A BBC drama based on a classic and beloved novel has proved to be a must-watch for fans who described it as one of the best period dramas. Our Mutual Friend is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ final novel, which is often considered as one of his most sophisticated pieces of work.
The synopsis on IMDb, where the drama has a high rating of 8 out of 10, reads: “Intertwining tales of love, greed, and secret identities in Charles Dickens‘s 1860s London,” with numerous reviews praising the period drama for everything from the cast to the storylines.
The 1998 series stars Paul McGann, Steven Mackintosh, Keeley Hawes, Anna Friel, Peter Vaughan, David Morrissey, Dominic Mafham, and features four 1-hour and 30-minute episodes.
Fans who have watched the film have labelled it as one of the best Dickens adaptations, being blown away by how good the drama is.
One fan wrote on IMDb: “‘Our Mutual Friend,’ a sumptuous six-hour adaptation of Charles Dickens’ last novel, easily establishes itself among the very best of the long-form British adaptations. Visually stunning, with an opulent budget, no other series more accurately captures the feeling of Dickens’ England, from the waterfront sets to the huge ensemble cast of oddballs, scum, slime, and heroes.
A second wrote: “This is the best Charles Dickens’ screen adaptation I’ve ever seen. As soon as I saw it I went out and bought it. I spend entire days watching. The characters are so involving you just have to put in the next tape even if you know what happens.”
Our Mutual Friend is available for purchase on Amazon Prime, where the mini-series also has a high rating. Fans on the streaming platform also praised the period drama.
One who rated it five stars out of five claimed that adaptations like Our Mutual Friend, “a classic Dickens lesser known masterpieces” are what “the BBC does best”.
A self-proclaimed Dickens fan also gave the drama five stars. They said: “Super story, well acted, nice costumes and architecture. I am a Dickens fan and love his range of eccentric characters. These are well portrayed and being in an episode format there is opportunity to develop the roles. Definitely worth 5*”
The drama, however, is worth a watch whether you’re familiar with the story or not. Numerous fans highly recommend it, saying with one evening adding “If you haven’t seen it see it! If you have seen it, see it again”.
Our Mutual Friend is available to purchase on Amazon Prime
