Only a few tell-tale crumbs left in the first box of mincepies (I knew I shouldn't have opened them) ... But I'm three mugs of tea and three episodes into Dickensian - and it is absolutely fabulous!
It's a murder mystery - who killed Jacob Marley, Scrooge's nasty business partner who is known to have been paying by the hour for the attentions of Nancy(from Oliver Twist)? Inspector Bucket (from Bleak House) is on the case.
It is enormous fun because everybody's in it ... young Miss Havisham, who has yet to be jilted, is seemingly BFF with the future Lady Dedlock (Bleak House) who is house model at the Mantalini gown shop (Nicholas Nickleby); young Peter Cratchit has a crush on Little Nell and Sairey Gamp is knocking back the gin down The Three Cripples. The set is simply wonderful. And if you occasionally find yourself wondering, errr... was that from Martin Chuzzlewit or Our Mutual Friend? it doesn't really matter. It is brilliantly clever and I'm sure Dickens would have loved it.
It has been a Dickensian week here as we had an early Christmas outing on Sunday to see A Christmas Carol. The ghosts were suitably spooky and scary - and the London backdrop was terrific, if not on the BBC scale. But it went on just a bit too long - a few too many warbled carols - and if I'm honest I preferred the Muppets' version which was a Christmas treat a few years ago. I'm half expecting Kermit to pop up in Dickensian.
It is great fun - and so cleverly written, Sue. You could watch it as a soap opera without knowing the novels - but then you'd miss the biggest joke of seeing who's popping up where. I was so impressed with myself when I realised MIss Havisham's little dog Jip must have strayed from David Copperfield/Dora - it nagged at me, then arose up from the 0-level sludge at the bottom of my brain!
ReplyDeleteOh, this sounds good! I hope it makes it to the states. I was just looking at the biography of Dickens by Claire Tomalin that came out last year. I bought it but have not yet read it. Dickens at this time of the year is always a good idea!
ReplyDeleteIT's a long series, Sunday - but let's hope you get the chance to see it. That Dickens biography is excellent and very readable. Tomalin used to live on the street where Mrs Dickens lived after the separation; wonder if that was whata inspired her!
ReplyDeleteI I am so looking forward to seeing this.
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