Little Dorrit

Synopsis

A television version of the novel by Charles Dickens adapted into fourteen episodes by Andrew Davies. When Arthur Clennam returns to England after many years abroad, his curiosity is piqued by the presence in his mother’s house of a young seamstress, Amy Dorrit. The cold and forbidding Mrs Clennam isn’t usually given to charity, so why has she made an exception in taking on Amy? Is she making reparations for a past wrongdoing? Arthur’s quest to discover the truth takes him to the Marshalsea Prison for Debt. Here he meets and befriends Amy’s father, William Dorrit, who is the prison’s longest serving inmate. As he tries to help the Dorrits, Arthur discovers that the dark shadow of debt stretches far beyond the walls of the Marshalsea Prison, to affect the lives of many. Just as it is possible to climb to the very top in London Society’s intricate game of snakes and ladders, so it is possible to slip right down. But if Arthur succeeds in unravelling the mystery of his family’s past, where will it leave him in the scheme of things? And where will it leave the Dorrits?

Matthew Macfadyen stars as Arthur, whose return from overseas changes the Dorrits’ lives irrevocably. The kind-hearted Amy is played by newcomer Claire Foy whilst Tom Courtenay stars as her father. James Fleet is her careworn uncle Frederick, Emma Pierson is her flighty elder sister Fanny and Eve Myles her best friend Maggie. Amanda Redman occupies the topmost branch in the social tree as Mrs Merdle and Andy Serkis plays the dastardly French villain Rigaud. Ruth Jones, Bill Paterson, Janine Duvitski, Freema Agyeman, Maxine Peake, Eddie Marsan, Annette Crosbie, Judy Parfitt and Pam Ferris also star.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2008

Subjects

English language and literature

Keywords

Dickens, Charles (1812-1870); Victorian life

Credits

Writer

Charles Dickens

Screenplay

Andrew Davies

Cast

Annette Crosbie
Bill Paterson
James Fleet
Tom Courtenay

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£34.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

480 minutes

Year

2009

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributor

Name

2 Entertain Video

Email

DVDenquiryline@bbc.com

Web

http://www.2entertainvideo.co.uk/ External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7612 3000

Fax

020 7612 3003

Address

BBC Worldwide
33 Foley Street
London
W1W 7TL

Notes

Specialises in distributing archival film and television titles, predominantly licensed from the BBC (the principal shareholder is BBC Worldwide). Sale on DVD through retail outlets. As of 2016 2Entertain is being gradually wound down and its output reduced. If something is not available via them it is advisable to try the BBC Store at https://store.bbc.com/

 

Available from retail outlets