Nicholas Nickleby (1968 TV series)

Nicholas Nickleby is a British television series which first aired on BBC 1 in 1968.^[1][2] It is based on the novel Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, following a compassionate young man who, after the death of his father, tries to save his friends and family from his wicked uncle, and earn a living strong enough to support them.^[3]

Nicholas Nickleby
Radio Times cover with Martin Jarvis
Genre	Historical drama
Based on	Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
Written by	Hugh Leonard
Directed by	Joan Craft
Starring	Martin Jarvis
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Producer	Campbell Logan
Running time	25 minutes
Production company	BBC
Original release
Network	BBC 1
Release	11 February (1968-02-11) – 5 May 1968 (1968-05-05)

Cast

• Martin Jarvis as Nicholas Nickleby (13 episodes)
• Susan Brodrick as Kate Nickleby (12 episodes)
• Hugh Walters as Smike (12 episodes)
• Derek Francis as Ralph Nickleby (11 episodes)
• Gordon Gostelow as Newman Noggs (11 episodes)
• Thea Holme as Mrs. Catherine Nickleby (11 episodes)
• Ronald Radd as Wackford Squeers (7 episodes)
• Maxwell Shaw as Mr. Mantalini (7 episodes)
• Thelma Ruby as Madame Mantalini (6 episodes)
• Terence Alexander as Sir Mulberry Hawk (5 episodes)
• Raymond Clarke as Lord Frederick Verisopht (5 episodes)
• Hazel Coppen as Miss La Creevy (5 episodes)
• Sharon Gurney as Madeline Bray (5 episodes)
• John Bailey as Brooker (4 episodes)
• Geoffrey Bayldon as Arthur Gride (4 episodes)
• Malcolm Epstein as Wackford Junior (4 episodes)
• John Gill as Ned Cheeryble (4 episodes)
• Bartlett Mullins as Tim Linkinwater (4 episodes)
• Paul Shelley as Frank Cheeryble (4 episodes)
• Rosalind Knight as Miss Snevellicci (2 episodes)
• Daphne Heard as Peg Silderskew (2 episodes)

Archive status

The original black and white master videotapes for the serial were wiped sometime after broadcast, although all episodes survived as 16mm telerecordings. The full serial is unavailable online and was not included on DVD by Simply Media when the company released other surviving Dickens serials produced by the BBC between 1958 and 1969 (such as versions of Bleak House and Great Expectations). As of 2024, it remains unreleased in any format.

See also

• Nicholas Nickleby (1957 TV series) – 10-part BBC serial