David Copperfield (1966 TV serial)

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
David Copperfield
File:David Copperfield (1966 TV serial).jpg
Radio Times cover with Christopher Guard
Genre Period drama
Written by
Directed by Joan Craft
Starring
Composer(s) John Hotchkis
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 13 (9 missing)
Production
Producer(s) Campbell Logan
Running time 25 minutes
Release
Original network BBC 1
Original release 16 January (1966-01-16) –
10 April 1966 (1966-04-10)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

David Copperfield is a BBC television serial starring Ian McKellen in the title role of the adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel[1] that began airing in January 1966.[2] It also featured Tina Packer as Dora[3] Flora Robson as Betsey Trotwood,[4] Gordon Gostelow as Barkis,[5] and Christopher Guard as young David.[6] The screenplay adaptation was written by Vincent Tilsley, who had previously helmed the 1956 adaptation almost a decade prior.[7]

It had a viewership of over 12 million for its initial airings.[8] Only four of the serial's thirteen episodes (3, 8, 9 and 11) are known to exist.[9] It is said to be remarkably similar to the 1956 adaptation that preceded it, although that version is now completely lost.

Plot

For a detailed plot, see David Copperfield (novel).

Cast

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>

Archive status

After being rebroadcast in the late 1960s, the original master videotapes for all thirteen episodes were wiped by the BBC. The 16mm telerecordings made for preservation were junked sometime afterwards, most likely in the 1970s. Only four episodes (3 "A Long Journey", 8 "The Proposal", 9 "Domestic Tangles" and 11 "Umble Aspirations") are known to exist with the BFI, with episode 3 existing in the highest quality. Episodes 8, 9 and 11 suffer from notably lower sound and picture quality. Additionally, unedited studio footage of episode 3, featuring outtakes, mid-take conversations between actors and even director Joan Craft telling the crew to "shut up", is also held by the BFI and available for private viewing at their building on Stephen Street, London. All four episodes are available to view for free at their Southbank building via the Mediatheque service.

Critical reception

The BFI's Screenonline wrote "while this adaptation is occasionally light in the playing (comic music punctuates some of Micawber's gesticulations), it doesn't avoid the novel's tough incidents, and its length allows an unusual faithfulness to incident and character (finding room for Traddles and others omitted from shorter adaptations)."[10] Sir Ian Kellen himself later said, "I was new to television and got absorbed in the technicalities of it all: characterization was forced, I expect, and I'm very glad the original videotape has been destroyed."[11]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links


<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Stub icon

This article related to a BBC television programme is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=David_Copperfield_(1966_TV_serial)&oldid=726738219"