The Beeb has come under a lot of criticism recently over the Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross debacle and this has revived the arguments for reducing or even abolishing the licence fee. Clearly the Corporation has to tighten up its editorial procedures and exercise better judgment in how it allocates its resources. If, however, it concentrates on its strengths and produces more programmes where the quality and professionalism of its contributors is apparent, support for these arguments will diminish.
One of the areas in which the BBC reigns supreme is the adaptation of English classic literature. The three most recent examples of this prove the point. At the end of last year there was Cranford. This was followed, in January, by Sense and Sensibility and, most recently, Little Dorrit.
I don’t think that Little Dorrit was in quite the same class as the two earlier serials. Whilst I admit to not having read the novel, I have seen criticism that the TV depiction of the Marshalsea debtors’ prison was nowhere near harsh enough and the thought had occurred to me that William Dorrit’s accommodation seemed surprisingly spacious and relatively comfortable. I have two other minor complaints. First is that some of the London street scenes were too obviously studio sets; secondly, 30-minute episodes were too short. There was, nevertheless, much to praise in this adaptation. The writing by Andrew Davies was up to his usual very high standard and most of the acting has been superb. Claire Foy, a newcomer to our screens, as the eponymous heroine was captivating; Tom Courtenay, playing her father, was as good as I thought he would be; Matthew Macfadyen, as the thoroughly decent Arthur Clennam, managed to make a character who could, in other hands, have been rather boring, charmingly vulnerable; and Russell Tovey, who played John Chivery, is a marvellous actor. If there were a Bafta award for Best Supporting Actor in a TV drama, he would surely be nominated. I remember him from The History Boys, in which he was also outstanding.
Rating: ****
P.S.: 26.11.2009. – This serial is now out on DVD. Click this for an Amazon product link.
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