The Adaptation Alan Bleasdale's groundbreaking -- and unconventional -- adaptation sets a new spin on the classic... "What I think Dickens did, because of writing in monthly installments, was literally make it up as he went along. By the end he'd painted himself into a corner and the only way out was to do this back story ..." Who was Charles Dickens? His life, his work and how they intertwined... Two days after Charles turned 12, his father was thrown into Marshalsea Debtor's Prison. Charles was already working at the Warren Blacking Company, pasting labels on bottles of shoe polish; he'd left school at age 10 to help support the family. Now he was on his own... Stay Tuned for Our Next Episode : The Rise of the Killer Serial The serial bestseller. Dickens set the standard. Was it the Victorian equivalent of prime-time television? What Dickens had in common with such successors as Aaron Spelling (Dynasty), Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue), Mark Burnett (Survivor), and now Stephen King, was a new wave of technology to ride, a huge potential audience, the temperament to exploit the opportunity, and a business model to drive it... Down and Out in Victorian England What was life really like for the poor and downtrodden in Victorian England? And why? Upon entering the workhouse, inmates were stripped, searched, washed, given shapeless striped clothing to wear, and shorn of hair -- in short, they were treated like criminals... Essays + Interviews | Who's Who | Oliver's London | A Dickens Timeline Teacher's Guide | Novel to Film | A Victorian Twister | The Forum Links and Bibliography Home | About The Series | The American Collection | The Archive Schedule & Season | Feature Library | eNewsletter | Book Club Learning Resources | Forum | Search | Shop | Feedback ©