Great Expectations. BBC1. 9pm.

[tiredemma]

Cant wait!

Trailer looks fab.

SuperFrenchie- I though GE was good, however Bleak House knocks spots off it and im quite envious of anyone who is going to watch it for the first time.

I thought it was fantastic.

How might one find Bleak House? Is it online somewhere or would I need to buy the DVD? I loved GE! Found GA slightly irritating as Miss H - too ethereal.

Pip was so very beautiful. That actor will go far.

You can watch it all on youtube if you don't want to buy the DVD.

I've just treated myself to Bleak House. £6 from Amazon.

I loved this adaptation - especially with pretty Pip! I could actually fancy him!!! And I am also disappointed it wasn't a longer adaptation. I loved Ray Winstone as Magwitch but agree with the poster who said he actually plays himself. Was delighted to see Harry Lloyd playing Herbert!

I dislike the casting of Estella - I expected stunningly beautiful! She always left a lasting image with me! I also know that Miss Havisham died accidentally. I was aso disappointed it wasn't filmed down in Kent where it was actually set & the B&W movie was filmed. I also missed Biddy as she really looked after Pip as he grew.

Forgive me if I'm wrong (last read the book in early 2000s & read many books since then) but doesn't Magwitch die by being almost chopped up by a steam boat going up the Thames? I'm also sure he speaks to his wife & meets Estella (or am I adding here?). Plus I'm sure Pip never ends up with Estella - did the BBC make it a happy ending?

As others have said - the actor playing adult Pip was far too boy band 2011 looking. The child Pip was excellent (and looked nothing like adult Pip). Estella certainly grew on me - liked her.

The book as far too heavily compressed and edited - you were made to take massive leaps of logic in order to make sense of the plot. Why no Biddy? What about the episode where Joe rescues Pip from dying of pneumonia or something in his rooms and takes him home to Kent? These are all key to the plot of Pip his world behind. And Magwitch was in it far too much compared to the book - clearly because they thought they had a casting coup in Ray Winstone (he had top billing)

Fairygodmother - they did change the ending. Or else they left it to be enigmatic and stopped the film before Estella said they must only be friends at their meeting at Satis House.

On balance, it was nearly there, but not quite. Disappointing compared to Bleak House.

Estella was beautiful, but I agree not quite right for the role. I thought she looked too old, far older than Pip.

Bleak House sounds fab, off to buy on Amazon!

Did you see how some of you have been directly quoted in this mornings Daily Fail? hysterical. Perhaps they will take notice of my get rid of Steve Wright in the Afternoon thread!!

Ooh, have you got a link? I can't see it online.

its on page 21 of todays paper, the headline is Dickens fans complain the BBC's Pip is far too pretty.

"On parenting website Mumsnet one viewer commented: I'm not watching it because I couldnt bear the thought of a Pip that looked like a male Keira Knightly. Hes all lips and pouting prettiness. One added: what has happened to Pip? He has gone all boy band pretty?" It goes on but my fingers are aching!

I loved Bleak House, the casting was just perfect and it felt so right - not rushed, just perfect.

Being a writer for the daily mail must be the easiest thing in the world these days. All they seem to do is read message boards and report on them! I've not read the article but I hope it wasn't too negative as most people on here have been mostly complimentary.

Thanks Kat

Absolutely LOVED Great Expectations

Have to agree Estella wasn't quite beautiful enough, not in Pip's league!

The only character I had an feeling for was Magwitch; the others were all mad as cheese!

I thought the child actors were better than the adult actors & am glad I'm not the only one who thought Pip looked like Keira Knightly.

BTW, the estuary around Tollesbury were this was filmed are wonderful. Go on a sunny day, though.

Have just watched the the last episode on iplayer!

Overall enjoyed it (but then am a sucker for period dramas!) agree with the points about Estella and Pip (she needed to be prettier and he needed to be more ordinary looking!) Thought Miss Havasham is about as crazy as she is in the book and actually it fitted that she topped herself (I think Dickens would have approved!)

Yes it was good

I'm no literature purist but I did enjoy it. Watched it with dd (11) who has now been inspired enough to read the book!

i fell asleep in the final episode. Thought junior Pip was a great little actor.

Yes, child actor Pip was amazing, can never remember thinking this of a child actor before. He completely dominated and held my attention.

Was doing OK till the last episode then it all went a bit pearshaped for me. Was disappointed in GA - she was just too twee and ethereal and didn't see old enough as has already been mentioned.

Joe just didn't seem big enough and was far too stern it seemed.

Where oh where was Biddy ... surely it was her that completely finished off the smug Pip when he discovered she'd married Joe.

Oh dear Pip - very pretty to look at, but not someone who looked as though they'd spent a few years apprenticed to a blacksmith - his acting was good though. His hands were so terribly burnt in the accident that caused Miss Havisham to burn... um.

Didn't really go into the breaking down of Estella at Drummles' hands either - hence the end wasn't quite strong enough of the two of them totally reduced coming together at last .... just to be friends.

Real shame they missed out Wemmick's Walworth and the Aged P's.

Loved Herbert Pocket though!

But apart from that I quite liked it

It didn't live up to my memories of the book (O'Level) and I was disappointed with some of the casting. It needed another few episodes to do it justice I thought. Herbert, Pumblechook, Wemmick and Joe were good as was Bentley Drummell. As others have said there needed to be more Biddy and what happened to Joe's young wife after the aunt had died. Molly didn't wring her hands and neither did Estella - that was the first link in the book I recall. I though Magwich/Winstone was monumentally good and very true to the character.

Estella was not nearly beautiful enough, Jaggers was not dynamic enough, Pip's London exploits were not detailed enough, Biddy didn't have enough energy and Joe could have been larger and more empathic. I hadn't thought much about Pip being too pretty but agree that Miss Havisham was not quite right at the beginning although the character improved towards the end.

Not the greatest - a pale imitation compared to Bleak House.

Oops just got Biddy and the aunt mixed up. I meant the aunt didn't have enough energy at the beginning.

Ah thanks married - I'd forgot his sister, Mrs Gargery wasn't as strong/nasty as I remembered her. Did it at O Level too - couldn't read it for many years afterwards, I knew it in too much detail

I think taking Biddy out - must have been hard to write the adaptation as she is so central to both young Pip and what happens at the end.