Great Expectations

This 1981 adaption is essentially the entire book on screen, if you loved the novel and are not a snob when it comes to big budget production values which this admittedly does not have you'll love it. Dark, atmospheric, well acted and in keeping with the spirit of Dickens and the book I can't recommend this enough. It is long yes but for a complete adaption of the book it had to be really. Recommended.

This is the first adaptation of "Great Expectations" that covers the entire book. Over 12 30-minute episodes, Dickens' novel is faithfully transferred to the screen.

The only downside to this is that the novel does ramble a bit in places and therefore, so does this series. There are a few superfluous characters and sub-plots, so it's a little slow and talky in places. On the other hand, you do get the richness of detail that is missing from theatrical productions and some of the other television versions.

The best thing about this production is that Estella is portrayed perfectly. Both Patsy Kensit, who plays the young Estella, and Sarah-Jane Varley, who plays the adult part, portray her exactly as I pictured her when I read the novel all those years ago. It's not so much a matter of how the actresses look, but how the part is written and how the roles are performed.

Joan Hickson's Miss Havisham is definitive.

I'd recommend this highly to any fan of the novel. It's long, but it's well worth it to have the whole story rather than a condensed version.

1982

GREAT EXPECTATIONS…BBCTV… I'm off down to the mud flats of the West Country on another version of this Dickens story. Again I'm playing an old time copper and there are another dozen of us Supporting Artists to help out with the filming for a few days. On the first early morning start we all sit down to breakfast in the hotel. The Wardrobe dept insist that the coppers all have large napkins placed on their laps and fronts to keep the pure white and red uniforms in pristine condition for the filming.. (It's a bit like we don't know how to eat breakfast without making a mess down ourselves).. After breakfast it's onto the coach for the two mile drive to the mud flats and the dialogue goes ''Sit straight boys, don't crease those trousers, don't smoke on the coach in case you get ash over yourselves, hang your jackets up etc'' (Now here's the rub) John (The Grunter) Cannon and I are to be in the first shot which consists of getting Magwitch (Stratford Johns) out of the water and mud in the tidal river… (I've sure I've done this before) Terry Plumber is stunt double for Mr Johns and weighs in at about eighteen stone (dry). On the word ''ACTION'' Aitch and the Grunter are into the mud and water and wade out to get Magwitch and help him to shore.. When we reach Terry and try to lift him we start to sink into the mud.(napkins and creased trousers come to mind) My large police top hat falls off and is heading for the coast as we struggle to get Terry to the bank.. When we are near to the bank Terry gets substituted for Stratford Johns for the close ups. He has to be muddied up. Because it takes a couple of hours to do the dialogue scenes (although on screen it's two minutes) the Grunter and I keep drying out and are asked before every take ''if you wouldn't mind getting back into the mud for continuity sake''. We finish off all the scenes by the river bank, then the three of us are whisked back to the hotel to get some clean dry clothes. The coach driver doesn't stop tut tutting all the way back about the mud we're spreading in his nice clean coach. (He should have put us on the roof rack) The Grunter and I were cold and wet and the first thing the jobs worth assistant wardrobe person said was (flapping) ''Where's your hat, where's your hat''? I looked at the clock on the wall, turned to him and said… ''In the English f***ing Channel by now… The rest of the shoot went to plan and I can laugh about it now. (I still think David Lean's 1946 version of this story can't be topped)

I've seen nearly a dozen of the adaptations of the book and this is really the only one that has characters as Dickens intended: over the top personalities with a good amount of depth to them. So many other adaptations have such bland characters. Joe, Jaggers, Herbert, Sarah, Miss H, and many others are quite memorable.

Being a mini series, there is a lot more time to keep certain plot points in the story, such as the Orlick story line. This keeps the series very authentic to the book.

There are spots where the acting is a little rough. Probably in only drawback in my opinion. Doesn't really take too much away from the production's quality though.

Overall a great adaptation of the book, if not the best one out there.