David Copperfield is a two-part BBC television drama adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel of the same name, written by Adrian Hodges. The first part was shown on Christmas Day 1999 and the second part the following day.
The production is the acting debut of Daniel Radcliffe, who later rose to stardom as the title character of the Harry Potter film series, where he collaborated with his David Copperfield co-stars Maggie Smith, Zoë Wanamaker, Imelda Staunton, Dawn French and Paul Whitehouse.
The series was co-produced by BBC America and Boston television station WGBH, and first aired on American television in April 2000, as a feature in the PBS series Masterpiece. It won a Peabody Award in 2000.
Contents
Production
The original adaptation was written by John Sullivan, the writer of BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and would have emphasised the comic aspects of Dickens' novel. The plan was to reunite former stars David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst on-screen, with Jason playing Wilkins Micawber and Lyndhurst in the role of Uriah Heep.
When Sullivan disagreed with the new direction and re-allocation of the adaptation to the BBC's drama department, he left the project, and Adrian Hodges' work was used instead. Lyndhurst remained with this production to play Uriah Heep, and the role of Micawber was taken by Bob Hoskins. Sullivan eventually moved to ITV, where in 2001 he produced a four-part series called Micawber, with Jason in the title role.
Ian McKellen, who plays Mr. Creakle in this adaptation, previously starred as the adult David Copperfield in the BBC's 1966 adaptation of the novel.
Plot
Part one
David Copperfield is born in Blunderstone, Suffolk, three months after the death of his father, who was also called David Copperfield. On the night of David's birth, his great-aunt Betsey Trotwood arrives at the "Rookery" — the Copperfield family home — and eagerly anticipates the birth of a baby girl. She insists that Clara Copperfield's baby must be called Betsey Trotwood Copperfield and that she will be her godmother. However, when the delivered child turns out to be a boy, Miss Trotwood is horrified (as her previous experiences with men have all ended badly) and storms out.
David grows up loved and cared for by Clara and their maid, Peggotty. When David turns eight, Clara meets Edward Murdstone, a stern man whom David does not receive warmly. Peggotty offers to take David with her to Yarmouth to visit her brother Dan and his family, and he accepts, forming a bond with Dan's niece, Emily. When they return, David finds, to his horror, that his mother has married Murdstone. Murdstone invites his equally stern sister Jane to live with them, and the two Murdstones quickly assume complete control of the household, defeating any resistance in Clara to their strict methods, denying David any comfort from her or Peggotty's affection, and disciplining him harshly for the slightest infraction. When Murdstone canes David for falling behind in his studies, David bites him and, as punishment, is sent to Salem House, a boarding school owned by Murdstone's unpleasant friend Mr. Creakle, who is particularly harsh towards David at Murdstone's request. David's only comfort at the school is his friendship with James Steerforth, an older student from a wealthy family, who first defends him from a gang of bullies and then helps him win the respect of other pupils.
David returns home for the holidays and finds that Clara has given birth to a baby boy. Soon after returning to Salem House, he is informed by Creakle that his mother and half-brother have died, and he returns home for the funeral. Peggotty is dismissed, but becomes engaged to a local acquaintance, Mr. Barkis.
With the Murdstones now in full control of the Rookery and David's future, Murdstone takes David out of school and sends him to work in his factory in London, arranging for the boy to live with Wilkins Micawber, who treats David like his own son. Micawber is sent to a debtors' prison shortly afterwards. When he is released, he and his family are forced to move to Plymouth, leaving David homeless. David runs away from London to Dover to find Betsey Trotwood in the hope that she will take him in. At the outset of his journey, he has all his possessions stolen and is forced to sell most of his clothing and travel on foot. He manages to find her, and despite her initial reluctance to have a boy in her house, she takes him in and writes to inform the Murdstones of his arrival. Over time, David bonds with Betsey's lodger, Mr. Dick, and Betsey herself begins to feel attachment to her great-nephew. When Edward and Jane Murdstone arrive to take David back, Betsey appoints herself David's legal guardian, giving the Murdstones a verbal scolding for their cruelty and angrily ordering them out of her house. They are not seen or heard from again.
Part two
David sees Agnes at a party in London, where he also encounters Uriah Heep, Mr Wickfield's clerk. David tells Agnes of his love for Dora before running into his old friend Steerforth. Uriah tells David of his becoming a partner of Mr. Wickfield's and his desire to marry Agnes, much to David's disgust. He also warns David not to tell Agnes or her father of his intentions. Soon after, David enjoys an unexpected visit with the Micawbers before visiting Steerforth at his mother's home, where he also meets her companion, the erratic Rose Dartle.
David and Steerforth travel to Yarmouth, where they visit Peggotty and the ailing Mr Barkis and go on to visit the Peggotty family. Dan, Ham, Emily and Mrs Gummidge are still living in the boat house, and Ham is to marry Emily. Emily confides in David that she does not believe herself to be good enough for Ham and ignores David's reassurances. David makes one final stop to visit Peggotty and informs her of his plan to marry Dora.
At David's lodgings in London, the Micawbers come for dinner, and Micawber reveals that he has been hired to work for Uriah Heep. A few days later David expresses his feeling to Dora, who accepts his proposal. On returning home that evening, David finds Mr Dick and Miss Trotwood on his doorstep, declaring that she is ruined. Concerned that Mr. Wickfield was "no longer the man of business he once was", she had withdrawn her trust fund from his control, reinvested it herself, and "lost the lot". Since he is now without his aunt's financial support, David and Dora agree to keep their engagement secret. David returns to Canterbury to see the Wickfields and reveals to Mr Micawber that he suspects Heep of trying to control Wickfield's business. When Heep declares his intention to marry Agnes, Mr Wickfield responds angrily. The next day, Agnes tells David that her father has apologised to Heep, on whom he is now dependent. Upon David's next visit to Mr Spenlow, he finds that his engagement to Dora has been discovered and is not welcomed by her family. Unwilling to give up Dora, David tries once again to convince Mr Spenlow of his worthiness, but later discovers him dead from a heart attack.
David visits Yarmouth again after he receives a letter from Peggotty, informing him that Barkis's health is deteriorating and that he will die soon. Barkis eventually dies and leaves £3,000 in his will - the interest on £1,000 to Dan Peggotty and £2,000 to Peggotty.
Some locations in the story
Blunderstone is the village in Suffolk where David Copperfield is born. He lives at a house called The Rookery with his mother Clara and servant Peggotty. When Clara Copperfield marries Mr Murdstone, he moves into the house and is soon joined by his sister. Their presence turns the house into an unhappy place and David suffers particular cruelty, being sent away to Salem House boarding school after he bites Mr Murdstone during a beating. David finally leaves Blunderstone after his mother's death, when Mr Murdstone sends him to work in London.
Yarmouth is the Norfolk seaside town where Peggotty's relatives live in a boat house with their friend Mrs Gummidge. David visits the place as a child and returns about a decade later to visit the Peggotty family. After Ham's death, Dan, Emily and Mrs Gummidge move to Australia to start a new life - something which was particularly beneficial to Emily after her relationship with Steerforth.
Salem House is the London boarding school where David Copperfield is sent after he bites Mr Murdstone. The cruel headteacher, Mr Creakle, is a friend of Mr Murdstone and singles out David for extra torment. David leaves the school after his mother's death, when he is sent to work at Mr Murdstone's factory. His best friend at the school is an older boy called Steerforth, who first rescues him from a gang of bullies, and who he meets again as an adult.
London first features in the story when David is sent to work in Mr Murdstone's factory. He lives with the financially troubled Mr Micawber, who served time in a debtors' prison, until the Micawbers move to Plymouth. David then decides to go to Dover in the hope that Betsey Trotwood will take him in. London features again when David begins his working life apprenticed to a lawyer called Mr Spenlow. During his time in London, David meets Dora Spenlow - who becomes his first wife.
Dover is the seaside town in Kent where David goes to find Betsey Trotwood after the Micawbers leave London. She agrees to take him in and he lives at the house with Betsey and her lodger Mr Dick.
Canterbury is the city in Kent where David Copperfield resumes his education. He grows up as a lodger at the house of Mr Wickfield, Betsey Trotwood's business manager, whose daughter Agnes eventually becomes David's second wife and mother of their three children. Also living at the house is Mr Wickfield's lurking clerk Uriah Heep, who is eventually discovered to have committed fraud against Miss Trotwood and Mr Wickfield.