9. Hard Times (TV, 1977)
We tend to think of the 1980s at the high-water mark of English period drama, with the likes of Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes all being winners for ITV. But what is less well-known is that none of these series may have come about without the success of our next entry Arthur Hopcraft's adaptation of Hard Times, produced as four 50-minute episodes in 1977. Hard Times is set in the fictional Coketown (modelled on 1850s Manchester) and follows the life and times of Thomas Gradgrind. Gradgrind is a utilitarian and "eminently practical", believing that the children in the schools he established should be taught facts and statistics, regarding all other pursuits as "destructive nonsense". His ethos and way of life are, however, rapidly brought in question through the misfortunes of his eldest daughter Louisa, unhappily married to his associate Josiah Bounderby, who is ultimately revealed to be a liar and a fraud. Hard Times is Dickens' shortest novel, so it makes sense that only four episodes would be produced. Like the BBC's take on Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy around the same time, the production is handsomely mounted, thoroughly adapted and very well-cast. Timothy West, who will also turn up later on this list, is a very convincing Bounderby, and Edward Fox turns in a typically caddish performance as Captain James Harthouse, who tempts Louisa into adultery. Best of all, however, is the late Patrick Allen, who casts an intimidating shadow as Gradgrind himself. Fittingly, Allen would later appear in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as Colonel Sebastian Moran.