BBC reveals new adaptation of classic Charles Dickens story featuring all-star cast

A NEW adaptation of a classic Charles Dickens story is coming to BBC One and iPlayer in Spring and will feature an all-star cast.

The BBC has revealed the cast and further information about Great Expectations, Steven Knight’s new BBC adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens story.

“Great Expectations is the coming-of-age story of Pip (Fionn Whitehead), an orphan who yearns for a greater lot in life until a twist of fate introduces him to the mysterious and eccentric Miss Havisham (Olivia Colman) and Estella (Shalom Brune-Franklin), showing him a dark world of possibilities,” the British Broadcasting Corporation said on Tuesday, February 7.

“Under the great expectations placed upon him, Pip will have to work out the cost of this new world and whether it will truly make him the man he wishes to be.”

Steven Knight has written and executive produced Great Expectations alongside Tom Hardy (A Christmas Carol, Inception), Ridley Scott (The Martian, Blade Runner), Dean Baker (Taboo, Trophy), David W. Zucker (The Good Fight, The Man in the High Castle), Kate Crowe (Misfits, You Don’t Know Me) and Tommy Bulfin (Peaky Blinders, The Tourist) for the BBC. Brady Hood (Top Boy, The One) and Samira Radsi (Holiday Secrets, Knightfall) are the directors.

Great Expectations is the second Dickens adaptation penned by Knight, following the hit limited series A Christmas Carol.

Alongside Olivia Colman, Fionn Whitehead and Shalom Brune-Franklin, Great Expectations will also star Ashley Thomas (Top Boy, The Ipcress File), Johnny Harris (A Christmas Carol, The Salisbury Poisonings), Hayley Squires (Call the Midwife, The Essex Serpent), Owen McDonnell (Killing Eve, Death in Paradise), Laurie Ogden (The Colour Room, The Show Must Go Online), Matt Berry (The IT Crowd, Snuff Box), Trystan Gravelle (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Baptiste) and Rudi Dharmalingam (The Split, Our Girl).

The news of the BBC’s new Charles Dickens adaptation comes after the company cancelled one of its popular shows due to wanting to ‘focus its resources on content that has the highest impact.’

On Thursday, February 2, the classic BBC show Autumnwatch was cancelled.

“These are challenging times financially and we need to make difficult decisions and focus our resources on content that has the highest impact,” it said at the time.

“Sadly, this means that Autumnwatch will not be continuing. Instead, we are investing more money into Springwatch and Winterwatch, as they are most popular with audiences.

“We are incredibly proud of the Watches and would like to thank the presenters and production team who will continue on Springwatch when it returns in May for three weeks, and Winterwatch when it returns next year for one week, reduced from two weeks.”

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