The Old Curiosity Shop (1994)

Synopsis: This four-part miniseries captures the tragic inevitability of the Charles Dickens novel without resorting to sentimentalism. Replete with the familiar Dickensian themes of poverty and gloom, the story takes place in cold and brutal 1840's London. Here the old codger Trent lives in the... This four-part miniseries captures the tragic inevitability of the Charles Dickens novel without resorting to sentimentalism. Replete with the familiar Dickensian themes of poverty and gloom, the story takes place in cold and brutal 1840's London. Here the old codger Trent lives in the back of his curio shop with his adopted granddaughter Nell. He struggles to control his gambling habit, but his loan shark Quip, whose has an almost religious devotion to cruelty, seems always on the verge of closing in. When Quip finally comes to collect his debts, Trent and the girl escape to the countryside to start their lives anew. Despite their good intentions, Trent's past, embodied by Quip, refuses to let them be. [More]