David Copperfield is a two-part BBC television drama adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel of the same name, adapted by Adrian Hodges. The first part was shown on Christmas Day 1999 and the second part the following day. The production is the acting debut of Daniel Radcliffe, who would later rise to stardom as the title character of the Harry Potter film series, where he would collaborate with his David Copperfield co-stars Maggie Smith, Zoë Wanamaker, Imelda Staunton, Dawn French and Paul Whitehouse. The series was co-produced by BBC America and Boston television station WGBH, and first aired on American television in April 2000, as a feature in the PBS series Masterpiece. It won a Peabody Award in 2000. Production The original adaptation was written by John Sullivan, the writer of BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and would have emphasised the comic aspects of Dickens' novel. The plan was to reunite former stars David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst on-screen, with Jason playing Wilkins Micawber and Lyndhurst in the role of Uriah Heep. When Sullivan disagreed with the new direction and re-allocation of the adaptation to the BBC's drama department, he left the project, and Adrian Hodges' work was used instead. Lyndhurst remained with this production to play Uriah Heep, and the role of Micawber was taken by Bob Hoskins. Sullivan eventually moved to ITV, where in 2001 he produced a four-part series called Micawber, with Jason in the title role. Ian McKellen, who plays Mr. Creakle in this adaptation, previously starred as the adult David Copperfield in the BBC's 1966 adaptation of the novel. Plot Part one David Copperfield is a posthumous child. He was born in Blunderstone, Suffolk, three months after the death of his father, who was also called David Copperfield. On the night of David's birth, his great-aunt, Betsey Trotwood, arrives at the the Copperfield family and eagerly anticipates the birth of a baby girl. She insists that Clara Copperfield's baby must be called Betsey Trotwood Copperfield, and that she will be her godmother. However, when the delivered child turns out to be a boy, Betsey is horrified (as her previous experiences with men have all ended tragically) and storms out. David grows up loved and cared for by Clara and their maid, Peggotty. When David turns eight, Clara meets Edward Murdstone, a stern man who takes an immediate dislike to David. Peggotty offers to take