A brilliant adaptation, along with the 1999 and 1935 versions it is one of the best adaptations of possibly one of Charles Dickens' best books. Dickens is very difficult to adapt, and David Copperfield while not as huge as Our Mutual Friend and Bleak House and not with as many subplots is no exception to that. His work is difficult to adapt because of how he wrote about the aesthetics and such of the time; he had a mix of funny comedy, genuine foreboding and heart-breaking tragedy that not all adaptations of his work bring out entirely successfully; and the question of the characters being believable, with the villains not being too camp, the female heroines/characters not being bland and the side characters not being too much like grotesque caricatures.Back to this David Copperfield, it is atmospheric without being too bleak and sumptuous without being too clean, it's beautifully shot as well. The music is one of the more appealing music scores of any David Copperfield adaptation, haunting and beautiful as one would want. The dialogue flows naturally, is succinct and easy to understand while capturing Dickens' spirit and stylistic flavour, while the story is not too rushed or draggy- even with the story stretched over 10 episodes-, is faithful to the book and Dickens and is comprehensible.The cast are uniformly strong. Colin Hurley is an identifiable David, a softer interpretation than some but it works and he isn't too bland. Extra marks also for handsomeness and a real effort to make all three Davids alike. The other two younger boys as the character engage too. Standing out in particular in the cast were Simon Callow's unforgettably funny Micawber, Paul Brightwell whose Uriah Heep is an absolute weasel and Oliver Cotton's cruelly chilling and vily cold Murdstone. Brenda Bruce is very good as Betsy Trotwood, and John Savident is one of the more memorable Creakles. Natalie Ogle is beautiful and innocent and Sandra Payne's Mrs Micawber is warm and funny.Overall, brilliant and one of the best David Copperfield adaptations. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I enjoyed this production so much I am still seeking a copy of it 20 years later. Simon Callow's portrayal was the best Wilkins Micawber ever! What a thrill to hear him shout,"You,you, Heep of infamy!" I have yet to find another production of David Copperfield that I like as much as this one from 1986. The musical score was so appealing. The entire cast was exceptional. I just finished watching the 1999 ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theater production with a very young Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)and it was also very excellent. This version includes a masterful performance by Maggie Smith as Aunt Betsey Trotwood. However, I still find myself longing to watch this 1986 version again. Colin Hurley will always be my favored vision of Mas'r Davy. Thorley Walters will always be my Mr. Dick. I do hope the BBC will release this on DVD. I would buy it in a heartbeat!

I definitely agree with the previous previewer. In my opinion, this is the absolute best David Copperfield production ever. Paul Brightwell is just great as Uriah Heep. Dora's character was played just as Charles Dickens depicted her. Davie, Aunt Betsy, Mr. Dick, Really, all of the actors' performances were wonderful.I have enjoyed most of them since the 1935 edition with W.C. Fields as Mr. McCawber. But this mini-series is the best, hands down. I have searched all over the internet for a copy of the series, but to no avail. I too hope they release it someday for purchase. Or, if they would run it again on TV, I could tape it.

Like another person who posted here, I have a fond memory of this BBC miniseries presented here in the States on Masterpiece Theater on PBS. I have been hoping that it will pop up on home video at some point. I see IMDB doesn't have complete cast/crew details for this one and I'm hoping that someone will supply them eventually. It's great to see another person remembering and requesting this fine adaptation, which as I recall appeared on PBS just after another treat, the "Fortunes of War" miniseries that brought Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson together for the first time.