BBC Great Expectations: Chilling trailer starring Olivia Colman released - Hampshire link and how to watch

Great Expectations has received many film and series adaptations over the years and now, a new series involving Pip and Miss Havisham is on its way. The story, written by Hampshire-born Charles Dickens, follows orphan Pip who rises to wealth thanks to an anonymous benefactor in the 1810s.

The new BBC series has been written by creator of Peaky Blinders Steven Knight and is the second Dickens’ novel to be made into a series by the writer. In 2019, Steven released a TV series of A Christmas Carol starring Guy Pearce, Stephen Graham and Andy Serkis.

The new series has also been produced by Tom Hardy, Dean Baker, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker and Kate Crowe. Among the cast is award-winning actress Olivia Colman who is set to play wealthy widow Miss Havisham and Dunkirk actor Fionn Whitehead who will play the lead role of Pip.

But is there a release date for Great Expectations and where was the show filmed? Here’s everything you need to know.

Great Expectations cast

A cast of familiar faces are set to join Olivia Colman and Fionn Whitehead in Great Expectations. The cast list includes:

• Top Boy’s Ashley Thomas as Jaggers
• The Salisbury Poisonings’ Johnny Harris as Magwitch
• Line of Duty’s Shalom Brune-Franklin as Estella Havisham
• Killing Eve’s Owen McDonnell as Joe
• Toast of Tinseltown’s Matt Berry as Mr Pumblechuck
• Anonymous’ Trystan Gravelle as Compeyson

Was Great Expectations filmed in Hampshire?

Some of the scenes in the new BBC series have been filmed in Charles Dickens’ home county of Hampshire. Victorian ships, ponies with carts and wooden barns were set up to film scenes for the six-part series in Buckler’s Hard, in the New Forest, in March 2022.

Straw-roofed barns were built, and wicker baskets and fishing nets were strewn on the ground to create the feel of a 19th century dockland. Large wooden ships were also seen moored on the Beaulieu River that runs through the 18th century shipbuilding hamlet, which is around two miles south of Beaulieu.

How to watch Great Expectations

A UK release date is yet to be announced for Great Expectations, however, the miniseries will air on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer in the spring. In the US, the series will be released on FX on Hulu on Sunday, March 26.

This article will be updated once the official UK release date has been announced.

Is there a trailer for Great Expectations?

A teaser trailer for Great Expectations was released by the BBC on February 5. The 20-second clip sees Pip meet Miss Havisham for the first time as the wealthy widow says: “Let me see you… what a prize creature we have fished from the river.”