miss Briggs (8 episodes, 1987)
Freddie Jones	...	Sir Pitt Crawley (7 episodes, 1987)
Ray Mort	...	Raggles (7 episodes, 1987)

Storyline

16 half-hour episodes. In the time of Napoleon, Becky Sharp, a poor orphan girl, schemes for money and position. Her most-used stepladder is her old school friend, Amelia Sedley. Both women marry soldiers, and both of them are affected by the Battle of Waterloo.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 1987 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

35 min 35 min (16 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Patrick Troughton was booked to play a major role but died before filming.

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Connections

Version of Vanity Fair (1922)

User Reviews

Splendid thorough adaptation in all its sprawling beauty

Vanity Fair starring Eve Matheson as Becky is one of the few film adaptations of a classic novel that allows you to be unashamed that you did not read the novel. Matheson's seemingly heartless, relentlessly maneuvering Becky is a characterization that compels us to cherish the art of film acting. She is hands down the quintessential Becky Sharp. Thackeray's subplots are well executed here with remarkable actors such as Sian Phillips in a tour de force performance as Miss Crawley.

Class consciousness is at center stage here. Everyone seems to be aspiring for a coveted spot in a society that never promised anyone a perpetual rose garden. Some think themselves secure enough in that esteemed class to condescend to amuse others whom they secretly hope will never truly take a place beside them in the register of the "haves". It is with the utmost degree of mortification that the "secure" wake up in an unguarded instant to find themselves hastily uninvited to social events, and stashing away their best silks and laces against the inevitable rap of the creditor on the front door. Beg, borrow, and try not to steal to see this Vanity Fair!