Little Dorrit (TV series)

Little Dorrit is a 2008 British miniseries based on Charles Dickens's serial novel of the same title, originally published between 1855 and 1857. The screenplay is by Andrew Davies and the episodes were directed by Adam Smith, Dearbhla Walsh, and Diarmuid Lawrence.

Little Dorrit
Cover of the BBC DVD release
GenrePeriod drama
Based onLittle Dorrit
by Charles Dickens
Written byAndrew Davies
Directed byAdam Smith (6 episodes)
Dearbhla Walsh (5 episodes)
Diarmuid Lawrence (3 episodes)
StarringClaire Foy
Matthew Macfadyen
Tom Courtenay
Judy Parfitt
ComposerJohn Lunn
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes14
Production
Executive producersRebecca Eaton
Anne Pivcevic
ProducerLisa Osborne
CinematographyLukas Strebel
Owen McPolin
Alan Almond
EditorsNick Arthurs
Philip Kloss
David Head
Running time26 minutes
Production companiesBBC
WGBH Boston
Release
Original networkBBC One
Original release26 October (2008-10-26) –
11 December 2008 (2008-12-11)

The series was a joint production of the BBC and the American PBS member station WGBH Boston.[1] It originally was broadcast by BBC One and BBC HD, beginning on 26 October 2008 with a 60-minute opening episode, followed by 12 half-hour episodes and a 60-minute finale.[2] In the United States, it aired in five episodes as part of PBS's Masterpiece series between 29 March and 26 April 2009.[3] In Australia, episodes were combined into seven-parts on ABC1 each Sunday at 8:30pm from 27 June 2010[4] and has since been repeated on UKTV.[5]

The series won seven Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries.[6]

Plot

Since her birth in 1805, twenty-one years prior, Amy Dorrit has lived in the Marshalsea Prison for Debt, caring for her father, William, who now enjoys a position of privileged seniority as the Father of the Marshalsea. Amy works as a seamstress for Mrs. Clennam, a cranky, cold and forbidding semi-invalid living in a crumbling home with servants, the sinister Jeremiah Flintwinch and his bumbling wife, Affery.

Mr. Clennam is ill in China with his son, Arthur. His dying wish is that his son "put it right" with his mother. He gives Arthur a pocket watch for her, with hidden meaning. Returning to England after 15 years, Arthur gives his mother the watch, which she opens and reads "Do not forget." Arthur is enamoured of the beautiful Minnie (Pet) Meagles, who prefers aspiring artist, Henry Gowan, to her parents' distress. Arthur befriends Amy, but only as someone helping his mother. Amy falls in love with him. John Chivery, who guards the prison with his father, watches, dismayed, because he loves Amy.

Amy's brother, Tip, falls into debt and joins his father in prison. Arthur pays his debt anonymously, but Amy guesses; whilst Tip is ungrateful, Amy's love for Arthur grows. Arthur, observing his mother's uncharacteristically benevolent attitude towards Amy, suspects his family may be responsible for the Dorrits' misfortunes and asks rent collector and amateur detective, Mr. Pancks, to investigate.

Chivery proposes to Amy, who declines, upsetting both fathers and threatening Dorrit's position. Arthur, unaware of Amy's love, proposes to Pet, who tells him she plans to marry Gowan. He meets inventor-engineer Daniel Doyce: they become partners.

An ex-convict, Rigaud, meets Flintwinch's brother, Ephraim, who has Mrs. Clennam's papers, which she had ordered Jeremiah to burn. Rigaud gets Ephraim drunk, murders him, and takes the papers, learning the Clennam family secret.

Pancks discovers that Dorrit is heir to a fortune. Dorrit, now wealthy, leaves the Marshalsea and insists his family forget their "shameful past" and everyone connected to it, snubbing and insulting Arthur. He hires Mrs Hortensia General to educate his daughters and prepare them for society. They all depart on a Grand Tour of Europe, but Amy cannot adapt to the new lifestyle. Amy's sister, Fanny, is courted by, and accepts, the step-son of wealthy banker, Mr. Merdle. At Pancks' suggestion, Arthur invests in Merdle's bank.

Dorrit returns to England and asks Merdle for advice on "prudent investment". Merdle agrees to invest Dorrit's fortune as a family favour. Dorrit , still tormented by prison memories, returns to Italy to propose to Mrs General, but loses his sanity and dies. Amy returns to London, where she is accommodated by the newly-married Fanny.

Merdle kills himself, his suicide note revealing that his bank is a Ponzi scheme which has ruined thousands, including Arthur, who is forced into the Marshalsea. Chivery angrily reveals to Arthur that Amy loves him. Arthur becomes feverish and is nursed by Amy, who offers to pay his debts, but he refuses.

Rigaud returns to Mrs. Clennam and reveals what he learned from the documents: her unloving attitude drove her husband to infidelity, which resulted in a son, Arthur, whom Mrs. Clennam raised as her own, without any motherly feeling. When Arthur's birth mother died, his paternal grandfather bequeathed money to Amy, who was born in the Marshalsea the day Arthur's birth mother died there. Rigaud demands £2,000 to keep silent, but Mrs. Clennam leaves her house for the first time in years, finds Amy, reveals the truth, and begs forgiveness. Her dilapidated house collapses, killing Rigaud. Returning to her demolished home, Mrs. Clennam collapses and dies.

The Dorrits learn that their money had been invested with Merdle, and is lost. Now that Amy is penniless, Arthur accepts her, and they declare their mutual love. Daniel Doyce returns from Russia, where he has made a fortune, which he shares with Arthur, who marries Amy.

Cast

Production

The series was filmed on location at Chenies Manor House, Luton Hoo, and Hellfire Caves in Buckinghamshire; Deal Castle in Kent; Hampton Court Palace as the Marshalsea; and the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Interiors were filmed in the Pinewood Studios.

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 10 critics have given the series a positive review, and the consensus states, "With a sterling cast and plenty of juicy drama, Little Dorrit is a superb adaptation."[7]

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the series was often compared to Davies' Bleak House, which was released three years earlier. One reviewer for The Daily Telegraph wrote that "Some of the acting has been a bit too hammy" and blamed falling viewing figures on "confusion over scheduling, starting as an hour long special and then breaking into half an hour episodes, like a Victorian East Enders";[8] another added that it "doesn't seem to have caught on in the same way as other recent costume dramas such as Cranford and Bleak House", both due to scheduling and also down since "it wasn't quite as good" as these two programmes, though also that "Most of the cast were as reliably terrific".[9] The Independent also praised the performances, especially Courtney, Macfadyen and Peake,[10] whilst another of its reviewers praised Davies' adaptation.[11] The Guardian also praised the acting and the adaptation, though with the caveat that "because it's Dickens, those top names can get away with a little bit more showing off and look-at-me acting than they would be able to in, say, Jane Austen".[12]

United States

Brian Lowry of Variety observed, "Slow going at first and rushed near the end, it's nevertheless an absorbing piece of work, reminding us that there are certain things the Brits simply do better... Davies could have easily shed (or at least pared down) a few of [the] subplots without seriously diminishing the story's grandeur, and after the lengthy windup, the last hour races through tying up the assorted loose ends. Even so, there's so much gaudy talent on display here that those with an appetite for it won't be able to get enough, and Little Dorrit gives them everything they could want in a big, gloriously messy package."[13]

Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe felt the series "has so many virtues – indelible performances, stirring pathos, and an emotional and psychological heft unusual for Dickens – that you can forgive its one significant flaw... For all its feeling, Little Dorrit does not wrap up well, which is a no-no when it comes to Dickens. Indeed, a Dickens denouement needs to be neat... But the loose strings that Davies leaves dangling at the end of this script are frustrating. All the carefully built mystery implodes in the final act, as the importance of a number of characters... and the backstory itself are left murky in ways that Dickens made clear... It's hard to imagine how this happened in the course of such an otherwise mindful endeavor. And yet Little Dorrit is still rewarding, for the long journey, if not for the final stop."[14]

Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times noted, "Not every character is exactly as described on paper; some don't stay around long enough to register and others who have earned our interest just disappear. And the story can be confusing at times. But all in all, this is a dynamic, addictive rendition of a complicated novel."[15]

Jonathan Storm of The Philadelphia Inquirer stated, "Andrew Davies, who made 2006's Bleak House one of the best TV shows of the year, crafts another superb script, with characters and incidents squeezing out the sides, just the thing to satisfy close observers, which anyone joining this maxi mini-series should be. Costumes, sets, and actors, a broad lot of those super-skilled, terrifically trained Brits, make for sumptuous viewing... You pretty much know what to expect when Masterpiece visits the 19th century. But Little Dorrit stands at the high end of a very lofty list of period-piece achievement. It's big entertainment."[16]

In her review in The New York Times, Alessandra Stanley said the series "is as rich at the margins as at the center with strange, and strangely believable, characters from almost all levels of society, rendered in quick, firm strokes,"[17] while David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle called it "terrific entertainment... in some ways, perhaps even better than its source material."[18]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2009
 British Academy Television Craft Awards Best Costume Design Barbara Kidd Nominated [19]
Best Make Up and Hair Design Karen Hartley-Thomas Nominated
Best Original Television Music John Lunn Nominated
Best Production Design James Merifield Nominated
Best Sound – Fiction/Entertainment Rudi Buckle, Colin Chapman, Ross Adams, and Richard Street Nominated
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Best Drama Series Nominated [20]
Writer's Award Andrew Davies (Also for Sense and Sensibility) Nominated
Irish Film & Television Awards Best Director – Television Dearbhla Walsh Nominated [21]
Director of Photography – Television Owen McPolin Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Miniseries Nominated [22]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Matthew Macfadyen Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Tom Courtenay Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Judy Parfitt Nominated
Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries Adam Smith, Dearbhla Walsh, and Diarmuid Lawrence Nominated
Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries Andrew Davies Nominated
Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Costume Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Lighting in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Music in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Production Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Miniseries Anne Pivcevic, Rebecca Eaton, and Lisa Osborne Won [23]
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Tom Courtenay Nominated
Andy Serkis Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special Dearbhla Walsh (for "Part 1") Won
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special Andrew Davies Won
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie James Merifield, Paul Ghirardani, and Deborah Wilson Won[lower-alpha 1]
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special Rachel Freck Won
Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie Lukas Strebel (for "Part 1") Won
Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or Special Barbara Kidd and Marion Weise (for "Part 3") Won
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie Karen Hartley-Thomas Nominated
Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) John Lunn (for "Part 5") Nominated
Royal Television Society Awards Actor (Male) Matthew Macfadyen Nominated [24]
Actor (Female) Claire Foy Nominated
Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards Costume Design - Drama Barbara Kidd Nominated [25]
Satellite Awards Best Miniseries Won [26]
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Tom Courtenay Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Judy Parfitt Nominated
Television and Radio Industries Club Awards TV Drama Programme Nominated [27]
Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards Television Drama Series Andrew Davies Nominated [28]
Lifetime Achievement Award Won
2010
 Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries Barbara Kidd Nominated [29]
Golden Globe Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film Nominated [30]
Producers Guild of America Awards David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television Anne Pivcevic and Lisa Osborne Nominated [31]

See also

Notes
  1. Tied with Kalina Ivanov, Brandt Gordon, and Norma Jean Sanders for Grey Gardens.

References
  1. "Little Dorrit[10/12/2008] (2008)". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018.
  2. "Little Dorrit". 26 October 2008. p. 60 – via BBC Genome.
  3. Stanley, Alessandra (28 March 2009). "Dickens and the Business Cycle: The Victorian Way of Debt (Published 2009)". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  4. "ABC1 Programming Airdate: Little Dorrit (episode one)". ABC Television Publicity. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  5. "UKTV Programme Synopsis: Little Dorrit". UKTV Online. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  6. "Little Dorrit (Masterpiece)". Television Academy.
  7. "Little Dorrit". Rotten Tomatoes.
  8. "Little Dorrit is superb even if audiences are falling". The Daily Telegraph. London. 24 November 2008. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010.
  9. Walton, James (11 December 2008). "Last night on television – Little Dorrit (BBC1)". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  10. Sutcliffe, Tom (27 October 2008). "The Weekend's Television: Little Dorrit, Sun, BBC1". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010.
  11. Eyre, Hermione (2 November 2008). "Television: Little Dorrit, BBC1". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009.
  12. Wollaston, Sam (27 October 2008). "The weekend's TV". The Guardian. London.
  13. Brian Lowry. "Little Dorrit". Variety. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  14. Gilbert, Matthew (27 March 2009). "Dickens meets 'Lost' in PBS's 'Little Dorrit' – The Boston Globe". Boston.com. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  15. "Review: 'Little Dorrit' on PBS". Los Angeles Times. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  16. Storm, Jonathan (28 March 2009). "Jonathan Storm: 'Little Dorrit': One dandy Dickens tale". www.inquirer.com.
  17. Stanley, Alessandra (28 March 2009). "The New York Times". Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  18. David Wiegand; Chronicle Staff Writer (28 March 2009). "TV review: Smart, well-played 'Little Dorrit'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  19. "BAFTA Awards: Television Craft in 2009". BAFTA. 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  20. "Shortlist for 35th BPG Television and Radio Awards". Broadcasting Press Guild. 26 February 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
  21. "Winners of the 6th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards". Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  22. "13th Annual TV Awards (2008-09)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  23. "Little Dorrit (Masterpiece)". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  24. "RTS Programme Winners 2009". Royal Television Society. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  25. "CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2009". Royal Television Society. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  26. "2009 Satellite Awards". Satellite Awards. International Press Academy. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  27. "The Television and Radio Industries Club - TRIC Awards 2009 Nominees". 3 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  28. "Writers' Guild Awards 2009". Writers' Guild of Great Britain. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  29. "11th Costume Designers Guild Awards". Costume Designers Guild. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  30. "Little Dorrit – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  31. McNary, Dave (5 January 2010). "PGA unveils nominations". Variety. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
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