Bleak House: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

From its glittering heights to its very lowest depths; a skilfully crafted thriller; an epic feast of characters and storylines; and a passionate indictment of the legal system that is as searingly relevant today as it was in the mid 19th century.

It was first published in 19 monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853. The TV adaptation, written by the award-winning Andrew Davies, comprised a one-hour opening episode followed by 14 half-hour episodes.

It was shown twice weekly, using the pace, multiple storylines and cliff-hanger endings more usually associated with popular drama. The aim was to return Dickens to the broad audience he originally wrote for.

It tells the story of the icily beautiful Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson), who nurses a dark secret in her past, and the merciless lawyer Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance), who seeks to uncover it.

Then there's the generous John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson), struggling with his own past, and his two attractive young wards Richard (Patrick Kennedy) and Ada (Carey Mulligan).

Like Lady Dedlock, they're all caught up in the infamous case of Jarndyce vs Jarndyce, which will make one of them rich beyond imagination - if it can ever be brought to a conclusion.

Series details

• Title: Bleak House
• Format: Scripted
• Language: English
• Genres: Drama, Mystery, Legal
• Premiere date: 2005-10-27
• Final broadcast date listed: 2005-12-16
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: BBC One
• Network country: United Kingdom
• Typical episode runtime: 30 minutes
• TVmaze community rating: 7.8/10
• TVMaze ID: 2358

Cast and credited roles

• Anna Maxwell Martin — Esther Summerson
• Denis Lawson — John Jarndyce
• Gillian Anderson — Lady Dedlock
• Patrick Kennedy — Richard Carstone
• Carey Mulligan — Ada Clare
• Charles Dance — Josiah Tulkinghorn
• Harry Eden — Jo

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2005-10-27; final listed air date 2005-12-16; episode order: 15.

Source and licence

Adapted from Bleak House on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.