Oliver Twist

BBC-1 | BBC | Release Date: December 18, 2007
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleDavid Wiegand
Season 1 Review: From spot-on casting and one extraordinary performance after another, to a bold adaptation by Sarah Phelps, to Coky Giedroyc's energizing direction, to a toe-tapping musical score (that probably doesn't belong here, but fie on that - it's fun), this Oliver Twist is a thrill ride for anyone who still believes that TV can be entertaining. Read full review
88
USA TodayRobert Bianco
Season 1 Review: Times have changed, but they haven't weakened the basic strength of Dickens' story or diminished his insights into a society in which the poor are left to their own oppressed devices unless they cross paths with the rich. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyAlynda Wheat
Season 1 Review: The humor is wilder, the penury sadder, and Sophie Okonedo a winsome Nancy. The only bad twist is the overwrought score. Read full review
80
Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker
Season 1 Review: The filmmakers heighten the intrigue, explore the seedy underworld and portray a murderer's guilt with haunting artistry. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalNancy DeWolf Smith
Season 1 Review: The casting is effective. William Miller gives Oliver the requisite vulnerability and steeliness. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesMary McNamara
Season 1 Review: You can't really improve on the story of "Oliver Twist"; the best you can hope for is to bring it to life, which the two-part "Masterpiece Classic" version skillfully does. Read full review
70
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray
Season 1 Review: Timothy Spall steps onto the screen as one of Dickens' most ambivalent villains in a largely unexceptional version adapted by Sarah Phelps. Read full review
70
VarietyLaura Fries
Season 1 Review: Director Coky Giedroyc's grittier, reality-based approach to Sarah Phelps' adaptation contrasts sharply the popular and nostalgic musical account "Oliver!" Nevertheless, this version does stay true to Dickens' original intent to call attention to social evils in harsh times. Read full review
60
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Season 1 Review: The two-part miniseries makes missteps aplenty, with tone and plot changes from the novel that will likely offend purists. But it nonetheless has a warm spirit and an original vision, which is more than I can say for Roman Polanski's rote 2005 version. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
Season 1 Review: This latest production of the Dickens classic, solid but not spectacular, adds a few contemporary touches, including some rather modern-sounding background music and expressions like "go bonkers." Read full review
50
SalonHeather Havrilesky
Season 1 Review: The whole thing would be worthwhile but ultimately forgettable, if not for some particularly heart-wrenching scenes where Okonedo really makes us feel for poor Nancy, the conflicted prostitute who loves that nasty Sikes in spite of herself. Read full review
40
The New York TimesMike Hale
Season 1 Review: Their response is a conventional condensation that sticks to the broad outlines of the book while scrambling characters and events in myriad small ways guaranteed to enrage Dickens purists. Read full review
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