Oliver Twist. Episode 1
(eVideo)

eVideo

English

Originally released by BBC Worldwide Ltd., 2007.

Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on January 17, 2017.

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Having endured a miserable and brutal childhood, Oliver is sold to a local undertaker where his mistreatment forces him to escape to London. Once in the capital, he is welcomed into the seductive world of pick-pocketing by the criminal underworld and, before long, is in deep trouble with the Law. A young, unmarried woman gives birth to a baby boy in a workhouse. She dies, leaving a letter and a locket, which are stolen by Sally, a workhouse servant. The baby survives and is named Oliver Twist. Oliver endures a miserable childhood in the workhouse, overseen by the sadistic Mrs. Corney and the equally brutal Mr. Bumble. But Oliver's a fighter and when he dares to ask for more, he is sold to the local undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry. His treatment at the hands of the Sowerberrys is scarcely better, and Oliver runs away to London. Meanwhile, a mysterious gentleman visits the workhouse enquiring about Oliver Twist. On arrival in London, Oliver meets The Artful Dodger and is welcomed into the colorful and seductive world of Fagin and his gang. He meets the terrifying Bill Sikes and the beautiful Nancy, and before long Dodger is teaching Oliver 'the graft'. Oliver is horrified when he realizes what this means and, when Dodger picks the pocket of an elderly gentleman (Mr. Brownlow), Oliver runs and is wrongly arrested. In Court, he is sentenced to hang, but Brownlow gets there just in time to exonerate him. Oliver settles in at Brownlow's home and becomes a favorite of his ward, Rose. He is safe at last. But after receiving an anonymous letter promising news of his mother, he is lured into a trap. Nancy and Sikes snatch him back and return him to Fagin. With no word from Oliver, Brownlow concludes that he must be a thief after all, despite Rose's protestations. Meanwhile, Fagin brings the mysterious gentleman, Mr Monks, to see Oliver. Monks tells Fagin he wants the boy destroyed. Fagin meets Monks again and is promised handsome payment if he brings about Oliver's death. Fagin is intrigued by Monks' hatred of Oliver and reasons that, if Monks is prepared to pay to have him killed, someone else will pay to have him returned safely. When Monks turns up at Brownlow's home, we discover that he is the old man's trusted grandson Edward, and is supposedly engaged in a search for Rose's long-lost sister Agnes and her child. Sikes enlists Oliver to assist him in a burglary - a sure way of ensuring his loyalty. Dodger is aggrieved not to be chosen. Eager to protect his investment, Fagin warns Oliver that he must do exactly what Mr Sikes tells him. Nancy, though, has formed a strong bond with Oliver and is guilt-ridden about her part in his recapture. Meanwhile, Rose, with the aid of their loyal housekeeper Mrs. Bedwin, secretly searches for Oliver in the poorer parts of the city. Back in Mudfog, Sally is dying and asks for Mrs. Corney. She wants to unburden herself about the letter and the locket, but Mrs. Corney is too busy trying to lure Mr. Bumble into her web. Sikes and Oliver break into a large country house, but are caught in the act and Oliver is shot.

10 & up.

Streaming video file.

System requirements: Classroom Video On Demand playback platform.

Closed-captioned.