If you thought you'd already seen the BBC's best period drama offering thanks to Poldark and Gentleman Jack, you probably haven't seen Bleak House yet. The series, which scooped two BAFTAs when it first aired in 2005 and won an army of fans, features an outstanding performance from Motherland favourite Anna Maxwell Martin and, in our honest opinion, it's a 10/10 series every period drama fan should watch.
If you're not familiar with Dickens' collection of characters, the series transports us back to Victorian London, where our heroine is Esther Summerson (played by Anna), an orphan and housekeeper at Bleak House. We also meet Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson), merciless lawyer Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance), as well as the generous John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) and his two young wards Richard (Patrick Kennedy) and Ada (Carey Mulligan). With multiple stories running parallel, the series turns Dickens' novel in a story that's pacy, gripping and about as visually impactful as BBC dramas get.
Intrigued? Here's everything you need to know about Bleak House before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Bleak House about?
Based on Charles Dickens’ 1853 novel of the same name, the 15-part series revolves around an ongoing estate battle known as Jarndyce v Jarndyce. There are multiple conflicting wills regarding the estate and the winner of the fortune will be rich beyond their wildest dreams - but will they ever reach a conclusion?
The battle plays out in the Court of Chancery in Victorian London and we meet a huge cast of characters along the way. There's the cold and hauntingly beautiful, Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson), who harbours a secret, and sinister lawyer Mr Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance) who's relentless in trying to reveal it. And when Mr Tulkinghorn is murdered, there's no shortage of suspects.
We're also introduced to the benevolent John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson) of Bleak House, who welcomes orphans and wards of the court, Richard (Patrick Kennedy) and Ada (Carey Mulligan), into his home. He also hires Esther Summerson (Anna Maxwell Martin) as a companion and housekeeper for Ada, but ends up developing romantic feelings for her. Esther has a mysterious past, too, adding yet another secret to the mix.
What to read next
Writer Andrew Davies told the BBC how he hoped Dickens would approve of this work. "He was a great performer of his own work and used to give readings, and I think he would certainly appreciate the performances," he said.
"I hope he'd like the picture we've given of Dickensian London. I think he'd think we'd hit the right note in terms of humour and passion."
Anna Maxwell Martin, who plays Esther and is at the centre of many of the stories running through the series, added that her character isn't quite what you'd expect if you're a fan of the book. "Esther is portrayed quite differently in this adaptation than in the book," she said.
"In the book, as is often with these Dickens characters and characters of that time, Esther is very righteous, pure and good. I think what Andrew [Davies] has done brilliantly is that he's given her a bit of an edge.
"She's strong anyway, she's on her own, but I think he's made her more worldly and less subservient. She's also much more aware of people's faults than she is in the book."
Who’s in the cast of Bleak House?
The main cast of Bleak House includes:
- Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) as Lady Dedlock
- Charles Dance (Frankenstein) as Lawyer Tulkinghorn
- Denis Lawson (Holby City) as John Jarndyce
- Patrick Kennedy (Miss Marx) as Richard
- Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby) as Ada
- Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, The Bletchley Circle) as Esther Summerson
- Phil Davis (Whitechapel) as Smallweed
- Pauline Collins (Quartet) as Miss Flite
- Johnny Vegas (Benidorm) as Krook
- John Lynch (Sliding Doors) as Nemo
- Burn Gorman (Watcher) as Guppy
- Alun Armstrong (New Tricks) as Inspector Bucket
- Harry Eden (Oliver Twist) as Jo
Is Bleak House any good?
Yes - when it first aired two decades ago, the series was a huge hit with both audiences and critics and won many awards, including two BAFTAs. While it's quite a feat to incorporate the many storylines running through Dickens' original novel, Andrew Davies pulls it off quite spectacularly. In fact, we can't find anything to fault in it!
How can I watch Bleak House ?
You can watch all 15 episodes of Bleak House now on BBC iPlayer.
What other period dramas can I watch now?
For another brilliant performance from Anna Maxwell Martin, we'd recommend The Bletchley Circle, which takes us back to 1952 post-war Britain. The series follows four former WWII codebreakers who solve murders and Anna is superb in it. You can watch The Bletchley Circle now on Channel 4. If you're a Stephen Graham fans, we'd suggest checking out his performance in The Secret Agent. The series takes us back again to 1886 London where Verloc (Toby Jones) runs a sex shop and is secretly also being paid by the Russian Embassy to spy on an anarchist cell. The question is, can Chief Inspector Heat (Graham) uncover his secret? The Secret Agent is available to stream now on Netflix.
