Great Expectations? The best and worst adaptations of the Dickens classic

Since the butchered 1934 Hollywood version, the 1861 novel has been a regular on both the big and small screen. Here are some of the most notable productions

Alec Guinness as Herbert, John Mills as Pip and Finlay Currie as Magwitch in Great Expectations (1946)

Paul Whitington

Next Sunday night the BBC will launch a major new six-part adaptation of Great Expectations. Adapted by Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders fame, boasting high production values and an impressive cast (Olivia Colman plays jilted crazy Miss Havisham), this is a prestige drama worth getting excited about. Or rather it would be, if it hadn’t been adapted so many times before.