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{en} Oliver Twist (UK, 1999), directed by Renny Rye, starring Robert Lindsay (Fagin), Keira Knightley, Michael Kitchen, Sam Smith (Oliver), and Julie Walters. <ITV TV series> <see YouTube (full movie)> <4 episodes>

The adaptation, written by Alan Bleasdale, attracted controversy, particularly for the decision to begin with two hours of backstory (much of it invented by Bleasdale) before reaching the plot of the novel. Furthermore, Bleasdale altered well-known sections of the novel, so that although the basic idea is the same, almost every detail is changed enough so that the drama plays like an original story, not an adaptation. Monks, who is made an out-and-out murderer in this serial (he kills his father), is nevertheless changed from a completely irredeemable and evil villain to someone who reforms to the point of getting married and starting a family.