Having just watched 'Tom Brown's Schooldays' today, I have to say it's one of the few period dramas that I've enjoyed. It was a great adaptation of the famous book based at Rugby School, a British boarding school for boys, and centred around young Tom Brown, a thirteen-year-old boy attending the school for the first time. There he finds schoolboy life is no picnic as he strives to overcome the systematic bullying that is prevalent in the school.
Stephen Fry was excellent as Dr Arnold, the newly appointed headmaster of the school. He was able to wonderfully portray Arnold's paternal love for the boys in his care as well as the character's condemnation of bullying and thuggish behaviour. It was especially poignant when we saw Fry show Arnold's humble manner when he apologised to a boy he had wrongly punished.
The youngsters in the drama also gave very strong performances even though for many of them this was their acting debut. Alex Pettyfer who played the lead of Tom Brown, and Harry Michell and Dane Carter who depicted Tom's best friends East and Tadpole had a great chemistry together (as good as the another famous boarding school trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron!). And Joe Beattie was perfect as the detestable and cowardly Flashman.
Overall, this adaptation is not only a nostalgic reminder of times long gone but is also a damning insight into bullying and its consequences as well as highlight that childhood is not as rosy as we want to believe. Even though this story was set decades in the past, it's themes are still relevant today. I only hope that after producing this fine drama, ITV will see it doesn't have to rely on the depressing, drudgery of soap operas that it usually churns out.
Stephen Fry was excellent as Dr Arnold, the newly appointed headmaster of the school. He was able to wonderfully portray Arnold's paternal love for the boys in his care as well as the character's condemnation of bullying and thuggish behaviour. It was especially poignant when we saw Fry show Arnold's humble manner when he apologised to a boy he had wrongly punished.
The youngsters in the drama also gave very strong performances even though for many of them this was their acting debut. Alex Pettyfer who played the lead of Tom Brown, and Harry Michell and Dane Carter who depicted Tom's best friends East and Tadpole had a great chemistry together (as good as the another famous boarding school trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron!). And Joe Beattie was perfect as the detestable and cowardly Flashman.
Overall, this adaptation is not only a nostalgic reminder of times long gone but is also a damning insight into bullying and its consequences as well as highlight that childhood is not as rosy as we want to believe. Even though this story was set decades in the past, it's themes are still relevant today. I only hope that after producing this fine drama, ITV will see it doesn't have to rely on the depressing, drudgery of soap operas that it usually churns out.