Oliver Twist

San Francisco ChronicleDavid Wiegand

From spot-on casting and one extraordinary performance after another, to a bold adaptation by Sarah Phelps, to Coky Giedroyc's energizing direction, to a toe-tapping musical score (that probably doesn't belong here, but fie on that - it's fun), this Oliver Twist is a thrill ride for anyone who still believes that TV can be entertaining.

USA TodayRobert Bianco

Times have changed, but they haven't weakened the basic strength of Dickens' story or diminished his insights into a society in which the poor are left to their own oppressed devices unless they cross paths with the rich.

Entertainment WeeklyAlynda Wheat

The humor is wilder, the penury sadder, and Sophie Okonedo a winsome Nancy. The only bad twist is the overwrought score.

Los Angeles TimesMary McNamara

You can't really improve on the story of "Oliver Twist"; the best you can hope for is to bring it to life, which the two-part "Masterpiece Classic" version skillfully does.

Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker

The filmmakers heighten the intrigue, explore the seedy underworld and portray a murderer's guilt with haunting artistry.

Wall Street JournalNancy DeWolf Smith

The casting is effective. William Miller gives Oliver the requisite vulnerability and steeliness.

Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray

Timothy Spall steps onto the screen as one of Dickens' most ambivalent villains in a largely unexceptional version adapted by Sarah Phelps.

VarietyLaura Fries

Director Coky Giedroyc's grittier, reality-based approach to Sarah Phelps' adaptation contrasts sharply the popular and nostalgic musical account "Oliver!" Nevertheless, this version does stay true to Dickens' original intent to call attention to social evils in harsh times.

New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

This latest production of the Dickens classic, solid but not spectacular, adds a few contemporary touches, including some rather modern-sounding background music and expressions like "go bonkers."

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

The two-part miniseries makes missteps aplenty, with tone and plot changes from the novel that will likely offend purists. But it nonetheless has a warm spirit and an original vision, which is more than I can say for Roman Polanski's rote 2005 version.

SalonHeather Havrilesky

The whole thing would be worthwhile but ultimately forgettable, if not for some particularly heart-wrenching scenes where Okonedo really makes us feel for poor Nancy, the conflicted prostitute who loves that nasty Sikes in spite of herself.

The New York TimesMike Hale

Their response is a conventional condensation that sticks to the broad outlines of the book while scrambling characters and events in myriad small ways guaranteed to enrage Dickens purists.