BBC One has announced that Steven Knight, acclaimed writer of Peaky Blinders and Taboo, will pen a series of adaptations of Charles Dickens novels for the channel. The idea is for Knight to put his own spin on the classic tales to create a sort of boxset of of adaptations over the next few years, with A Christmas Carol lined up as the first to be adapted.
“Any question about narrative storytelling is answered by Dickens”, said Knight. “To have the chance to revisit the text and interpret in a new way is the greatest privilege. We need luck and wisdom to do this justice”.
The adaptations have been commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, and Charlotte Moore, Director Of BBC Content, while both Ridley Scott and Tom Hardy‘s production companies, Scott Free and Hardy Son and Baker, respectively, will also produce.
Moore went on to add: “It’s incredibly exciting to have a genius like Steven embark on a series of Dickens adaptations. What can I say? Be prepared to be blown away by his wholly original and visionary take on some of Britain’s best loved classics”.
The Christmas Carol adaptation is set to be three one-hour instalments and will be ready for Christmas 2019. BBC have a reputation for adapting and rebooting old classics, and things don’t really get more classic than Dickens.
Knight has proven himself to be adept at writing period dramas, so hopefully his reimaginings can capture the magic of Dickens’ work while also putting a new spin on the stories. There will be a fair amount of pressure on A Christmas Carol to be well received in order to keep interest levels high for Knight’s other Dickens adaptations.
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