Of the many media adaptations of Charles Dickens' novel A Tale of Two Cities, only a handful have emulated Dickens by offering the story in a serialized, episodic fashion (as it was originally published). One such serialization was offered by BBC Television in 1965. John Wood headed the cast as dissolute 18th century London lawyer Sidney Carton, who does the "far, far better thing" by taking the place of his romantic rival Darnay (Nicholas Pennell) when the latter is sentenced to the guillotine during the French revolution. Prominent among the supporting players was Doctor Who star Patrick Troughton, here cast as the unfortunate Dr. Manette, whose imprisonment by evil French aristocrats sets the whole plot in motion. Curiously, A Tale of Two Cities would not again be offered in a serialized form by British television until 1988.
by Hal Erickson
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