Thoughts on 'Dickensian'

By John Kyriacou, guest blogger

(Note: This post contains some spoilers.)

I watched the first two episodes of Dickensian earlier. My overall impression is that the cast and crew have done a great job, and the series is a treat.

The first episode was almost like eating a huge Christmas pudding in one sitting. Too many characters were introduced and too quickly (less is more, as they say). While it was fun playing "spot the character," this whirlwind of characters might have been a tad confusing for those unfamiliar with Dickens. I think the first two episodes should have been broadcast together, in one chunk, as the second episode slowed the pace, allowing some breathing space.

So far, the only character I could not place was Fanny Biggetywitch. I am a bit surprised as I thought I knew my Dickens! I am not sure whether Fanny is perhaps a minor character in a Dickens sketch, or whether Jordan made her up from an amalgamation of other characters?

Tony Jordan's fidelity to Dickens characterisation seems very good so far, and the acting is of a high standard throughout. Stephen Rea is excellent as Inspector Bucket, and made a great double act with the comic actor Omid Djalili as Mr. Venus in the second episode, which promises much. Ned Dennehy's turn as Scrooge gave me quite a few laughs, and Pauline Collins was delicious as Mrs. Gamp (though some Gamp fans may miss her eccentric way with words -- no "dispoges" here, I'm afraid). Peter Firth was very impressive as Jacob Marley, and in a sense, it's quite a shame that Jordan bumped him off so early on, as, in this adaptation, he is one of the darkest characters Dickens never fleshed out. So nasty was he, that there was a spontaneous cheer in my household when he pegged it.

I think it's a good idea that Tony Jordan has chosen to concentrate (in these early episodes at any rate) on storylines that are either completely new (the murder of Jacob Marley) or backstories that Dickens didn't describe at great length (the history of Miss Havisham and Honoria Barbary). I think this gives Jordan's script space to breathe without breaking into areas that Dickens's readers (and/or people who watch Dickens TV adaptations) are over-familiar with.

Although there were touches of comedy throughout (Mrs. Bumble dragging Bumble out of 'The Three Cripples pub was a particular highlight), and there are "in jokes" for Dickensians, I hope that the series increases the comedy elements.

The set is quite remarkable (I know it cost a small fortune), and the interior sets, very well done. However, the exteriors are too much like a "chocolate box" design for my liking. It's nowhere near gritty and dirty enough (no need for any cross-sweepers here, for example). By contrast, I thought the depiction of London in the smashing recent series The Frankenstein Chronicles was far more realistic.

In closing my impressions of Dickensian, I'd like to say I initially came to Dickens by being taken to the cinema as a child to watch the musical adaptation Oliver! (1968), which led me to the wonderful novel (and I've been hooked ever since!) I hope Dickensian, other than providing entertainment in itself, will spark interest in particular characters or sets of characters, that will similarly bring others to the magnificent original texts. 

Comments

[Lesley Cookman]

I've been trying to find Fanny Biggetywitch since Episode One! The only Fanny I could think of was in The Old Curiosity Shop, and it isn't that one. The only other criticism I had - which I note you did also - was "It isn't dirty enough. They never are." Otherwise, I'm loving it.

[cd]

little dorrit....?

[Sue]

Completely agree with you. No slush and no place for Joe the crossing sweeper here. But if the series turns viewers into Dickens readers that's no bad thing!

[Anvil]

I'm surprised no-one else has worked it out. Biggettywitch sounds Dickensian but it is a made up character, the name of which has come from changing the first letter from the 70's band Pickettywitch. And why has the writer made up a new character? Well, what is the main story? A murder and we all know none of the other characters ends up on the end of a rope because they all appear after this in their subsequent books. Therefore he needed to create another character who sounds like they are from a Dickens book to do the dirty deed. Sorry to spoil the story but its all pretty easy to work out. Shame there are not more 'unknown characters' to make working it out more difficult or if he'd made the story after the books rather than before (though many of the characters here come to a sticky end in their subsequent stories). So you can stop trying to work out which Dickens book Fanny is from because she isn't from any of them.

[Anvil]

Apologies for my poor reading abilities, Biggetywitch has been made from changing FOUR letters from the band name of Pickettywitch.

[John Kyriacou]

Hello Anvil, that's an interesting point, especially as it's usually the person without an obvious motive that's the culprit - we shall see! However, 'Dickensian' really isn't intended to be a prequel to any of the books. Taking 'The Old Curiosity Shop' as an example, the events in 'Dickensian' occur at, and after the end of that book, and actually change Dickens' storyline. Tony Jordan, the show's creator, said “Nell didn't die. That was my big thing. We actually saw the moment when I resurrected her.” This happened in episode one as Tony Jordan said he “wanted to make a statement very early on that you don’t know what you’re going to expect”.

Tony Jordan has even hinted that Miss Havisham “might marry and live happily ever after”. When watching, I keep in mind Tony Jordan's words that “there are no rules...everything is freed.” See interview in the Telegraph here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/12040149/BBC-reimagines-Dickens-for-a-soap-loving-generation.html

Hello cd - You may be onto something! I know Wikepedia is often wrong, but on the show's Wikepedia page Fanny Biggetywitch is listed as "née Dorrit". This would of course make her Amy Dorrit's older sister (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickensian_(TV_series) I'm keeping an open mind!

One final point - there is another character I cannot place. Martha Cratchit's betrothed is John Bagnet, and I thought he was one of Mr and Mrs Bagnet's children from 'Bleak House'. However, on checking, the children's names are Quebec, Malta and Woolwich.

[Gina]

That's quite interesting about Wikipedia. Yes, it's often wrong -- but occasionally it's right. Guess we'll see!

[John Kyriacou]

The mystery is solved and Anvil is right (well done Anvil!) Holly Furneaux, Dickensian series advisor, has confirmed that Fanny Biggetywitch is "Tony Jordan’s not Dickens’s character".
See Holly Furneaux's comment below the article here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/entries/5480f8cd-bdd6-4772-95ca-c2fe47311bbe

That still leaves John Bagnet (Holly Furneaux says that Fanny Biggetywitch is the only Tony Jordan creation in the series, which is strange as I can't find a John Bagnet anywhere in Dickens).

[Anvil]

Thanks John, at least part of what I said is definitely correct, whether she is the murderer or not we will have to wait and see as if what you say is correct and that the series will change the Dickens stories (sacrilege !!!)then who knows. Seriously telling the back stories to the novels is a really brilliant and interesting idea, changing them is not but having said that I wonder whether Tony Jordan is in fact playing with his audience in making them keep guessing as so far hasn't actually changed any of them because using your example of Little Nell not dying if she had died at the beginning it would have been in the wrong location anyway as in the book she doesn't die IN the Old Curiosity Shop.

[Anvil]

Bagnet is definitely a family name from Dickens. One suggestion is John could be Woolwich Bagnet and has just changed his name to something more normal (Like Zowie Bowie changing his name to Duncan Jones) but looking at the Bleak House time lines this doesn't work as Woolwich is a child when Honoria and Sir Lester are already married and in Dickensian they have only just met. That leaves him being an older member of the Bagnet family (is there any mention at all of Matthew Bagnet having a brother John in the book?)

[John Kyriacou]

Anvil, you're right about the identity of the murderer still being up in the air! I understand what you are saying about the location of Nell's death, but I think the decision to film everything on one set of a few streets necessitated the change in Nell's 'resurrection' (in Tony Jordan's description). Indeed, I believe that putting everyone together in one location has already radically changed the original stories (as well as playing havoc with Dickens timelines). It's a bit ridiculous that Jaggers office is cheek by jowl with Fagin's den, Scrooge's counting house, and Satis House (which should be in Kent!) No matter, the idea behind 'Dickensian' is clever, the series is working very well and has me hooked.

I think the series is subtly changing some of the characters though (e.g. Bill Sykes being shy and blushing when wooing Nancy seems out of character). I also think that Tony Jordan's changes to the original stories will increasingly play out as the series continues (for example, I would be surprised if both Miss Havisham and Honoria Barbary end up as Dickens described).

It's insteresting that Tony Jordan has 2 further series (of 20 episodes each) already planned (if the series is recommisioned, which might not happen with all the BBC bashing going on at the moment), so some of the ongoing stories might be left up in the air at the end of this season.

[Theresa Wright]

The red herring of Fanny Biggetywitch remains unsolved as she did not kill Marley. I think it's rather good that there are one or two characters that can't be placed. Kept us all guessing didn't it......

[Angela Frank]

watching the show too-Love it! Wish there'd be a season 2!