Dickensian

Even though I didn't feel they should continue with it I'm delighted at the thought of another episode. Shall contact the BBC and beg for it to continue.

I didn't realise a second series was a real possibility, but it is and the decision will be made later this month. Tony Jordan has already got the outline for another 20 episodes. Fingers crossed.

Although I no longer watch Eastenders, I do remember that Tony Jordan wrote many of the classic episodes from the early days, e.g. the two-hander between Dot Cotton and Ethel towards the end of Ethel's life. The set also appears to be a version of the Eastenders set - pub on the corner, a viaduct of some sort which in EE is where the tube trains run, and some sort of square. I agree with other posters that if Dickens were alive today, he might well be writing for TV and particularly soaps. His novels were all published serially, appearing once a month or so, and his letters and the accounts of his friends show the extent to which he wrote right up to the wire, often having to write all night to meet the deadline for the next instalment. Sometimes this led to errors or slippages in the plot which he then had a great deal of trouble untangling. It's been a great series and I hope there is a possibility of another.

We will have to wait and see. Apparently the next series involves Oliver Twist and the Ghosts of Christmas!!!! And Estelle and Pip hopefully.

I'm not sure a second series would be as good because we understand now how the blending of the stories works. That's one of the reasons I enjoyed the show so much. Trying to work out where the plot would go next based on our knowledge of Dickens' work was part of the pleasure of watching. It was just so clever and different.

I would still love another series though!

I'm missing this series so much; feel bereft with War and Peace no longer on as well. Although, not sure if I want a second series...could it possibly be as good?

I thought the baby would end up as Estella being taught not to love by Miss H....her of the cobwebs and mouldy cake. Jaggers has the baby or so it seems to me.

As a bit of a purist, I didn't expect to, but I loved it from start to finish. I think the last episode was a masterpiece - Nancy's singing so poignant, and yes I felt it was a nod to the OT musical and foreshadows her sad end - we are just beginning to glimpse a harder side to Bill where she is concerned.

Roll on a second series!

Elrel you could be right about the song. Definitely thought the Bumble hand holding was tosh. My hopes for a second series were raised by the reappearance of Inspector Bucket because I thought he'd been reassigned somewhere else. Fingers crossed.

It was so well done the references to other characters added to the charm. As Rosesared said just enjoy it. Don't try to pull it apart with any idea of looking at realism.
The writer appeared to be a real Dickens fan and almost writing this as a tribute to Dickens work. It make just make me read some of his other books other than just "A Tale of Two cities."

I loved all of this series, you need to stop thinking and just enjoy it I think.
Hope there will be another series.

When I heard Nancy singing, 'I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls' I popped over to Amazon to see if I could find the Joan Sutherland version which my grandmother used to love.

It was there, of course, and just above it a version by Yvonne Kenny from an album called, Joyous Classics for Spring Cleaning.

I bet that was compiled by a man.

Wilma - I wondered whether Nancy singing was a nod to 'Oliver!' where she sings 'Oompah Pah' in the pub. I found it quite touching in view of her sad end in OT. Maybe Mrs Bumble reaching out for her husband's hand was a gesture too far! Those two were hilarious in their social ambitions and double entendres about her dumplings, pantomime stuff!

Nigglynelly. - I thought I heard the name Pickwick too. Hope it does mean a second series is on the way. Dickensian has reminded me of my January 2015 New Year Resolution to read a Shakespeare play eachweek and Dickens book I hadn't read before each month. Yeah, right!!

Barbarys, sorry.

I think it illustrated clearly the fact that financial matters could be very precarious, whoever you were as in the misfortunes of the Barburys. No social security for this unfortunate man. Debtors prison was always waiting for the financially fallen as illustrated by Dickens own father. Their maid went into prison with the family, as she had no where else to go except the streets. This happened quite frequently apparently.

I thought the singing scene at the end didn't fit in with the feel of the rest of the series, in fact the last episode was a bit of a let down for me. If the rest of the series had been of the standard we got last night, I doubt if I would have carried on watching.

trisher you missed plenty coverage of the social divide. We saw children being trafficked, which was very vivid for early evening TV. We saw the Cratchits not able to afford medicine for the young Tim. The oldest Cratchit boy promised to spend a hard saved couple of pennies to treat the girl he was courting to a ride on an elephant, but he ended it with the girl and gave his savings to his mother to buy the tonic for his little brother. We saw Bob Cratchit go out every night after the market was closed to pick up what food he could find left behind on the ground. We saw Nancy was definitely a prostitute and her pimp was Fagin. We saw her being bought out from Fagin by Bill Sykes. We saw Mrs Gamp as the gin swilling grubby local woman people turned to with medical problems (think of another way to describe her right now). We saw how the workhouse children were treated by the Bumble, including Oliver Twist being chased out of the house for asking for more stew, left to his own devices. In fact, poverty was implied everywhere except in Satis House and the dressmaker's shop. Even the Barbarys were facing total ruin at one point and the future painted for them was very grim for them.

Sorry, but that aspect of Dickens was always there. And remember that Jordan also gave us the wonderful Life on Mars and Hustle, as well as writing for many successful shows like Minder and Boon.

Apologies about the spelling-just the way I remember it since I was very young. No objection to the characters but I do think a few liberties were taken that there was no need to do. The huge social divide was something Dickens was very conscious of and it is a pity this was lost.

Yes, I do agree merlotgran. Some of the serials have been excellent and it would be sad if they were abandoned.

I just hope the BBC doesn't think Dickensian will do from now on and abandons screen adaptations of individual books.

Well, yes trisher, I take your point, but even so, I just loved these characters and found myself overlooking one or two anomalies!! As for the pub scene, I think Mrs Bumble, Nancy, Mrs Gamp and Fanny Biggetywitch would have frequented their local! Obviously not Honoria or Amelia, or any gentle woman. Mrs Cratchit? maybe, not sure!!! Singing? probably, but who knows!

It's Havisham not Haversham and I think nigglynellie has put her finger on it. It's not meant to be a continuation of the any of the books it's just using some of the well-known characters and a few strands of the original plots to combine into another and different storyline. It's very clever the way it's been done.

One of the reasons Dickens was so popular was that he wrote about the darker side of society where respectable people didn't go, but loved to read about. From what i saw this blurred the boundaries a bit too much.
Where Miss Haversham really lived www.restorationhouse.co.uk/

Yes. I agree there were parts that were definitely not Dickensian.

Well I loved it and I don't think it was supposed to be a true reflection of the books, more a clever intertwining of characters from several books. As a Dickens fan, I started out not expecting to enjoy it at all, but was agreeably surprised. I think it was the superb acting that made it so enjoyable, and I hope we have a sequel. Marleys ghost was making some, well, ghostly moanings in last night's episode, so I have a gut feeling there may be more to come!