Stephen Rea, Pauline Collins, Peter Firth and Caroline Quentin have been cast in new 20-part drama which brings together some of Charles Dickens’ most famous characters.
Written by Tony Jordan, Dickensian will see viewers meet Scrooge, Fagin and Miss Havisham and many other iconic characters as their lives intertwine in 19th century London.
The Old Curiosity Shop sits next door to The Three Cripples Pub, while Fagin’s Den is hidden down a murky alley off a bustling Victorian street. With a wealth of back stories sourced from the novels, Dickensian delivers fast-paced storylines with surprising twists and turns.
Stephen Rea who plays the inquisitive Inspector Bucket from Bleak House commented: ”Dickensian is the most beautiful re-working of the world of Dickens that you could ever imagine.
“The characters take on a fresh life, and any actor would be mad not to accept the challenge these great scripts offer.”
Pauline Collins OBE, who plays Mrs Gamp from Martin Chuzzlewit added: “We are taking characters that everyone knows and loves, into a whole new world where anything is possible.
“You don’t need to know Dickens’ novels to fall in love with the stories we’re telling. It’s going to be a real treat to watch.”
Series writer said: “This is an ambitious and epic series for BBC One taking Charles Dickens’ characters and world into a whole new territory, in ways that I hope will delight and surprise viewers.
“We have an outstanding cast that will bring Dickens’ world to life in a way you have never seen before.”