The Crimson Petal and The White
BBC-2 | BBC | Encore | BBC Two | Release Date: April 6, 2011
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Miami HeraldGlenn GarvinSep 10, 2012
Season 1 Review: O'Dowd and Garai are fascinating as they make their characters grow in opposite directions--he more steely, she more compassionate--over the course of the show. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushSep 10, 2012
Season 1 Review: It's also a pungent, harrowing and thoroughly captivating entertainment, a welcome reminder of the power of the classic miniseries, which the networks have shunned for far too long. Read full review
80
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertSep 10, 2012
Season 1 Review: There are a few revelations in this rich adaptation, concisely written for the screen by Lucinda Coxon. Read full review
80
St. Louis Post-DispatchGail PenningtonSep 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: Britain's BBC2 and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon have captured the feverish tone and most fascinating storylines of Faber's book in a miniseries making its U.S. debut. Read full review
80
Denver PostJoanne OstrowSep 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: Set in 1870s London, the tightly focused story of manipulative men, trapped women, an inappropriate, even abusive doctor, plus diary entries containing dreams of escape adds up to an inviting, rather highbrow wallow. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandSep 10, 2012
Season 1 Review: What truly makes the miniseries, though, are the performances in general and that of Garai in particular. The entire story and theme turn not only on contrasts but also on character evolution, which demands precision and nuance from the cast. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydSep 10, 2012
Season 1 Review: Crimson Petal could lose an hour without sacrificing a single scene or word of dialogue, and it would still seem slow and moody. Read full review
50
The New York TimesMike HaleSep 10, 2012
Season 1 Review: The show does a creditable job of cataloging the novel's themes, but it has more trouble capturing the story's Victorian-style sweep and texture. Read full review
50
VarietyBrian LowrySep 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: So while The Crimson Petal is tough, grim and explicit--and by the last measure provocative, at least relative to those accustomed to Dickens or Austen--the production finally feels unworthy of its length or leading lady. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalNancy DeWolf SmithSep 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: Amid memorable villains, Dickens always gave us someone to like and root for. It's hard to find anyone to cheer on here. Read full review
40
The Huffington PostMaureen RyanSep 7, 2012
Season 1 Review: Frankly, it's avant-garde to the point of feeling overwrought and pretentious. Read full review
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