"Bleak House" (2005) TV mini-series 2005-

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 October 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A suspenseful tale about the injustices of the 19th-century English legal system

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Court Battle | Marriage Proposal | Murder | Estate

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 18 wins & 30 nominations

Cast

Anna Maxwell Martin	...	Esther Summerson (15 episodes, 2005)
Denis Lawson	...	John Jarndyce (15 episodes, 2005)
Carey Mulligan	...	Ada Clare / ... (15 episodes, 2005)
Gillian Anderson	...	Lady Dedlock / ... (14 episodes, 2005)
Tom Georgeson	...	Clamb (14 episodes, 2005)
Charles Dance	...	Mr. Tulkinghorn (12 episodes, 2005)
Patrick Kennedy	...	Richard Carstone (12 episodes, 2005)
Timothy West	...	Sir Leicester Dedlock (12 episodes, 2005)
Burn Gorman	...	Guppy (11 episodes, 2005)
Hugo Speer	...	Sergeant George (10 episodes, 2005)
Pauline Collins	...	Miss Flite (10 episodes, 2005)
Philip Davis	...	Smallweed (10 episodes, 2005)
Nathaniel Parker	...	Harold Skimpole (10 episodes, 2005)
Alun Armstrong	...	Bucket (9 episodes, 2005)
Anne Reid	...	Mrs. Rouncewell (9 episodes, 2005)
Lilo Baur	...	Hortense (9 episodes, 2005)
Katie Angelou	...	Charley Neckett (9 episodes, 2005)
Louise Brealey	...	Judy (8 episodes, 2005)
Michael Smiley	...	Phil Squod (8 episodes, 2005)
Emma Williams	...	Rosa (7 episodes, 2005)
Harry Eden	...	Jo (7 episodes, 2005)
Richard Harrington	...	Allan Woodcourt (7 episodes, 2005)
Natalie Press	...	Caddy Turveydrop / ... (7 episodes, 2005)

Series Directed by
Justin Chadwick		(8 episodes, 2005)
Susanna White		(7 episodes, 2005)

Series Writing credits
Andrew Davies		(15 episodes, 2005)
Charles Dickens		(15 episodes, 2005)

Series Produced by
Alison Barnett	....	line producer (15 episodes, 2005)
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH (15 episodes, 2005)
Laura Mackie	....	executive producer (15 episodes, 2005)
Nigel Stafford-Clark	....	producer (15 episodes, 2005)
Sally Haynes	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 2005)

Series Original Music by
John Lunn		(15 episodes, 2005)

Series Cinematography by
Kieran McGuigan		(9 episodes, 2005)

Series Film Editing by
Jason Krasucki		(8 episodes, 2005)
Paul Knight		(7 episodes, 2005)

Series Casting by
Kate Rhodes James		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Simon Elliott		(15 episodes, 2005)

Series Art Direction by
Bill Crutcher		(15 episodes, 2005)

Series Costume Design by
Andrea Galer		(3 episodes, 2005)

Series Makeup Department
Beverley Binda	....	crowd hair supervisor / crowd makeup supervisor / ... (15 episodes, 2005)
Daniel Phillips	....	makeup & wig designer / hair designer / ... (15 episodes, 2005)
Christina Webster	....	daily hair stylist / daily makeup artist (7 episodes, 2005)
Joe Hopker	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Sandrine Mugglestone	....	makeup trainee (unknown episodes)
Tapio Salmi	....	key hair stylist / key makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Beewan Athwal	....	post-production supervisor (15 episodes, 2005)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nige Watson	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 2005)
Paul Bennett	....	additional third assistant director (unknown episodes)
Ben Howard	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)
Carley Lane	....	third assistant director (unknown episodes)
Harriet Worth	....	third assistant director: crowd (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Alex Abelman	....	carpenter (15 episodes, 2005)
Harry Cable	....	stand-by props (15 episodes, 2005)
Charlie Lynam	....	art department assistant (15 episodes, 2005)
Suzanne Austin	....	stand-by art director (10 episodes, 2005)
Peter Hallam	....	property master (10 episodes, 2005)
Dan Crandon	....	construction manager (3 episodes, 2005)
Sarah Duncan	....	assistant buyer (unknown episodes)
Annie Gilhooly	....	production buyer (unknown episodes)
Oli van der Vijver	....	props (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Stephen Griffiths	....	supervising sound editor (15 episodes, 2005)
Stuart Hilliker	....	dubbing mixer (15 episodes, 2005)
Rowena Wilkinson	....	foley artist (15 episodes, 2005)
Mike Reardon	....	boom operator (14 episodes, 2005)
Ian Wilkinson	....	dialogue editor (14 episodes, 2005)
Chris Ashworth	....	production sound mixer / sound recordist (11 episodes, 2005)
Sandy MacRae	....	production sound mixer / sound recordist (7 episodes, 2005)
Esther Asiedu-Ofei	....	sound trainee (2 episodes, 2005)
Blair Jollands	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Bernard Newton	....	special effects (unknown episodes)
Scott Peters	....	special effects technician (unknown episodes)
Nick P. Phillips	....	special effects technician (unknown episodes)
Rob Tucker	....	special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Peter Anderson	....	title designer / visual effects artist (15 episodes, 2005)
Richard Comline	....	digital compositor (unknown episodes)
Oliver Money	....	visual effects producer (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Richard Bonehill	....	fencing master (1 episode, 2005)
Andy Bradford	....	stunt coordinator (1 episode, 2005)
Nrinder Dhudwar	....	stunt coordinator (1 episode, 2005)
William Hobbs	....	fencing master (1 episode, 2005)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Clayton	....	gaffer (15 episodes, 2005)
Andreas Pepe	....	assistant camera (15 episodes, 2005)
Barry Read	....	grip (15 episodes, 2005)
Ian Adrian	....	camera operator (11 episodes, 2005)
Nicky George	....	second assistant camera (5 episodes, 2005)
Brian Greenway	....	camera trainee (5 episodes, 2005)
Paul Donachie	....	camera operator (3 episodes, 2005)
Ciro Candia	....	additional focus puller (unknown episodes)
Russell Ferguson	....	focus puller (unknown episodes)
Peter Field	....	camera operator: "b" camera / director of photography: second unit (unknown episodes)
Tash Gamper	....	camera trainee (unknown episodes)
Leal Ignatius	....	camera trainee (unknown episodes)
Rory Moles	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Derrick Peters	....	additional focus puller (unknown episodes)
Barney Piercy	....	daily focus puller (unknown episodes)
Luke Redgrave	....	camera operator: "b" camera (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Peter Anderson	....	animation director: opening titles (15 episodes, 2005)

Series Casting Department
Andy Morgan	....	casting assistant (15 episodes, 2005)
Kate Rhodes James	....	casting (15 episodes, 2005)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Claire Collins	....	costume assistant (15 episodes, 2005)
Jason Gill	....	crowd costume assistant (9 episodes, 2005)
Sally Crees	....	costume supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Jim Hampton	....	assembly editor (9 episodes, 2005)

Series Music Department
Julian Kershaw	....	orchestrator (15 episodes, 2005)
Paul Golding	....	music scoring engineer (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Helen Chapman	....	utility stand-in (15 episodes, 2005)
Neil Hodge	....	head chef (15 episodes, 2005)
Alex Chapman	....	assistant post-production accountant (14 episodes, 2005)
Nick Marshall	....	location manager (10 episodes, 2005)
Caroline Skinner	....	script editor (10 episodes, 2005)
Synnöve Godeseth	....	location trainee: FT2 (6 episodes, 2005)
Jon Baker	....	armorer (3 episodes, 2005)
Richard Bonehill	....	sword master (unknown episodes)
Kate Brontë-Stewart	....	runner / stand-in (unknown episodes)
Irene Chawko	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)
Polly Fletcher	....	assistant accountant (unknown episodes)
Clare Glass	....	additional floor runner (unknown episodes)
Dani Gordon	....	production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Paul Harris	....	choreographer (unknown episodes)
Clare Jones	....	assistant coordinator (unknown episodes)
Charlie Reed	....	daily floor runner (unknown episodes)
Megan Roberts	....	floor runner (unknown episodes)
Marie Sayej	....	trainee accounts assistant (unknown episodes)
Nick Tanner	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (co-production)
• WGBH (co-production)
• Deep Indigo Productions (in association with)
• Smallweed Productions

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2005) (UK) (TV)
• BBC Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• Daily Mail Newspapers (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• ETV 2 (2009) (Estonia) (TV)
• Filmbox Extra 1 (2012) (Hungary) (TV) (re-release)
• LaLa TV (2008) (Japan) (TV) (subtitled)
• Magyar Televízió (2006) (Hungary) (TV) (M1)
• Masterpiece Theatre (2005) (USA) (TV)
• New KSM (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (2006) (USA) (TV)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Story TV (2012) (Hungary) (TV) (re-release) (Story 4)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment supplied by
• Boom  sound post-production
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• JAM Location Services  location assistants
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Wood Hall Catering  catering

Also Known As:

Runtime:

510 min | 60 min (1 episode) | 30 min (14 episodes)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-11 (DVD) (2006) | UK:PG (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Balls Park, Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Lady Dedlock's green and white vertical-striped dress with white lace cuffs is the same costume worn by Daniela Denby-Ashe as Margaret Hale in the final scenes of "North & South" (2004).

Quotes:

Krook:[about Nemo] They say he sold his soul to the Devil. If he did, I don't know what he did with the money.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Story of the Costume Drama: The Stars (#1.2)" (2008)

Absolutely Riveting 10/10

Bleak House is not a book I have read. I was however aware that the central story concerned the never-ending courtroom litigation of Jarndyce versus Jarndyce. As a child, this book, I decided was way too boring to read. How wrong I was. I never dreamt that a Dickens novel could become such an obsession in later life.

This dazzling adaptation is serialised in the same way that Dickens serialised his masterpiece in the popular press. Each half-hour episode ends on a cliff-hanger. We, the viewers, are forced to count the days until the next episode is screened. ( and there is only 6 more to go!!!) It is impossible to find fault with the production. The characterisations and directing are the best I have seen from the Drama Department of the BBC. They have managed to capture the gloom, grime and squalor of the late 19th century convincingly.

Each actor is ideally cast. Charles Dance as the lawyer Tulkinghorn is evil personified. Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock, totally unrecognisable from her X-File days, is fragile and enigmatic. Particularly noteworthy in the host of Dickensian eccentrics are Pauline Collins as Miss Flite, Johnny Vegas as Krook and Philip Davis as "Shake me up Judy" Smallweed and Burn Gorman as Guppy. However it is invidious to single anyone out of such a stellar casting.

I cannot give this drama a higher recommendation