Oliver Twist (2007 TV miniseries)
| Oliver Twist | |
|---|---|
| Based on |
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens |
| Written by | Sarah Phelps |
| Directed by | Coky Giedroyc |
| Starring |
William Miller Adam Arnold Tom Hardy Timothy Spall Julian Rhind Tutt |
| Theme music composer | Martin Phipps |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 (2 in the U.S.) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Kate Harwood Rebecca Eaton |
| Producer(s) | Sarah Brown |
| Cinematography | Matt Gray |
| Running time | 180 minutes |
| Production company(s) | WGBH productions for BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Picture format | 16:9 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 18 December – 22 December 2007 |
Oliver Twist is a 2007 British television adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, written by Sarah Phelps and directed by Coky Giedroyc. It consists of five episodes, broadcast on BBC One from 18 to 22 December 2007. It aired on PBS' Masterpiece Classic in the United States on 15 and 22 February 2009, in two ninety-minute installments. In Australia, ABC1 also opted to air this series as a two-part special each Sunday at 8:30 pm from 20 December 2009.
Filming took place in May 2007, with the scene at the workhouse where Oliver asks "Please Sir, I want some more" being filmed at The Historic Dockyard in Chatham.
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. Unlike the book, however, Monks is not an unattractive, nervous and cowardly epileptic, but a scheming, manipulative and attractive cad seeking engagement to Rose, who clearly doesn't like him.
Nancy is even more of a mother figure to Oliver than in the original novel, the famous musical version or especially, the David Lean film version, in which she does not even express any concern at all for him until after she and Sikes bring him back to Fagin's. In the 2007 version, she is seen constantly looking after him and tending to his needs (she even kisses him tenderly at one point, stopping just short of telling the boy that she loves him).
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