Wandering around Netflix, looking for something to watch during my recent convalescence, I happened upon "Bleak House". I really don't know how I missed this gem when it aired on television, except that I pay little attention to PBS anymore. This BBC adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel is from Andrew Davies, who also brought us the Colin Firth "Pride and Prejudice". With a large cast (including Gillian Anderson in a role which makes you forget there ever was an "X-Files") "Bleak House" is supposed to center around the ridiculous legal system of 19th Century England, but the true hinge of the tale is Esther Summerson, a lovely, intelligent, and kind young woman of unknown birth.
Charles Dickens wrote "Bleak House" in twenty monthly magazine installments and the story is so interesting that it must have been painful to wait for each new part of the story. The miniseries only had eight parts but we could not stop watching until we had finished the series. A lackadaisical quest for something to watch turned into a desperate desire to know how the story ended. Needless to say, I really, really recommend this miniseries.
Charles Dickens wrote "Bleak House" in twenty monthly magazine installments and the story is so interesting that it must have been painful to wait for each new part of the story. The miniseries only had eight parts but we could not stop watching until we had finished the series. A lackadaisical quest for something to watch turned into a desperate desire to know how the story ended. Needless to say, I really, really recommend this miniseries.
Leave a comment