Peter Rhodes on improving Dickens, giving up mouthwash and the death of a whale
HERE we go again. Two vicious dogs tear a beagle to pieces in a park and their owner declares that they are 'good' and 'gentle' family pets. You've only to look at the history of dog attacks to know that you or your pets are more likely to be savaged by an 'old softie' than any other breed.
DICKENSIAN, screened over the last festive period, was probably the second-best costume drama the BBC has ever made. Its only flaw was to be shown in brief 30-minute episodes which hardly gave you time to settle down with a glass of porter and a muffin to enjoy the Victorian ambience. Netflix is now reshowing the series but has edited them into chunky and very satisfying one-hour episodes. Excellent.
THE best ever costume drama? For my money it's Bleak House starring Anna Maxwell Martin and Gillian Anderson and screened in 2005.
