Struggle and Romance in Regency-Era London: Dickens' Little Dorrit Comes to ONETV

If you can’t get enough of period dramas, there’s no doubt you’ll love the BBC’s powerful adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic Little Dorrit. What can you expect from this timeless tale? Read on to find out!

Discover when you can watch Little Dorrit on ONETV here.

Little Dorrit was adapted for television by Emmy and BAFTA award winner Andrew Davies, who has also written favourites including Sanditon, Daniel Deronda, Pride and Prejudice, and Bridget Jones’s Diary. Like all great period dramas, Little Dorrit captures a beautiful romance while addressing issues of class, morality and relationships.

When we first meet Amy Dorrit, she lives in the Marshalsea Prison for Debt with her father, who has been an inmate there for a number of years. Although born and raised in the prison, she is far from being downtrodden and has grown up to be an ambitious young woman. Amy gains employment as a seamstress for the stern and formidable Mrs. Clennam, who is paralyzed and has been confined to her room for a dozen years.

When Mrs. Clennam’s son, Arthur (Matthew Macfadyen), returns to England after many years abroad, he’s immediately suspicious of Amy’s presence in the house. Arthur’s quest to discover the truth takes him to the Prison for Debt where he meets and befriends Amy’s father. As he tries to help the Dorrits, Arthur discovers that the dark shadow of debt stretches far beyond the walls of the Marshalsea Prison and affects the lives of many.

While there’s a strong element of mystery to the series that audiences will devour, the other major draw is the incredible star power of both leading actors, who have gone on to great success in their careers following the original airing of Little Dorrit. Amy Dorrit is played by the talented Claire Foy, who starred as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown. As Amy, Claire Foy plays a balance between a quiet, timid young girl and a driven, passionate woman who strongly believes in right and wrong.

“Outwardly, she’s a very timid, mouse-like creature, who is very quiet compared to all these other exuberant figures in the drama,” says Foy on her character. “But on the inside she is this wonderfully strong, driven and practical person. She is also ridiculously kind and the most selfless person imaginable.”

“That’s why she falls for Arthur. She can’t believe someone would be so nice to her, but eventually she accepts him for the good and gentle person that he is.”

Arthur is played by the wonderful Matthew Macfadyen, who first captured audiences as Mr. Darcy in the 2005 feature film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Here, he achieves an equally swoon-worthy performance and palpable chemistry with Claire Foy. Together, they portray a lovely, slow-burn romance between their characters who are too naive to realize each other’s true feelings.

“It’s very poignantly drawn and so true to life about male-female relations,” says Macfadyen on the love story. “[Arthur] has no clue that the person who loves him is standing right in front of him.”

“Audiences will be shouting at the screen, ‘come on, Arthur, you twit! Open your eyes!'”

Enjoy ONETV’s premiere airing of Little Dorrit Monday through Friday at 6pm & Midnight ET / 3 & 9pm PT from March 6 through March 15 or discover when you can next watch here.