Period drama is 'one of BBC's most acclaimed series ever' based on 1853 book

One of the BBC's most celebrated series has been described by viewers as "exceptionally well done", and it isn't hard to understand why. The broadcaster's 2005 adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House stands as one its most acclaimed series ever.

With its star-studded cast, meticulously styled costumes and accurate decor, viewers are thrown into the dense, foggy, and coal-burning eerie atmosphere of mid-19th century England. This production cleverly transforms Charles Dickens' serialised novel into a format reminiscent of a contemporary soap opera, while maintaining the high standards of quality and production. Moreover, Bleak House centers on a protracted legal dispute over an inheritance, weaving together elements of romance and tragedy throughout its compelling narrative.

The drama series consists of 15 episodes and was adapted from Charles Dickens' novel of the same name. The original novel was serialised in print between 1852 and 1853, spanning 20 months.

Bleak House aired on BBC One from October 27 to December 16, 2005, receiving widespread acclaim from both critics and viewers. Nevertheless, period-drama fans can still stream it now.

Welsh screenwriter and novelist Andrew Davies wrote the adaptation, with BAFTA winner Nigel Stafford-Clark serving as producer and direction by Justin Chadwick and Susanna White. At the heart of the story is the protracted legal dispute of Jarndyce v Jarndyce, which casts a shadow over numerous potential heirs, all bewildered by a tangle of conflicting wills.

John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson), the owner of Bleak House and a possible beneficiary, takes in his orphaned cousins Ada Clare (Carey Mulligan) and Richard Carstone (Patrick Kennedy), who are also claimants to the estate, as his wards. He also employs Esther Summerson (Anna Maxwell Martin) as Ada's companion and housekeeper.

Another potential heir is Honoria, Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson), married to the formidable Sir Leicester (Timothy West). The Dedlocks' lawyer, Mr. Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance), begins to suspect a link between Lady Dedlock and a recently deceased man known as Nemo.

As Mr. Tulkinghorn investigates Nemo's identity, Lady Dedlock undertakes her own secret search for information about the mysterious man.Meanwhile, Ada and Richard develop romantic feelings for each other.

Richard, indecisive about his future, shifts from studying medicine to law and then to a military career, but soon becomes obsessed with the inheritance he hopes to receive from the ongoing court case, despite John Jarndyce's warnings.

Bleak House won multiple BAFTA awards, including Best Drama Serial and Best Actress for Anna Maxwell Martin at the main Television Awards, as well as several Craft Awards for its production and design. Scoring an impressive 87% on Rotten Tomato, the series has received a slew of positive reviews online.

"Absolutely loved it," a person wrote on a Google review. "There's a feast for lovers of period drama here."

The same reviewer continued: "The production values are top notch. I especially enjoyed the natural lighting.

"It was dark back then and scenes seem to be lit by natural or very low light. The dreariness of the poor and unfortunate is highlighted by this darkness.

"You can almost smell the filthy characters and cramped ghetto conditions of the London poor. Honestly there are so many characters that I loved in this production.

"Phil Davis's Mr Smallweed was hilarious 'shake me Judy'. I bet they had a very hard time keeping straight faces in those scenes.

"Burn Gorman gives a standout performance as Mr Guppy, you can't help but laugh at these names. Gillian Anderson delivers a heartbreaking turn as Mrs Dedlock who gives the impression of being cold and unfeeling but is truly a victim of circumstance and captive of her station as a lady.

"Charles Dance's Mr Tulkinghorn is insidiously evil, but the character I hated more was Nathaniel Parker's Harold Skimpole. He was especially despicable with his apathy and pose as an 'innocent child' while he fleeced, manipulated, and sponged off his friends.

"I never understood how the good and decent Mr John Jarndyce, played by Denis Lawson, was ever friends with him. The costumes, hair, set dressing, locations etc were all beautifully done.

"The grungy slums were truly overcrowded and disgusting. The wealthy mansions were both elegant but also very stuffy, and gave a good sense of how rigid and stifling life as a person with a position would have.

"The life expectancy was so low and several deaths of young and old occur from consumption in this story. It's sad and depressing while the pace and intrigue keep up the interest and the comical characters provide consistent levity.

"Dickens showed how the legal profession, the so called 'justice system' was corrupt and mainly there to protect the wealthy. The Jarndyce wards Richard Carstone, played by Patrick Kennedy and Ada Clare, by Carey Mulligan are drawn into the case as the potential heirs to the Jarndyce fortune.

"They are both warned by John Jarndyce, who takes them in, that they should not pin their hopes on getting this money. That he experienced first hand how the never ending legal process, with the attending lawyers, who were the only ones to get any money, drove his poor uncle to desperation and suicide.

"Unfortunately, the ward Richard Carstone doesn't heed this warning, gets sucked into pursuing this money by the oily Mr Skimpole and his associates.He goes from one career to another, presuming that his safety net of a future inheritance allows him the freedom to be a spend thrift and man about town.

"He spends all his money, goes into debt, marries Ada, and spends all her money. His gradual deterioration with consumption is sad and deeply frustrating for those that love him.

"He was duped by Skimpole and consumed by his lust for money supported by his belief that he was pursuing rightful justice for himself and Ada. Truly a tale to heed and remember.

"Dickens saw how these scammers, crooks and people without any morals, ethics or decency carried out their business and exposed their devious methods. He reflected the depravity wreaked on the poor, in particular the children and the elderly by those with the means to take from them.

"This is truly a killer cast and production of a timeless and relevant Dickens classic."

Someone else penned: "This series is exceptionally well done. I have watched BBC versions of Dickens for about 60 years., but somehow I never saw this until now.

"I have even made costumes for some from the 1960s and 70s. Excellent cast, with a clarity of characters that sometimes can be confusing in a Dickens story, with such a wide variety of characters.

"This particular story has great relevance today, with our society's own problems of justice for all. I hope the BBC can continue to make Dickens' stories resonate as well as this, though I fear cuts in budgets are impinging on the BBC as well as public television here in the US."

You can stream Bleak House now on BBC iPlayer.