Oliver Twist (TV serial)

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Oliver Twist
Genre	Drama
Running time	190 minutes
Written by	Charles Dickens (novel) Sarah Phelps
Directed by	Coky Giedroyc
Starring	William Miller Adam Arnold Timothy Spall
Country of origin	UK
Language	English
Original channel	BBC1
Release date(s)	2007
No. of episodes	5
Official website
IMDb profile

Oliver Twist is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, written by Sarah Phelps and directed by Coky Giedroyc. It consists of five episodes, broadcast on BBC1 from 18 to 22nd December 2007.^[1]^[2]

1 Differences
2 Cast
3 Episodes
4 Ratings
5 External links
6 Notes

[edit] Differences

The adaptation makes several major alterations to the plot of the source material, which include both alterations of events as well as familial relationships.

Rose Maylie is living with Mr Brownlow, and she addresses him as "uncle", but explains that he is in fact her guardian who took her and her sister, Agnes, in when her mother died. Her sister has been missing for many years, and the search for her has been ongoing. Mr Brownlow is now a part of the overall family tree, since Edward Monks is made his grandchild. As in the book, Monks becomes aware that Oliver is his half-brother, born to the missing Agnes who had a relationship with his father, and seeks to end his life so that there is no competition to his inheritance. As a result, Oliver is ultimately revealed to be Mr Brownlow's grandchild, in addition to being Rose's nephew and Monks' half-brother, as in the novel.

After being shot in the house which Sikes attempts to rob, Oliver is taken back to Fagin's lair to recover, rather than being nursed back to health in the countryside by the Maylie family, as in the novel. It is Nancy's informing Rose, and a highly sceptical Mr Brownlow, of Oliver's whereabouts that results in her demise at the hands of Sikes. Her ghost continues to haunt him when he returns to London with Oliver, resulting in him choosing to hang himself in the sewers on escaping the London crowds who chase him.

Meanwhile, Monks' murderous motive is discovered by Mr Brownlow and Rose; he is disowned and sent to the West Indies, and Oliver, escaping the clutches of the crazed Sikes, returns to the Brownlow household, and is welcomed. It is the Artful Dodger, rather than Oliver, who visits the condemned Fagin in prison, and goes to his public execution. Sikes' dog finds Dodger and the two disappear into the crowds together.

[edit] Cast

William Miller as Oliver Twist
Julian Rhind-Tutt as Monks
Edward Fox as Mr. Brownlow
Adam Arnold as The Artful Dodger
Tom Hardy as Bill Sikes
Sophie Okonedo as Nancy
Morven Christie as Rose Maylie
Timothy Spall as Fagin
Gregor Fisher as Mr. Bumble
Sarah Lancashire as Mrs Corney
Anna Massey as Mrs. Bedwin
Nicola Walker as Sally
Rob Brydon as Mr. Fang
John Sessions as Mr. Sowerberry
Michelle Gomez as Mrs. Sowerberry
Connor Catchpole as Pearly

[edit] Episodes

No	Title	Length	Writer	Director	Airdate
1	"Episode 1"	60 minutes	Sarah Phelps	Coky Giedroyc	December 18, 2007
2	"Episode 2"	30 minutes	Sarah Phelps	Coky Giedroyc	December 19, 2007
3	"Episode 3"	30 minutes	Sarah Phelps	Coky Giedroyc	December 20, 2007
4	"Episode 4"	30 minutes	Sarah Phelps	Coky Giedroyc	December 21, 2007
5	"Episode 5"	30 minutes	Sarah Phelps	Coky Giedroyc	December 22, 2007