The vintage bbc 1964 adaption of alexandra dumas' classic novel. Starring alan badel, natasha parry, morris perry, michael gough, rosalie crutchley one of the bbc's most highly anticipated releases of 1964, which miraculously stills exists in its entirety despite the bbc's wiping of many programmes around this time, showing the high esteem which the corporation held for this production. The count of monte cristo is one of very best adaptations of a classic novel that the bbc has ever mounted thrilling, dynamic and compulsive, and brilliantly acted. This is storytelling of the highest order. Alexandra dumas' original novel seems ideally suited for the tv since it was originally published in instalments, it fits neatly into episodic television. And since it was originally meant as pulse pounding entertainment, there's none of the awkward worthiness that so many of the beeb's prestige products suffer from. Genre tv release date 26th may 2014 running time 300 min cat no 139238 barcode 5019322392385 no disc 2 format dvd