Sunday, July 13, 2014

TV Review




After hearing loads about Little Dorrit, I finally checked it out from my library last weekend after learning that it not only starred Matthew McFadyen (aka the man of my Austen dreams) and Russel Tovey (the loveable werewolf from the original Being Human), but was written by Arthur Davies (the mastermind behind the Knightley version of Pride & Prejudice).


Watching it was definitely the right decision.


I don't want to give anything major away, because the ending is definitely unexpected--unless you've read the book, obviously--but this is a great miniseries. Basically, the series focuses on the interactions between the Dorrit family, living in the debtor's prison, and the wealthy Clennams, living in a large and aging house. Arthur Clennam's father has died abroad, and he returns to London to see his mother and give her his father's dying wish: a watch with a note that says, "Do not forget". Mrs. Clennam has just hired a young girl named Amy Dorrit, whom she calls Little Dorrit. Arthur and Amy become good friends after Arthur thinks the Clennam family might have wronged the Dorrits in the past. The villain, although I'm reluctant to call him such by the end, is a Frenchman named Rigaud (played by the man who voices Gollum!). Intertwined within the main story is a cast of amusing and heartfelt characters, including the turnkeys from the prison, Arthur's former sweetheart, the rent collector, and the other Dorrit children.


The drama of Little Dorrit and the Clennams, the hilarity of sister Fanny and the high society runners, and even the historical significance of bank schemes made the entire fourteen episodes gripping and entertaining. I laughed more than I cried, but when poor Russel's character gets a some sad news, I cried right along with him. All in all, I would recommend this spectacular series to anyone who loves historical dramas like myself, as well as anyone who loves Pride & Prejudice or Being Human UK. Davies does a wonderful job of encapsulating the scandalous chaos of industrial London while using a first-class cast to add warmth to the gray setting.




I loved it so much, I might have binge watched all fourteen episodes in three days...

Even if it takes longer than three days, be sure to check out this amazing miniseries!

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