Another Great Expectations. Why?

AGAA4 I saw a production of Macbeth a few years ago which had 4 witches. The 4th one was apparently the ghost of a son that the Macbeths had lost years before. I can only say that it added nothing at all to the play.

I won’t be watching.Not my favourite Dickens story. I did love
Dickensian,I think it was called……a mix of many Dickens novels.

I hate this version. Poor direction: Pip would never have left a candle burning in his bedroom for example. Ridiculously implausible dialogue. Miscasting ie Estella. Dickens must be rotating in his grave. The David Lean film definitive in my book.

Mrs Gaskell's North and South was dramatised for TV too.

Well, I thought it was absolutely spell binding.
Fascinating.

The BBC always Does these period pieces so well.

The acting was superb. Like it or not.

I am a bit of a purist and like productions to adhere to the story as much as possible.
I went to see Macbeth last year and all the actors wore jeans and t shirts. The witches were hanging from ropes. Well acted but felt wrong to me.
I will try this new GE. I may enjoy it.

I totally agree, it's not my favourite Dickens book and it's been done to death. I have plenty of recorded programmes to watch instead.

I just binge watched the 3 episodes of the 2011 version on the BBC I player. Once is enough.

Just watched episode one and didn’t enjoy it very much. I have read the book more than once and watched previous adaptations - just in case the literati on GN put my not liking it down to ignorance of the original story.

Really enjoyed it and thought Olivia Coleman a subtly menacing Miss Haversham. Loved Peaky Blinders and the wonderful atmospheric photography which this series has too.

There's probably several younger generations who haven't seen any of these. It wouldn't surprise me if the producers 'modernise' the stories to entice young people to watch them and they probably won't bare any resemblence to the originals.

44Chestnut

I shan't be watching as GE has been done to death and I have seen several versions already. I will record and take a peek to confirm what I already suspect, but honestly who comes up with this nonsense? I find Olivia Colman so flippin' annoying in real life that I can't take anything she does seriously any more. I just see her as Olivia Colman in a wig and long dress.
So agree with you about OC. Why is it always her? Couldn't watch her as the Queen. Not for me.

I did watch some of the first episode. Sure enough the chronology has been messed around, the early dialogue used the f.word on several occasions, (Not sure that expletive was used at all at the time) the dialogue was stilted and the screen shots so fashionably murky it was difficult to se.

I watched it and enjoyed it and I will be watching it each week. We have to remember that many people will not have seen the previous Great Expectations and it may well get younger people (than us!) interested. I like Olivia Coleman as an actress and that drew me in. I think it is a welcome change from other series that revolve around technology, women being murdered and similar.

The new BBC version is excellent. Very atmospheric and the acting is of a high standard.
I have like others seen several other versions but I’m still enjoying this one.

I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m finding good drama a bit thin on the ground and watch about ten minutes and stop because I can’t get into it. I find the additional swearing refreshing because I am pretty sure people did it back then! It makes it more realistic. And like someone further up the thread said, Dickensian is utterly brilliant (I read Bleak House afterwards). My all time favourite Dickens dramatisation is Little Dorrit, with Claire Foy as the main character. She has also been by far the best Queen in The Crown.

Watched the first episode and just hope it gets better, I’m going to give the second episode a chance but then that’s it if it doesn’t improve !

Dickensian (Amazon Prime) is also really good!

Ballet gets updated too in the same way. There's always room for more contemporary versions.

Started to watch but didn’t like it at all. Went back to the 2011 Gillian Anderson version (loved it). Now going to rewatch Bleak House & Little Dorrit - both wonderful.

If the BBC are going to update all the classics to make them more acceptable to a modern audience, as has happened somewhat here, why don’t they go the whole hog and transfer it to the present day? One of the most exciting adaptions I have ever seen is the film ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with Leonardo di Caprio and Clare Danes in the title roles. Completely updated while keeping the beautiful Shakespearean language. It certainly opened my adult children’s eyes to the wonder of the Bard! Or is dragging round in Victorian costume and subtly infiltrating modern sensibilities simply too tempting for the BBC?

I loved Dickens at school and GE is one of my favorite novels. Ive seen many adaptations but the John Mills one is my favorite.

I quite enjoyed the first episode.

I dont agree that Pip was foul mouthed or moody. He just wanted to visit the graves of his dead parents and siblings. He reminds me of myself as a child because I always answered back. With me it was visiting my (living) grandmother which my parents did not approve of so I just sneaked there. Some of the things my mother said were as silly as the "bringing berries into the house is inviting the devil in" and so on.

Chestnut

I shan't be watching as GE has been done to death and I have seen several versions already. I will record and take a peek to confirm what I already suspect, but honestly who comes up with this nonsense? I find Olivia Colman so flippin' annoying in real life that I can't take anything she does seriously any more. I just see her as Olivia Colman in a wig and long dress.

Your comments about Olivia Coleman ring true with me. Did you see her in The Favourite and more recently in Empire of Light? Both rubbish films and such a long way from her humble start in the excellent hospital comedy Green Wing. She's become such a luvvie but no Judi Dench

No, I didn't. I find Prime and Netflix better (though there are some poor films and series there too) and a good source of European and Indian material. Babylon Berlin is hugely interesting about the 20s and 30s and the most expensive German series ever made but I doubt the BBC will bother to buy it.

It’s because too many white ppl in all the others. It’s being updated i don’t care what your skin colour as long has you good at acting lol Yes I will probably watch it i do like dramas from that time. But I’ve only just caught up with call the midwife