Collection of BBC drama series adapted from the novels by Charles Dickens. In ' Great Expectations' (2011) eleven-year-old Pip (Oscar Kennedy) encounters escaped criminal Magwitch (Ray Winstone) while out on the marshes &, out of fear, helps him, an event which will shape both of their futures. When the wealthy Miss Havisham (Gillian Anderson) seeks the presence of a boy at her grand house, Pip is sent to her & becomes a playmate for her adopted daughter, Estella (Isobel Meikle-Small/ Vanessa Kirby). As a young adult, Pip (Douglas Booth) learns that he will receive an inheritance from a mystery benefactor when he turns 21. Now under the guardianship of lawyer Jaggers (David Suchet), Pip moves to London where he hopes to become a gentleman worthy of Estella's love. In ' Little Dorrit' (2008) the Dorrit family has spent years in a debtors' prison due to the financial mess in which father William (Tom Courtenay) managed to land himself as a youth. Youngest daughter Amy (Claire Foy), known as Little Dorrit, finds work with the wealthy Mrs Clenham (Judy Parfitt) but knows that her father will, in all probability, spend the remainder of his life in gaol. However, when Arthur Clenham (Matthew Macfadyen), recently returned from abroad, comes to suspect that his late father was in part responsible for the Dorrits' plight, he becomes determined to make amends. But as he continues to delve into the mysteries of the Dorrits' & his parents' shared past, he is unaware that his own mother's house has been placed in peril by the arrival of a sinister stranger. In ' Oliver Twist' (2007) Oliver (William Miller) is born into a life of seemingly hopeless poverty. Escaping the cruelty of the workhouse he has grown up in, the young orphan makes his way to London where he meets a gang of pickpockets, led by the charismatic Fagin (Timothy Spall), & receives the first warm welcome of his life
- unaware that this kindness comes at a price. When he is mistakenly taken as a thief, the wealthy victim, Mr. Brownlow (Edward Fox), brings Oliver to his home & shelters him but evil lurks on the horizon in the form of Fagin's associate, the ruthless Bill Sykes (Tom Hardy). In ' Bleak House' (2005) high & low life in Victorian London is explored to the full when young Richard Carstone (Patrick Kennedy) & his cousin, Ada (Carey Mulligan), are caught up in the interminable legal case of Jarndyce vs Jarndyce. Drawn into a world where the icy & composed Lady Dedlock (Anderson) hides a dark secret, & where their lives will be affected by the attentions of their friend, Esther (Anna Maxwell Martin), their guardian, Mr John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson), & the predatory attentions of various unscrupulous lawyers, boarding house owners & debt collectors, the two young cousins will each meet with very different ends as the case approaches its long-delayed conclusion.
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A four-volume collection of films based on the novels of Charles Dickens. In the modern-day version of ' Great Expectations' (1998), ten-year-old Finn Bell (Jeremy James Kissner) is coerced by the convict Lustig (Robert De Niro) into helping him escape from the authorities. Later, when he is taken to the home of bitter recluse Nora Diggers Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft), Finn (Ethan Hawke) is introduced to the beautiful Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), whom he is fated to love. In ' Nicholas Nickleby' (2002) young Nicholas (Charlie Hunnam) has to become the head of the family after his father dies, leaving them penniless. In desperation, he turns to his uncle (Christopher Plummer) for help, but this only leads the family into even more of a mess. In 'A Christmas Carol' (1984) the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (George C. Scott) is a misanthrope unimpressed by the fuss everyone makes during the festive season. That is, until, his sleep is disturbed one Christmas Eve by the ghosts of Christmas past, present & future, each of which takes him on a journey which helps him to open his heart to his fellow man & to thereby learn the joy of Christmas. Finally, in Roman Polanski's adaptation of ' Oliver Twist' (2005), Oliver (Barney Clark) escapes from a miserable apprenticeship & travels to London. Once there, the Artful Dodger (Harry Eden) initiates him into an infamous gang of pickpockets led by the notorious Fagin (Sir Ben Kingsley). After a robbery goes wrong, an innocent Oliver soon finds himself on the run from the evil Bill Sykes (Jamie Foreman). ...

Derek Jacobi presents this documentary exploring the towns, villages & rural locations where novelist Charles Dickens lived & worked, & looking at how he went on to use these places in his novels & stories. ...

Documentary about the American jazz giant Charles Lloyd. Featuring archive footage, interviews & live performances, the documentary delves deep into the life of the tenor saxophone player. ...

Documentary about the American jazz giant Charles Lloyd. Featuring archive footage, interviews & live performances, the documentary delves deep into the life of the tenor saxophone player. ...

Quirky comedy starring Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray & Jason Schwartzman. With a beautiful girlfriend, wealth & fame, successful graphic designer Charles Swan III (Sheen) seems to have the perfect life. But when his girlfriend Ivana (Katheryn Winnick) suddenly decides to leave him he seeks solace in his best friend Kirby (Schwartzman) & manager Saul (Murray) & through surreal flashbacks & recollections we are given a glimpse into Charles Swan's understanding of the situation... ...

TV adventurer Charlie Boorman sets off on another journey, using any transport available, from Ireland to Australia. Following on from his motorcycle adventures with Ewan Mac Gregor, Charlie travels across three continents & 24 countries using any mode of transport he can get his hands on, including elephants, gondolas, yaks, bikes, trucks & boats, on his way from Irel&, via eastern Europe & India, to Sydney, Australia. ...

All six episodes of the BBC2 travel series following adventurer Charley Boorman as he makes his way from Sydney to Tokyo. Boorman uses various forms of transport, including quad bikes, hovercrafts, canoes & motorbikes, to reach his final destination while visiting Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines & Taiwan along the way. ...

Guy Hamilton directs this 1950s British drama following the rise to fame of a young comedian. Charley Moon (Max Bygraves) first discovers his ability to entertain during World War II, when he appears in a military concert & captures the attention of Harold Armytage (Dennis Price), a pre-war entertainer. When victory is won & the unit disbanded, Harold suggests to Charley that they team up & form a comedy duo. Though times are hard & the pair must battle to be heard in rowdy venues, they build their confidence to such an extent that they decide to head to the bright lights of London. How will they fare in the capital? ...

Live performance from the country music legend. Pride, a Grammy winner, rose to fame in the early 1970s & has enjoyed sustained success since. Here he performs a number of hits & fan favourites including: ' Just Between You & Me', ' Whole Lot of Lovin'' & ' Love Sick Blues'. ...