Trivia / Nicholas Nickleby

The book:

• Referenced by...: Matilda: When Miss Honey is assessing her reading ability, Matilda gives a long list of books she has read recently, including Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, Tess Of The Durbervilles, The Lord of the Rings, The Invisible Man, The Secret Garden, Crime and Punishment, ...and The Cat in the Hat
• Write Who You Know: Mrs. Nickleby was based on Dickens' mother.

The 1947 version:

• Acting for Two: James Hayter as Ned and Charles Cheeryble.

The 1957 version:

• Missing Episode: All ten episodes are missing.

The 1968 version:

• Denial of Digital Distribution: An especially strange case. All thirteen of the episodes survive, a rarity for old BBC series, but the BBC refuses to release it in any format.
• Remake Cameo: Rosalind Knight played Fanny Squeers in the 1957 series and Miss Snevellicci in the 1968 series.

The 1980 stage version:

• Acting for Two: Virtually all of the actors, since there were only about 40 actors playing nearly 200 characters. Only Nicholas and Smike played a single character.

The 2001 version:

• Role Reprise: Liz Smith played Peg Sliderskew in this version and the 1977 miniseries.

The 2002 film:

• All-Star Cast: Anne Hathaway, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Bell, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Broadbent... and the list goes on.

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