Masterpiece classic premieres in January, 2009 with two beloved romance tales — Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Wuthering Heights. The Tales of Charles Dickens, a quartet of his greatest works, airs from mid February to early May with new productions of Oliver Twist, Little Dorrit and The Old Curiosity Shop, plus an encore of David Copperfield.

Tess of the d'Urberbvilles
Violated by one man, forsaken by another, Tess Durbeyfield is the spirited heroine of Thomas Hardy's novel. Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace) stars as Tess, joined by Hans Matheson (Dr. Zhivago) as her seducer, Alec, and Eddie Redmayne (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) as Angel, the idealistic man she loves.

Wuthering Heights
A new adaptation of Emily Bronte's haunting classic, which chronicles the passionate spiritual bond between Heathcliff, a Gypsy boy adopted by the Earnshaw family of Wuthering Heights, and the family's daughter, Cathy. British heartthrob Tom Hardy stars as Heathcliff, and newcomer Charlotte Riley is Cathy.

Oliver Twist
This bold adaptation breathes new life into the 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. Starring Timothy Spall as Fagin the cutpurse king, Tom Hardy as Bill Sikes, Fagin's accomplice and Sophie Okonedo as Nancy, Oliver's guardian angel.

David Copperfield
Charles Dickens's beloved novel gets all-star treatment in this encore presentation of David Copperfield. An event for the entire family, the cast includes Maggie Smith, Ian McKellen, Bob Hoskins — and an irresistible ten-year-old Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) as the young boy against the world.

Little Dorrit
One of Dickens' greatest love stories also has the timely theme of financial collapse. Matthew Macfadyen (Pride and Prejudice) stars as hero Arthur Clennam, with Claire Foy as Amy "Little" Dorrit and Tom Courtenay as her father, who has been incarcerated for 25 years for insolvency. Scores of other great actors appear in this moving tale.

The Old Curiosity Shop
A teenage girl and her grandfather lose everything to a maniacal moneylender and flee his relentless pursuit. The saga of Little Nell, Grandfather, and their tormentor, Daniel Quilp, is one of Dickens' most heart-rending tales. Derek Jacobi stars as Grandfather, with Sophie Vavasseur (Northanger Abbey) as Nell and Toby Jones (W.) as Quilp.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association honored Masterpiece's Cranford with three Golden Globe nominations for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Cranford was nominated in the Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television category, while Judi Dench was recognized in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television category, and Eileen Atkins in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television category.