| Genre: | Historical drama |
| Director: | Peter Hammond |
| Starring: | Jane Seymour Leo McKern Jack Wild |
| Composer: | Carl Davis |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 7 |
| Producer: | Martin Lisemore |
| Runtime: | 50 min. |
| Company: | BBC |
| Channel: | BBC Two |
Our Mutual Friend is a 1976 British television serial adapted from Charles Dickens' 1865 novel Our Mutual Friend.[1] [2] The series was made by the BBC and ran during 1976 for a total of seven episodes.[3] It was directed by Peter Hammond.[4]
The adaptation was by Julia Jones and Donald Churchill, who had written the ITV sitcom Moody and Pegg (1974–75).[5] Their version excludes some minor characters in order to convey the action within the limitations of a seven-episode structure, but was praised by British reviewers for faithfully reproducing the mood and atmosphere of the original novel.[2]
| Actor/Actress | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| John McEnery | John Rokesmith | |
| Jane Seymour | Miss Bella Wilfer | |
| Nicholas Jones | Eugene Wrayburn | |
| John Collin | 'Rogue' Riderhood | |
| Leo McKern | Nicodemus Boffin | |
| Lesley Dunlop | Lizzie Hexam | |
| Andrew Ray | Mortimer Lightwood | |
| Kathleen Harrison | Mrs. Henrietta Boffin | |
| Ray Mort | Reginald Wilfer | |
| Polly James | Jenny Wren | |
| Warren Clarke | Bradley Headstone | |
| David Troughton | Sloppy | |
| Patricia Lawrence | Mrs. Wilfer | |
| Edmond Bennett | Mr. Dolls | |
| Richard Stilgoe | Mr. Boots | |
| John Savident | Mr Podsnap | |
| Jack Wild | Charley Hexam | |
| Alfie Bass | Silas Wegg | |
| Ronald Lacey | Mr Venus |
The theme music was composed by Carl Davis.[6]
The stage-style filming of the serial was criticised, but a number of performances were singled out for praise, including those of Polly James as Jenny Wren and Jack Wild as Charley Hexam.[7]