Introduction

A Tale of Two Cities is an 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.

The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. In the Introduction to the Encyclopaedia of Adventure Fiction, critic Don D’Ammassa argues that it is an adventure novel because the protagonists are in constant danger of being imprisoned or killed.

The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to influence popular culture.

Outline

During the turbulent days of the French Revolution, Frenchwoman Lucie Manette falls in love with Englishman Charles Darnay who’s hiding his true identity and purpose.

Cast

• Mervyn Johns … Mr. Jarvis Lorry, 7 episodes, 1957.
• Peter Wyngarde … Sydney Carton, 7 episodes, 1957.
• Fred Fairclough … Dr. Manette, 7 episodes, 1957.
• Joan Ingram … Miss Pross, 7 episodes, 1957.
• Ronald Radd … Jerry Cruncher, 6 episodes, 1957.
• Wendy Hutchinson … Lucie Manette, 6 episodes, 1957.
• Edward de Souza … Charles Darnay, 6 episodes, 1957.
• Kenneth Thornett … Ernest Defarge, 6 episodes, 1957.
• Margaretta Scott … Madame Defarge, 5 episodes, 1957.
• Gordon Gostelow … John Barsad, 5 episodes, 1957.
• Julian Orchard … A man named Jacques, 3 episodes, 1957.
• Heron Carvic … The Marquis St. Evermonde, 2 episodes, 1957.

Trivia

• As Dickens’s best-known work of historical fiction, A Tale of Two Cities is claimed to be one of the best-selling novels of all time.
• In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC’s The Big Read poll.
• All episodes are believed to be lost.

A Tale of Two Cities Series

• Episode 01: Recalled to Life.
• Episode 02: The Jackal.
• Episode 03: The Gathering Storm.
• Episode 04: The Honest Tradesman.
• Episode 05: The Storm Breaks.
• Episode 06: The Darkness.
• Episode 07: A Hand at Cards.
• Episode 08: The Footsteps Die Out for Ever.

You can find a full index and over of A Tale of Two Cities Franchise here.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
• Producer(s):
  • Kevin Sheldon … producer (8 episodes, 1957).
• Writer(s):
  • John Keir Cross … (adaptation) (8 episodes, 1957).
  • Charles Dickens … (novel) (8 episodes, 1957).
• Music:
• Cinematography:
• Editor(s):
• Production:
  • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
• Distributor(s):
  • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1957) (UK) (TV).
• Release Date: 28 July 1957 to 15 September 1957.
• Rating: Unknown.
• Running Time: 240 minutes (total running time).
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

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