Alan Bleasdale Movies
This 2000 television adaptation of Charles Dickens' Victorian classic was originally released as a six-hour, three-part miniseries on PBS. Adapted by Alan Bleasdale, this version of Oliver Twist gives viewers a new look at an old story, waiting 90 minutes to even introduce its eponymous hero (played by Sam Smith), and taking pains to establish the background of Oliver's parents, good-hearted Agnes Fleming (Sophia Myles) and all-around coward Edwin Leeford (Tim Dutton). All of the resolutely Dickensian touches are here, from greedy relatives to secret wills, to stolen lockets containing valuable information, and all are ably brought to life by a talented cast that includes Julie Walters as Mrs. Mann, Michael Kitchen as Mr. Brownlow, Lindsay Duncan as Elizabeth Leeford, Marc Warren as Monks, and Robert Lindsay as Fagin. As an added bonus, the miniseries' score, by Paul Pritchard, contains additional music by none other than Elvis Costello. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Smith, David Ross, (more)
Originally adapted for German television in 1966, Francis Durbridge's mystery novel Melissa was remade as a British miniseries in 1974. That version was sufficiently famous to warrant an expensive four-part reworking nearly a quarter of a century later. Expanding considerably upon the original, this new version of Melissa told the story of war correspondent Guy Foster (Tim Dutton), who, after the death of his wife in a car accident, embarked upon an ocean voyage to forget his troubles. En route, he enjoyed a shipboard romance with an ethereally beautiful woman named Melissa (Jennifer Ehle), who shortly afterward died in mysterious circumstances. The plot thickened as several of Guy's other acquaintances were likewise knocked off, one by one, until the hero found himself accused of their murders. Melissa debuted over Britain's Channel 4 on May 12, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Dutton, Jennifer Ehle, (more)
- 1997
A murder mystery gets revisited when a writer (Caroline Goodall) is assigned to cover the story of Olive Martin (Pauline Quirke), who confessed to and was convicted of the brutal murders of her mother and sister. Due to the cruel condition of the bodies, Olive became known as "the Sculptress." Convinced, despite Olive's attesting otherwise, that she is innocent, the writer works with a former police officer (Christopher Fulford) to try to find the truth. The film was originally broadcast as two 90-minute episodes of Masterpiece Theater. ~ Sarah Sloboda, All Movie Guide
- 1986
The three-part British miniseries The Monocled Mutineer related the true story of army private Percy Topliss, who during WWI rebelled against the cruelties imposed upon conscripts at the infamous Etaples training camp. After fomenting a mutiny on September 29, 1917, Topliss was forced to go on the lam, "hiding in plain sight" by successfully impersonating an Army captain. The chase ended not long after Topliss murdered a London cab driver in 1920. Busy TV and stage scrivener Alan Bleasdale was given the task of compressing Topliss' "career" into a single 95-minute episode and two 75-minute installments. The Monocled Mutineer was shown by BBC1 between August 31 and September 29, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
The six-episode British miniseries Scully was adapted by Alan Bleasdale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
