Rags to RICHES

FIONN WHITEHEAD and SHALOM BRUNE-FRANKLIN on their fresh spin on a Charles Dickens classic

- CAREN CLARK

Why do you think this tale still has such appeal?

FIONN Dickens was one of the first writers to write bluntly about class. It has stood the test of time because that idea of climbing the class hierarchy is so prevalent in Britain. But this take is interesting because of Steven's writing.

SHALOM Yes, I love how theatrical these characters are. But Steven's version is very dark. If you know the book, it'll be exciting because you'll have a familiarity, but you'll also enjoy the different twists and turns that our series takes.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS NEW SUNDAY, 9PM, BBC1 DRAMA

Charles Dickens' coming-of-age story Great Expectations has captured the imagination of countless generations thanks to its portrayal of C orphan Pip's rapidly changing fortunes.

Now, Dunkirk's Fionn Whitehead plays Pip in a new adaptation for BBC1, penned by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

The six-part series begins in London in 1839 with Pip in a terrible situation.

To discover how he got there, the action flashes back to when a younger version of him (played by Tom Sweet) is living in Kent with his formidable sister, Sara (Hayley Squires), and her kind blacksmith husband, Joe (Owen McDonnell).

Quick-witted Pip is desperate to better himself, but his decision to help an escaped convict, Magwitch (Johnny Harris), proves a fateful one.