David Copperfield is a British six-part television serial of the 1850 novel by Charles Dickens adapted by Hugh Whitemore , directed by Joan Craft and first shown on BBC 1 in weekly parts from 1 December 1974 to 5 January 1975. ^[1] It was a co-production with Time-Life Television Productions . ^[2] It is the earliest BBC adaptation to exist in its entirety. The 1956 adaptation is completely lost, whilst only four of the 1966 adaptation's episodes are known to exist.

Cast [ edit ]

• Jonathan Kahn as David Copperfield (child)
• David Yelland as David Copperfield (adult)
• Martin Jarvis as Uriah Heep
• Arthur Lowe as Wilkins Micawber .
• David Troughton as Ham Peggotty
• Ian Hogg as Dan Peggotty
• Timothy Bateson as Mr. Dick
• Patience Collier as Betsey Trotwood
• Anthony Andrews as Steerforth
• Patricia Routledge as Mrs. Micawber
• Pat Keen as Peggotty

Critical reception [ edit ]

This version was generally well received. ^[3] In Clive James review for The Observer he wrote: " David Copperfield is as good as everybody says. Steerforth's flaw is well conveyed by Anthony Andrews, and Uriah Heep, played by Martin Jarvis, is a miracle of unction: to hear him talk is like stepping on a toad long dead. But Arthur Lowe's Micawber is better than anything. He follows W. C. Fields in certain respects, but is graciously spoken; and his gestures are as delicate as Oliver Hardy 's. Not that his performance is eclectic - it is a subtle unity like everything he attempts." ^[4]

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

• David Copperfield at IMDb
• David Copperfield at BBC Online