Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Product Description
Nigel Havers stars as the young Nicholas Nickleby, cruelly thrown out into the world to seek his fortune, in the BBC's triumphant adaptation of one of Charles Dickens' most celebrated novels. Darkly satirical, angry, funny, hugely entertaining - and filled with the richest assortment of oddball characters - Nicholas Nickleby features Nigel Havers in his first leading role. Includes Freddie Jones, Liz Smith and Patricia Routledge.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
There's something about BBC classic serials from what I usually refer to as the 'vintage period' ... You know, that period of about 10 - 12 years from the early 1970s onwards.
It's funny how the chemistry works in certain organisations - it's sometimes blessed with exactly the right blend of talent and people to produce enduring work of stupendously high quality, again and again.
With this production of 'Nicholas Nickleby', the BBC did it again. It was one of the Sunday afternoon teatime joys (of which far too many still remain on a shelf somewhere - that's if the videotapes haven't been 'reused' in a lunatic economy drive) that lots of us remember with affection, and often return to as an antidote to many newer efforts.
It's always interesting to view such a product several years after its first airing. One is older, wiser (one hopes), and more discerning.
Viewing this, my reaction was 'No, they don't make them like this any more, but I wish they did'.
The joy of a series like this is - as usual - that it allows the plot and the characters to develop in something like the way the original author might have intended.
Dickens would also have rejoiced at the casting of Nigel Havers - and actually, he would have rejoiced at the casting of the whole thing. It really is a lovely piece of ensemble playing, and it looks good into the bargain.
It has a deliciously theatrical quality to it, which is appropriate when you consider the story, and the cast is obviously enjoying every literate moment.
If you are undecided about whether or not to spend the very modest sum on this DVD, go ahead and take the plunge. Like almost all its contemporaries from the Golden Age of telly, you won't regret it.
It's funny how the chemistry works in certain organisations - it's sometimes blessed with exactly the right blend of talent and people to produce enduring work of stupendously high quality, again and again.
With this production of 'Nicholas Nickleby', the BBC did it again. It was one of the Sunday afternoon teatime joys (of which far too many still remain on a shelf somewhere - that's if the videotapes haven't been 'reused' in a lunatic economy drive) that lots of us remember with affection, and often return to as an antidote to many newer efforts.
It's always interesting to view such a product several years after its first airing. One is older, wiser (one hopes), and more discerning.
Viewing this, my reaction was 'No, they don't make them like this any more, but I wish they did'.
The joy of a series like this is - as usual - that it allows the plot and the characters to develop in something like the way the original author might have intended.
Dickens would also have rejoiced at the casting of Nigel Havers - and actually, he would have rejoiced at the casting of the whole thing. It really is a lovely piece of ensemble playing, and it looks good into the bargain.
It has a deliciously theatrical quality to it, which is appropriate when you consider the story, and the cast is obviously enjoying every literate moment.
If you are undecided about whether or not to spend the very modest sum on this DVD, go ahead and take the plunge. Like almost all its contemporaries from the Golden Age of telly, you won't regret it.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is one of Dickens' best stories - and, like many of his works, combines a great narrative with a strong social welfare message. In this case, against the "Yorkshire schools" where unwanted children were farmed out to be "educated" in the most austere conditions.
This adaptation of the book starts well and ends well, but there's some serious over-acting in the middle. Havers is excellent in the title role, and I liked Smike and Nicholas' uncle Ralph Nickleby. But there was something of a surfeit of less believable characters, and this forced me to rank it less highly than I otherwise would. The production dates back to 1977, and this shows in the quality of the DVD - somewhat grainy at times.
Worth picking up if you can get it at a decent price (though watch out for the Dutch imports).
This adaptation of the book starts well and ends well, but there's some serious over-acting in the middle. Havers is excellent in the title role, and I liked Smike and Nicholas' uncle Ralph Nickleby. But there was something of a surfeit of less believable characters, and this forced me to rank it less highly than I otherwise would. The production dates back to 1977, and this shows in the quality of the DVD - somewhat grainy at times.
Worth picking up if you can get it at a decent price (though watch out for the Dutch imports).
11 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Koch Vision and BBC present "Nicholas Nickleby (1977) - Nigel Havers (325 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- Under Christopher Barry (Director), Barry Letts (Producer), Chris Wimble (Editor), Charles Dickens (novel), Hugh Leonard (Screenwriter) ----- the cast includes Nigel Havers (Nicholas Nickleby), Peter Bourke (Smike), Kate Nicholls (Kate Nickleby), Derek Godfrey (Ralph Nickleby), Robert James (Newman Noggs), Derek Francis (Wackford Squeers), Anne Ridler (Mrs. Squeers), Isabelle Amyes (Miss Fanny Squeers) . . . . . our story as it begins is like nearly all of Dickens' works, the novel has a contemporary setting ... the action takes place in London, with several scenes taking place in Dickens' hometown of Portsmouth, as well as settings in Yorkshire and Devon ... with Dickens taking aim at what he perceives to be social injustices ... the cast of characters are introduced, including Nicholas' malevolent uncle Ralph, and the villainous Wackford Squeers, who operates a squalid boarding school at which Nicholas temporarily serves as a tutor. ...the film such as the novel centers around the life and adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, a young man who must support his mother and sister after his father dies ... and as for Uncle Ralph, who thinks Nicholas will never amount to anything, plays the role of an antagonist ... just remember Nicholas Nickleby is the hero of our story, his father has died and left Nicholas and his family penniless ... Nicholas is not a common Byronic hero ... Nickleby can be emotional, naive and violent, but through it all he is devoted to his friends and family, fiercely defiant of those who wrong those he loves ... the director Christopher Barry brings to the screen page by page of the novel keeping faith with the author Charles Dickens.
Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "Nicholas Nickleby" (1977) - Nigel Havers, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the BBC mini-series film market...order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- just the way we like 'em
Total Time: 325 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6361 ~ (5/02/2006)
Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "Nicholas Nickleby" (1977) - Nigel Havers, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the BBC mini-series film market...order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- just the way we like 'em
Total Time: 325 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6361 ~ (5/02/2006)
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Does not stand the test of time
Like a number of television productions of the 1970's this production of Nicholas Nickleby now seems dated and crude. Read more
Published 15 months ago by E. Dudley
CHARLES DICKENS MASTERPIECE !
THE STORY OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY HAS EVERYTHING - LOVE - PASSION - BETRAYAL - BRUTAILITY - HUMOUR - SUICIDE - INTRIGUE - PHILANTHROPY ETC IT IS TEH COMPLETE NOVEL. Read more
Published on 8 Dec 2009 by Mr. J. A. Knight
What Review ?
Having been sent Amazon's automated request to review this product, I was bemused. This was due to the fact that Amazon failed to actually deliver the product after three... Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2009 by T. Kaplan
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Film & TV > Television > Drama
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
