Masterpiece Classic “Oliver Twist”

This bold and gripping adaptation breathes new life into the much-loved Dickens story about the young orphan Oliver who is sent to the workhouse, where children are raised on a diet of hard work and thin gruel. Timothy Spall (Harry Potter), Tom Hardy (The Virgin Queen) and Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) star. Masterpiece Classic “Oliver Twist” airs Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 9 and 10:30 p.m. on Eight, Arizona PBS.

Part 1 – 9 p.m. : Having endured a miserable childhood, Oliver (William Miller) is sold to an undertaker, where his mistreatment impels him to escape to London. There, he is adopted by a criminal gang led by Fagin (Timothy Spall) and soon falls afoul of the law.

Part 2 – 10:30 p.m. : Wounded during a night burglary attempt with the psychopath Sikes (Tom Hardy), Oliver is nursed back to health by Nancy (Sophie Okenedo). Little does he know that a battle is raging between those who want to save him and those who want to kill him.