PBS Little Dorrit

A Dickens classic -- will play over the next 5 weeks on PBS Masterpiece Classic.

Andrew Davies was one of the writers -- he blotched up the ending (changed it!) in A Room With A View. He also had all sorts of allusions in some of the other classics he updated recently -- none of these ever in print at their original time.I do not think the original authors would agree with his updated presentations.

Let us hope that in this series, he presents it as it was written but we shall see -- he seems to have many tricks in these productions that leave some of us horrified!

Here is a good article that gives an overview of Little Dorrit.

Little Dorrit at PBS.org - cast, characters, synopsis, educational resources.

Update/Review:

I had a hard time waiting for the next episode.
Yes, there were changes but I shall overlook them.

Arthur Clennam was a bit younger than in the book but it worked out ok.
His dying father had words he wanted him to keep.
Arthur worked for Clennam and Co. and spent most of his time travelling till after his father died, he went back to visit his confined mother (confined to her chair, her room, her house) and quits the business.
He helped free Mr. Dorrit from debtors prison (where Amy was born and lived serving him) by hiring Mr. Pancks (sideline detective) to do a bit of investigating. Mr. Pancks finds out the Dorrits are rich by unclaimed inheritance.

So Mr. Dorrit, his brother Frederick, and his three adult children along with Mrs. General (social expert educating Amy and her sister Fanny) go travelling abroad because they are people of "means and wealth" (Mr. Dorrit feels he is owed this social status.).

Mr. Dorrit is concerned about mingling with the high society of people of means now he is rich but finding it hard to fit in as he has missed so much over his long stay (decades) at the Marshalsea Prison. But unfortunately, and unknown to him, he loses his fortune in the Merdle banking collapse (a Ponzi scheme) when Mr. Merdle commits suicide. At about the same time, Mr. Dorrit dies and his brother Frederick dies within minutes after his brother's death in Italy.

The Dorrits are broke again after a short time of wealth. Many others are broke also.

The murdering Frenchman Rigaud -- he was scarey, creepy, funny (full of himself), and an idiot (though he thought he was clever) although, he did show a bit of kindness giving Amy the letters of truth thinking he would extort money from Mrs. Clennam, who hired and paid Amy as a seamstress prior to the Dorrits tour abroad.

Rigaud comes to collect his extortion money.
This makes Mrs. Clennam extremely mad.
Mrs. Clennam got out of her chair, stumbled about, left her dark dreary prison (room), left her dilapitated house, stumbled in the streets, and found Amy and told her to open the letters. Meanwhile Rigaud thought she was just going to the bank to get him the extortion money. Amy found the truth and forgave Mrs. Clennam who collapsed and died in the street after witnessing her house collapse. Rigaud got killed by falling beams but Flintwinch the butler and his wife lived on.

Arthur Clennam, now residing in the debtors prison (in the Dorritt's old cell courtesy of John Chivery, who was refused by Amy on a marriage proposal.) is beside himself due to fever.
Amy is there nursing him.
Before the fever, Arthur learned why Amy refused John's marriage proposal from John himself, who told him that Amy loved him (Arthur). Arthur is shocked by this news for he never looked at it that way before.

So the truth is out as Arthur and Amy compare notes (from the box) and letters.
Amy is the real Clennam, her father is the late Mr. Clennam by an affair with a dancer at the boarding house that was owned by Frederick Dorrit.
Arthur learns he is an adopted son -- so who he thought were his real parents were not his biological parents.

Amy and Arthur get married in the end.

Side stories:

John Chivery - son of the Marshalsea turnkey. He is devotely in love with Amy and has been for a very long time. She refuses his proposal and he is heartbroken with grief and sadness but will do anything for Amy's happiness and welfare.

Flora Finching, widow, - once she and Arthur had planned a future but that was canned by their coniving parents. Arthur was sent off on business to break them up. Flora married the late Mr. Finching and inherited his aging senile Aunt upon his death.
Flora's father, Mr. Casby is the slum landlord unknown to his renters. Mr. Casby hires Mr. Pancks to collect the rents, while Mr. Casby presents himself to the renters as a kind and benevolent person (double life, double lie). In the end, Mr. Pancks reveals in the street, what a scum Mr. Casby is and how he has lied to the people he robs so he can live rich.
Mr. Pancks cuts off Mr. Casby's hair and beard.

The Meagles, sensible and realistic people living a country life -- Pet (daughter) marries Mr. Gowan, the "artist" although they think Arthur is a better choice (he proposed too late to her). It seems like Pet may be abused by Mr. Gowan. She then has a baby boy which Mr. Gowan does not seem to happy about.

We later learn that Miss Wade had an affair with Mr. Gowan and loved him immensely. She hired Rigaud to follow and watch them as they went on their honeymoon travels. Rigaud poisons Lion the dog of Mr. Gowan before leaving for London. They discover this after he has left.

Miss Wade also seduces/brainwashes Tattycoram, companion to the Meagles, into living with her rather than them. The Meagles are hurt and disappointed as they took Tatty in, educated her, and treated her like family. Tatty finds the hidden box of secrets and then delivers them to Athur Clenam at the prison. It looked like she was leaving Miss Wade for the deception in the end.

Doyce and Clennam -- the business that went bust due to the banking Ponzi scheme and the reason why Arthur was in prison (couldn't pay the bills). However, Mr. Doyce comes back from Russia, richer than he could imagine and saves Arthur and the business.

Tip, Amy's brother, had a few scenes which we learn he likes to mooch off of other people and would beg for money, just like Mr. Dorritt did to his guests.

Fanny, Amy's sister, ends up with Mr. Sparkler as her husband, Mrs. Merdle's son by her first marriage. Mrs. Merdle thinks little of Fanny however in the end, Mrs. Merdle (now broke and a widow) has to obey Fanny since Fanny saved her money as a dancer and is the rich one now.

Maggy -- calls Amy "Little Mother". Amy looks after her from time to time.

Mrs. Gowan -- she feels that her son was rigged into marriage. She approaches Arthur Clennam about this and later the Meagles, who blast her out. She really did no good for the entire story.